Dune cliffs: a buffered system
Gerlach, A. (1992). Dune cliffs: a buffered system, in: Carter, R.W.G. et al. (Ed.) Coastal dunes: geomorphology, ecology and management for conservation: Proceedings of the 3rd European Dune Congress Galway, Ireland, 17-21 June 1992. pp. 51-55
In: Carter, R.W.G.; Curtis, T.G.F.; Sheehy-Skeffington, M.J. (Ed.) (1992). Coastal dunes: Geomorphology, ecology and management for conservation: Proceedings of the 3rd European Dune Congress Galway, Ireland, 17-21 June 1992. A.A. Balkema [etc.]: Rotterdam. ISBN 90-5410-058-3. 533 pp., more
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| Abstract |
On many European coasts dune cliffs develop following winter storms. Deposits of seaweeds and other debris may occur in front of these cliffs, but the distribution, amount and composition of the litter differs widely. On the island of Spiekeroog the drift lines formed in the winter of 1990 were investigated; material was found at a height of 3.90 m above sea level at the foot of the dunes. Extent and amount of litter, as well as content of the biologically-important elements N and P, were recorded for a shoreline section of nearly 2 km. The distribution of the litter was irregular as relatively large quantities were deposited in duneline embayments rather than directly in front of the cliffs. The total surface area of the drift lines was 206 m², with widths of up to 1 m and thicknesses ranging from 0.01 to 0.40 m. The N-content of the drift line material was c.50 g/m², corresponding to an overall N-input of 500 kg/ha. The P-input was estimated to be 3.0 g/m², about 30 kg/ha. The drift line has an abiotic and a biotic function, helping both to accumulate sand and to provide the basis for subsequent dune growth in terms of seeds, roots and nutrients. |
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