Management of a coastal ecosystem - conflicts

Studland bay, sand dunes and heathland

Background

Studland beach stretches for about 6km south-east from the entrance to Poole harbour in Dorset. It is owned and managed by the National Trust. The sand dunes at the back of the beach are owned by the National Trust, but managed by English Nature. On a busy day, up to 25,000 people visit Studland. The vast majority come for the beach but some come to visit the sand dunes and nature reserve. The number of visitors are increasing each year. In 2002, Half a million people visited to area.

Problems resulting from human use of the ecosystem

•·      Dune erosion caused by people walking through the dunes from the car park to the beach or for shelter. This threatens plant and animal species.

•·      Traffic congestion in the car parks and roads leading to the area.

•·      Visitors leave over 12 tonnes of litter per week. Unless it is put in the bins provided, it is dangerous to small birds and animals.

•·      At least once a year, heath fires destroy plants and animals. The most common cause is a discarded cigarette end. Lizards and snakes can escape by burrowing, but may not escape predators once the vegetation cover has gone.

Management strategies at Studland

Since 1982, the National Trust has:

•·      Enlarged the four main car parks to increase capacity by 800

•·      Built a visitor centre with shop, café and information point

•·      Increased the number of toilets, and provided facilities for the disabled

•·      Closed some paths and fenced off parts of the snad dunes

•·      Planted marram grass

•·      Placed litter bins on paths and at the back of the beach

•·      Placed fire beaters and water hydrants on the heather and gorse heath, and made fire breaks

•·      Erected information boards and provided leaflets to educate people about the area.

Additional management of sand dunes

•·      Boardwalks can be laid along main footpaths to reduce erosion

•·      Sand traps consist of fences, built to collect sand where trampling or wind erosion has formed a blowout

•·      Dutch ladders are used on slopes, as they are cheaper than boardwalks and can be cleared of sand if they are buried

•·      Car parks prevent cars parking on dunes and damaging them

•·      Not repair hard engineering coastal protection measures currently in place and allow the sea to erode the land

D. Drake 2010