Coastal zone
The pristine dunes form a very dynamic and varied landscape, but stabilisation of the sand has caused much of the dynamics to disappear.
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Characteristics
The landscape of the coastal zone comprises a progression from beaches, to high coastal dunes, to low dunes further inland, with valleys and flat areas in between. The pristine landscape is very dynamic. The beaches and part of the dunes begin by being bare. Here the sand is active, and new dunes are continually being created. In some places the sea may break through the dunes and penetrate the hinterland, resulting in the creation of inlets called slufters and green (i.e. vegetated) beaches. The influence of the wind decreases inland, so the openness of the vegetation also decreases and scrub and woodland are found in sheltered sites. On the landward side of the dunes horticultural crops and bulbs are traditionally grown.
Trends
The most important historical trend on the beaches and in the high coastal dunes is the diminishing of the dynamics. The scrub invasion of the open sandy areas has been fostered by the building of coastal defences (basalt blocks, the planting of marram grass and conifers, sand supplementation) and the disappearance of agricultural land use (pasturing) and by the deposition of nitrogen. Nature development projects have been carried out, digging out parts of the seaward dunes to allow the sea to enter and slufters and green beaches to form.
