sand dunes

Salt tolerant plants form coastal dunes as they trap and bind dry, wind-blown sand. This process starts at the strandline, where annual plants, such as Sea Rocket and Prickly Saltwort, begin to arrest the inland progress of the loose sand.

Embryo dunes, or foredunes, form on the upper beach around Sand Couch Grass and Lyme-grass. As the dunes grow in height, these grasses are replaced by Marram Grass. Tall dunes with marram dominating are known as mobile or yellow dunes.

As they become more vegetated, dunes become more stable and 'fixed' in nature. Fixed dunes support a much higher diversity of species than mobile dunes and the dominant grass is typically Red Fescue. As the fixed dunes age, they lose lime and develop a flora characterised by Common Bent-grass and patches of Heather (dune heathland). Dense clumps of scrub, comprised of willows and the introduced Sea Buckthorn, may develop on older dunes.

Dune slacks are damp low-lying areas between dune ridges and they can be particularly rich in plant species including Creeping Bent-grass, Creeping Willow and a variety of sedges, rushes, orchids and mosses.

Fylde Dunes at Lytham St Annes, Lancashire

The Fylde Dunes, Lancashire

There are about 90 ha of sand dune habitat remaining in Lancashire (or just under 1% of the English sand dune resource); 79.8 ha in Fylde Borough; 8.5 ha in Wyre Borough and 0.4 ha in Lancaster City.

Over 280 vascular plant species have been recorded on Lancashire's sand dunes, including several national rarities. Three plant species unique to the British Isles occur on dunes in Lancashire. These are Isle of Man cabbage, Dune Helleborine and a hybrid of Baltic Rush.

Insects are numerous and varied in the dune systems, with over 150 species of butterflies and moths recorded.

Birds present invariably include Skylark, and Wheatear as well as rarities such as (at Lytham) Stonechat.

Sefton Dunes at Formby, Merseyside (Craig Smith)

The Sefton Dunes, North Merseyside

The extensive foreshore zone along the Sefton Coast is part of the Liverpool Bay complex of estuarine habitats. The Sefton Coast dunes cover 2,074 ha. That's about 15% of the total for England making it the largest dune system in the country.

Habitats include embryo dunes, mobile dunes, fixed dunes, dune slacks, dune scrub and dune heath.

Rare species include Sand Lizard, Natterjack Toad, Great-crested Newt and Petalwort (a bryophyte plant). The extensive coastal pinewoods support a thriving population of Red Squirrel.