Soft engineering
- Created by: Liz_E
- Created on: 10-05-16 14:39
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- Soft engineering- Sefton coast, northwest England
- Reasons for protecting
- Sand dune area extending 17kms (largest in England)
- Sand dune system at Formby Point lost 700m between 120 and 1970
- Natural erosion levels accelerated by spoil dumping, dredging and construction of Liverpool and Preston ports
- Open access for tourists with off road vehicles destroying vegetation
- Sand is removed for foundry trade and glass polishing
- Objectives of scheme
- Close monitoring of visitor numbers
- Prohibiting use of off road vehicles
- Controlling extraction of sand for commercial uses
- Removing pine plantations and scrub to re-establish a spectrum of habitats
- Benefits
- Re-colonisation of specialised plants such as yellow bartisia and animals such as sand lizard
- Re-established and maintained habitats including bare dunes and trees suitable for a wide range of associated species
- Mobile dunes and associated plants would increase the biodiversity of the area and return the soils to a natural conditions
- Reduce fire risk
- Success?
- It may be difficult to balance recreational activities and ecosystems
- The Sefton coastline is very active
- The pressure on the coastline may increase physical changes
- Costs
- Colonies of red squirrels are threatened due to the removal of the pine plantations
- Difficulty managing the increased tourist visitor numbers particularly during the summer months
- Continued erosion of Formby Point
- Reasons for protecting
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