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Trilateral Conference on
Dune Management

28 August 2008,
Wattemeerhaus, Südstrand 110b
Wilhelmshaven
 
      

Trilateral Dune Conference Underlined Importance of Wadden Sea Dunes

Over 50 Dutch, Danish, German and English experts met at the trilateral dune conference in Wilhelmshaven on 28 August 2008, which was jointly organized by the National Park Administration Lower Saxon Wadden Sea and the Common Wadden Sea Secretariat.

The speakers at the conference, from left: Pat Doody (UK), Evert Jan Lammerts (NL), Knud-Erik Nielsen (DK), Axel Hochkirch (D), Jörg Petersen (D), Ab Grootjans (NL), Bas Arens (NL) (Photo: Gerold Lüerßen).

Once widespread in Central Europe, dunes have become extremely rare habitat types on the mainland, whereas they still represent important landscape elements at the coast. "The dune habitats are an integrated element of the Wadden Sea ecosystem which has been transboundarily protected in the Netherlands, Germany and Denmark" explained Ms. Elsa Nickel of the Federal Environmental Ministry in her opening speech. "The nomination of the Wadden Sea as World Heritage Site underlines the international importance of the Wadden See dunes and appreciates the protection efforts which have been achieved over the last two decades."

Recent management issues to protect and restore dune habitats were a focus of the conference, which concerned, amongst others, how to deal with impacts from climate change, introduction of new plants and animals, eutrophication, tourism, as well as future coastal protection needs.

"The dune islands with their beaches and tidal flats are unique in a global perspective - their protection has high priority in the trilateral cooperation" said Mr. Jens Enemark, head of the Common Wadden Sea Secretariat. Dunes provide habitat for an enormous variety of plants and animals. Because a natural dune dynamic is indispensable for their existence, the ecological needs must be balanced with other interests.

Especially wet dune slacks are of outstanding importance because they are inhabited by a number of endangered species which have became rare during the last decades because of habitat loss, stabilization of dunes and lowering of ground water table. As a result, some Dutch Wadden Sea islands have stopped ground water extraction on the islands and get their drinking water from the mainland. Other islands, such as Schiermonnikoog, Vlieland, Norderney and Langeoog, have found other solutions to reduce the negative impacts on dunes.

The conference also illustrated progress in dune protection which has been achieved over the last years, also as an important element of the Natura 2000 network. Drinking water extraction and coastal protection measures on the islands should be carried out without threatening flora and fauna of dune slacks.

A natural dynamic of dune development is an ideal precondition to preserve the nature values of European dunes. Recommendations on how to increase dune dynamic had been prepared by a Dutch expert team and were also presented at the conference.

Mr. Peter Südbeck, Director of the National Park Administration Lower Saxon Wadden Sea, concluded "The implementation of the European nature conservation directives in the Wadden Sea requires a tuning between the Netherlands, Germany and Denmark. The Lower Saxon Wadden Sea National Park has the largest proportion of dunes in the trilateral conservation area and will therefore continue supporting an intensive transboundary cooperation. The proposed protection measures are in line with the aims of national parks ".

Press information in German
http://www.nationalpark-wattenmeer.niedersachsen.de/master.jsp?C=49387152&I=

From left: Jens Enemark, CWSS, Elsa Nickel, Chairperson, Federal Ministry of the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, Peter Südbeck, National Park Lower Saxon Wadden Sea (Photo: Nationalparkverwaltung Richard Czeck / Anne Krupp).

 

Download Presentations (pdf):

 

Background and Objective of the Conference

Dunes play an important role in the Wadden Sea – they build up the barrier islands and provide habitats for many species, which makes the Wadden Sea a unique ecosystem worldwide. At the same time, they are also used for coastal defence and as recreation area.

Dunes are vulnerable to human impacts. Areas with restricted dynamics or extraction of ground water require protection and management to avoid spreading of neophytes (e.g. Rosa rugosa, Prunus serotina, Campylopus introflexus), decreasing of biodiversity of flora and fauna, degradation of species-rich dune slack communities, and further pressure on endangered pioneer plant communities (e.g. Samolo-Littorelletum, Radiolion communities)

The conference has the aim to provide insights in recent research and management projects along the Wadden Sea coast and to discuss with scientist and managers how now challenges in dune management can be met.

The first trilateral dune conference was held on Norderney in September 1991. The 2008 conference will give the opportunity to look back of what has been achieved during the last 20 years.

 
 
Organized by:
National Park Administration Lower Saxon Wadden Sea

in cooperation with the
Common Wadden Sea Secretariat


Background documents:

TMAP Report on Monitoring of Beaches and Dunes (October 2006)

Wadden Sea Quality Status Reports 2004, Chapter 9: Beaches and Dunes

Hilgerloh, G. (Ed.), 1992. Dune Management in the Wadden Sea Area. Proceedings of the 3rd Trilateral Working Conference, Norderney, 8-12 September 1991. National Park Administration of Lower Saxon, Wilhelmshaven, Germany, 120 p.
DOWNLOAD: Conclusions and Recommendations

Rolf Niedringhaus, Volker Haeseler, Peter Janiesch (Hrsg.), 2008. Die Flora und Fauna der Ostfriesischen Inseln - Artenverzeichnisse und Auswertungen zur Biodiversität, Schriftenreihe Nationalpark Niedersächsisches Wattenmeer Band 11, 2008 (29,90 EUR). More information: http://www.uni-oldenburg.de/natosti/

 

 

 

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