Ecology and energetics of slacks in the Alexandria coastal dunefield

The role of sexual vs. asexual recruitment of <i>Artemisia wudanica</i> in transition zone habitats between inter-dune lowlands and active dunes in Inner Mongolia, China

“…Each dune slack can be a self-containing, transition zone unit (McLachlan et al, 1996;van der Hagen et al, 2008). This is the result of the fact that while small parts of the surface area are subjected to wind erosion, transition zone surfaces are composed of wind erosion zones that have formed in recent years.…”

Relationship between vegetation dynamics and dune mobility in an arid transgressive coastal system, Maspalomas, Canary Islands

“…The main objective of most of these studies was to analyze the relationship between burial by sand and plants that have directly colonized the dunes. However, the study of plant community dynamics at colonized slacks within the context of dune migration has barely been addressed (Ranwell, 1958(Ranwell, , 1960García-Novo et al, 1976;McLachlan et al, 1987McLachlan et al, , 1996Piotrowska, 1991;Hesp and McLachlan, 2000;Gallego-Fernández and García-Novo, 2001). Such conditions can lead to fatal burial processes, even for species that are adapted to these conditions, when the sand dunes moving along slacks reach significant heights.…”

Species shifts in above-ground vegetation and the soil seed bank in the inter-dune lowlands of an active dune field in Inner Mongolia, China

“…Each inter-dune lowland can be seen as a self-contained unit (McLachlan et al, 1996). In some areas, the surface has stabilised as a result of vegetation growth, but elsewhere drifting sand has spread and covered previously stable surfaces (van der Hagen et al, 2008).…”

“…It is therefore important to understand the structure and function of inter-dune lowlands, especially to examine vegetation patterns at the dune scale and its relationship with environmental factors in the restoration processes of mobile dunes . This will improve predictions regarding this resource in the future and guide management decisions for conservation or restoration measures (McLachlan et al, 1996).…”

“…Specialised dune plant species are able to withstand mobile sand, burial, drought, high temperatures, salt winds, and low substrate nutrient levels (Gunster, 1994;Pake & Venable, 1996;Stark et al, 2003;Sykes & Wilson, 1987). Subsequently, inter-dune lowlands provide refuge for a relatively large number of rare and endangered species (Gunster, 1994), and are a crucial habitat for the reproduction and survival of invertebrates, amphibians, and other wildlife (Everard, Jones & Watts, 2010;McLachlan, Kerley & Rickard, 1996;Peralta-Pelaez & Moreno-Casasola, 2009). It is therefore important to understand the structure and function of inter-dune lowlands, especially to examine vegetation patterns at the dune scale and its relationship with environmental factors in the restoration processes of mobile dunes .…”