Figure 1
Figure 1
The results of the vegetation quadrats along a transect on Studland sand dunes showed that the amount of vegetation increased and changed, while the percentage of bare ground decreased as the sampling sites increased. The reasons behind this can be explained by clarifying what a typical transect is, starting with low embryo dunes near the shoreline and much taller mature dunes several hundred meters back from the shore (as indicated in Figure 1). As you follow the transect from the beach, the dunes get older and the vegetation changes, gradually coving more and more bare sand and increasing in height. A graph to show % vegetation cover on Studland Dunes
A graph to show % vegetation cover on Studland Dunes
The data suggests that at the first sampling point that there is no vegetation present. This can be justified by the fact that the sample was taken just as the dunes started on the embryo dune. Therefore reasons for no vegetation is that there are extreme conditions at this point; very high pH values (8+); rapid drainage; no humus; high wind speed and lots of salt spray, all of which make it almost impossible for vegetation to grown and the colonies, furthermore this dune can be disappear as quickly as they form.
From the graph we can see that sample site 2, 3 and 4 that is on average 98% bare ground and some vegetation is appearing as is suggests there is 2% marram grass, and at sample site 5 and 6 have a 100% cover in marram grass. I think the reasons for this is because there is sparse vegetation it must be a fore dune and sample 5 and 6 might be on a yellow dune. The percentages can be explained by using knowledge of the fore and dunes which are similar except for the their maturity (yellow dunes being older and slightly more developed). Thus, the vegetation has started to grow there because there is reduced winds speed