Psammosere, dune succession in Umbra Nature Reserve, Co. Derry

Question 1

What percentage of the Irish coastline is composed of beaches backed by sand dunes?

Answer 1

20%

Question 2

How many hectares of sand dunes are found in the north of Ireland?

Answer 2

2,000 hectares

Question 3

What are formed by the deposition of sand on the landward side of wide beaches?

Answer 3

Dunes

Question 4

What carries material above the tide line to form small embryo dunes?

Answer 4

Waves and onshore winds

Question 5

What is the height of small dunes often formed behind obstacles?

Answer 5

Less than a metre

Question 6

Which pioneer plant is known to tolerate low nutrient, saline, and windswept conditions?

Answer 6

Sand couch grass

Question 7

What key plant species is crucial for the growth of sand dunes?

Answer 7

Marram grass

Question 8

What unique ability does marram grass have?

Answer 8

Survives burial by sand and thrives on it

Question 9

What type of root network does marram grass form?

Answer 9

Complex rhizome root network

Question 10

What are the names of the dune ridges created parallel to the shoreline?

Answer 10

Embryo dunes, foredunes, yellow dunes, grey dunes

Question 11

What are the low sheltered areas between dune ridges called?

Answer 11

Dune slacks

Question 12

What type of conditions may be found in dune slacks?

Answer 12

Wet or dry

Question 13

How long have dune environments in Ireland developed?

Answer 13

Over the last 6,000 years

Question 14

How far can some dune systems stretch from the sea?

Answer 14

Over a kilometre

Question 15

What is the characteristic height of an embryo dune?

Answer 15

1 m

Question 16

What key plant species is found in the foredune?

Answer 16

Sea couch grass

Question 17

What is the expected change in the proportion of bare sand moving inland?

Answer 17

Decreases as more species invade

Question 18

What happens to the soil’s organic matter as one moves inland?

Answer 18

Increases from plants and animals

Question 19

What is the trend in soil pH as one moves inland from the shore?

Answer 19

Decreases from salty alkaline environment

Question 20

How does the ability of soil to retain water change as organic material is added?

Answer 20

Improves

Question 21

What happens to the range of species found as one moves inland?

Answer 21

Increases, although pioneer species are replaced

Question 22

What is the characteristic height of the third ridge?

Answer 22

280 m

Question 23

What is the characteristic height of the second ridge?

Answer 23

80 m

Question 24

What tree species are found in the climax vegetation community?

Answer 24

Pine, birch, oak

Question 25

What is the significance of Magilligan's location?

Answer 25

It is a cuspate foreland formed by sea/land level changes

Question 26

What is the area size of Magilligan?

Answer 26

32 km²

Question 27

What is the characteristic ground cover percentage for Marram grass?

Answer 27

70%

Question 28

What is the soil pH at the third ridge?

Answer 28

5.0

Question 29

Fill in the blank: The height and stability of both the dunes and the vegetation ______ as one moves inland.

Answer 29

increases

Question 30

True or False: The climax vegetation community includes only pioneer species.

Answer 30

False

Question 31

What is the expected change in soil acidity as one moves inland?

Answer 31

Decreases due to organic acids from decomposing material

Question 32

What is the ground cover percentage for Sea buckthorn?

Answer 32

34%

Question 33

What type of environment does Magilligan consist of?

Answer 33

Sea and wind-blown sand deposits

Question 34

What are Benone and Magilligan beaches backed by?

Answer 34

Extensive sand dunes ## Footnote The dunes have various land uses, including military and recreational purposes.

Question 35

What is a psammosere?

Answer 35

An ecosystem where plants colonise coastal sand areas ## Footnote This study focuses on the Umbra Nature Reserve Dunes.

Question 36

What are embryo dunes?

Answer 36

The youngest dunes formed from wind-blown beach sand just above the high tide line ## Footnote They represent a hostile environment for plant life.

Question 37

What is the pH range of embryo dunes?

Answer 37

8-9 ## Footnote This high pH is partly due to shell fragments in the sand.

Question 38

Name a pioneer plant that can grow in embryo dunes.

Answer 38

Sand couch grass ## Footnote It is resistant to salt and stores water in its succulent leaves.

Question 39

What percentage of the embryo dune is typically exposed sand?

Answer 39

80% ## Footnote Winter storms often wash away embryo dunes, but they usually rebuild in summer.

Question 40

What are foredunes?

Answer 40

Older and slightly higher dunes located landward of the embryo dunes ## Footnote They are sometimes called yellow dunes due to visible sand.

Question 41

What plant begins to dominate in foredunes?

Answer 41

Marram grass ## Footnote Marram grass is tolerant of salt and thrives when buried by sand.

Question 42

How does marram grass adapt to dry conditions?

Answer 42

By having tightly rolled leaves that protect moisture loss ## Footnote It also has long rhizomes and tap roots that reach groundwater.

Question 43

What are dune slacks?

Answer 43

Low-lying depressions between dune ridges ## Footnote They are often near or below the water table.

Question 44

What types of plants are found in dune slacks?

Answer 44

Wild strawberries, buttercups, and violets ## Footnote These plants thrive in more sheltered environments.

Question 45

What characterizes grey dunes?

Answer 45

Older, fixed dunes at a later seral stage of succession ## Footnote Conditions improve for plant growth with distance from the beach.

Question 46

What is the pH range of grey dunes?

Answer 46

7.5-6.5 ## Footnote The pH becomes slightly alkaline or slightly acidic.

Question 47

What happens to sand in grey dunes?

Answer 47

Less than 10% of the dunes are visible sand ## Footnote A thin layer of dark humus develops as plants die and decay.

Question 48

How do some plant species adapt to the dry conditions of grey dunes?

Answer 48

By growing in rosettes, hugging the ground to create a microclimate ## Footnote This helps the plants retain moisture.

Question 49

Name three plants that are common in the grey dunes?

Answer 49

1. Dandelions 2. Plantains 3. Ragwort

Question 50

What is the final seral stage of climatic climax in the Umbra dune ecosystem?

Answer 50

A deciduous forest with whitlow, hazel, birch, and oak ## Footnote This stage supports a rich undergrowth and ground surface life.

Question 51

Which typical woodland plants are found in the Umbra dune ecosystem?

Answer 51

* Wood anemones * Wood sorrel * Celandines * Ivy * Mosses ## Footnote These plants thrive in the undergrowth of the deciduous forest.

Question 52

What has replaced the climax vegetation in parts of the Umbra dune system?

Answer 52

Planting of coniferous woodland ## Footnote This replacement alters the natural ecosystem.

Question 53

What is a plagioclimax vegetation community?

Answer 53

A vegetation community preserved by external factors, such as grazing ## Footnote In this case, it refers to the dune system at Magilligan.

Question 54

What historical factor prevented the dune system at Magilligan from developing into a forest?

Answer 54

The introduction of rabbits by Anglo-Normans ## Footnote Rabbits were introduced as an economic resource for meat and skins.

Question 55

What is myxomatosis?

Answer 55

A viral disease that is generally fatal to European rabbits ## Footnote It was used to control rabbit populations in various countries.

Question 56

When was myxomatosis introduced into Ireland?

Answer 56

In 1954 ## Footnote This introduction aimed to manage the rabbit population.

Question 57

What was the mortality rate for rabbits in some areas after the introduction of myxomatosis?

Answer 57

99.8% ## Footnote This drastic decline affected the vegetation succession processes.

Question 58

What grazing animal has been introduced to the dunes to help retain plagioclimax vegetation?

Answer 58

Cattle ## Footnote They are placed on the dunes in winter to restrict forest plant invasion.

Question 59

What is the goal of introducing grazing animals to the dunes?

Answer 59

To retain the distinctive rich assemblage of plant species ## Footnote This includes preserving rare orchid species in damp dune slacks.