A previous article in British Wildlife (Howe et al. 2012) presented plans to restore dynamism to Welsh dune systems. Here we receive an update and account of the lessons learnt from eight years of trials.
With hot dry sand, waterlogged ‘slacks’, nutrient-poor soil and salt-laden winds, dunes present challenges that can be met only by plants and animals adapted to extreme conditions. Plants such as Marram Grass Ammophila arenaria have waxy inward-rolled leaves to survive the desert-like conditions, while others, such as Early Sand-grass Mibora minima, flower and set seed during a compact growing season early in spring, when moisture levels are higher.