Focus
Through our Land Management Agreement with Natural Resources Wales (NRW), funding has been awarded to extend a dunes slack restoration project at Talacre. 2021 will be the third phase of dune slack-habitat improvement works.
Dune slacks appear as flat valleys in the dune system. They are typically formed by the scouring action of the wind blowing over dune ridges and removing sand in the lee until the groundwater level is reached. They are usually rich in distinct species and are characteristically flooded in autumn and winter months as the groundwater rises above the soil surface. The wet conditions produce a habitat type that is in sharp contrast to the typically drier conditions that people may associate with most sand dune systems.
If left ungrazed or unmanaged, thicker soils may build up allowing ranker vegetation to colonise. After several years, trees may colonise which will suck up the standing water, further altering the vegetation composition. When this happens and in the absence of regular strong winds to scour out the substrate, the only option left to revert the area to their rarer plants, is to remove the trees and the top few centimetres of ‘soils’, to mimic the natural conditions that once allowed the rarer species to thrive. Current Activity Phase three works are due to be completed before Spring 2021. The works will allow bare sand to be exposed and water to collect on the surface as the ground water table increases over the winter months. The bare, sandy soils will be suitable for colonisation by specialist plants and over several years will mature into dune slack climax vegetation. The species composition strongly contrasts to the drier dunes that are often dominated by marram grass. Sedges such as Carex arenaria and the variegated horsetail Equisetum variegatum are likely to occur quite quickly, often accompanied by bog pimpernel Anagallis tenella and orchids such as Early Marsh Orchid Dactylorhiza incarnata soon afterward. More common species, specialised for the wetter conditions such as Marsh Pennywort Hydrocotyle vulgaris and Water mint Mentha aquatica are also likely to be present, as are knotted pearlwort Sagina nodosa and Brookweed Samolus valerandi from the primrose family. Along with a range of grasses and mosses it is hoped that the highly specialised Petalwort Petalophyllum ralfsii liverwort, will expand its distribution into the newly created areas at Talacre. The open wet areas that are created are beneficial not only for the specialist plants but may also offer up the opportunity for calling male Natterjack Toads to be heard, as the new dune slacks hold water well into the spring breeding season. Phase three of the Talacre Dunes Slack restoration works are due to be completed before Spring 2021 in partnership with Natural Resources Wales. The works will allow water to collect in the newly cleared areas as the ground water table increases over the winter months. The bare, sandy soils will be suitable for colonisation by specialist plants and over several years will mature into dunes slack climax vegetation. Continued botanical monitoring will record colonising species
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