1. Higher Geography Pupil Conference Dalkeith HS 23 rd March 2007 BIOSPHERE Val Vannet High School of Dundee

2. The Biosphere Sand Dune Succession

5. Tentsmuir :W W2 shore defence These tank traps were at the high water mark in 1940

6. Seaward growth of the sand dunes at Tentsmuir since 1940

7. Sample sand dune systems

8. Tentsmuir

9. Buddon Ness

10. St Cyrus

11. Forvie

12. Culbin sands

13. Sand Dune Transect

14. The Foreshore Blowing sand Salty Dry

15. Saltwort Fleshy leaves store water Deep tap roots Low growing

16. Sandwort Waxy leaves

17. Sea Rocket Fleshy, waxy leaves Tap roots

18. Frosted orache ‘ Mealy’ leaves are salt repellant Long tap roots

19. Couch grass Leaves prostrate Withstands modest burial Tolerates salt

20. Saltwort Frosted orache Couch Grass

21. Embryo Dunes Scattered foreshore plants Seaweed (humus) On shore winds Sand builds up Highest tide line

22. Level of built-up sand

23. Frosted orache Embryo dune

24. Foredunes Couch grass (salt tolerant) Lyme grass (salt tolerant)

25. Mobile (yellow) dunes Marram grass

27. Much bare sand hence ‘yellow’

28. Ragwort Marram

30. Fixed (grey) dunes Marram more sparse and weaker Other species dominate

31. Increasing floristic diversity Harebells Bedstraw Restharrow

32. Parasol mushrooms More humus and soil moisture

33. Why ‘grey’? Lichens

34. Marram now very sparse Ground cover almost complete

35. Dune slacks Main dune ridge Lower relief intersects water table

36. Phragmites reeds

37. Rushes

38. Seasonal slack Rushes Creeping willow

39. Main dune ridge Slack Dune heath Cotton grass

40. Final stages of succession Alkaline shell sand Grassland Heathland Acid mineral sand

41. Dune Scrub (often spinous!) Gorse Buckthorn Dog rose

42. Sea Buckthorn is well named!

43. Mixed Woodland Climax

46. Easy ! 100% Marram