Ireland Day 2 - Dunes
We stayed at Inch Beach on the Dingle Peninsula.
The main shop had a message painted on its wall which I recognized as an allusion to a poem I love by Robert Frost. It is called 'Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening', follow the link for a quick read - I highly recommend it!
The shop was located right near the beach which was littered with sandy hills and tussocks known as dunes.
Dunes systems develop near to the sea and, because of the ferocious influence of the water and wind, change shape and size frequently.
Dunes provide a unique habitat under which only a few species of plant can survive. This means some are very rare and result in the protection of dune systems - Inch has the largest active dune system in Ireland!
After a lot of walking up and down dunes, with painful legs and slight sun burn, we called it a day and headed to the beach for an afternoon discussion on our findings.
Questions:
1. Does the age of the dune affect the kinds of plants that can grow on it?
2. Do older or younger dunes have more diversity in plant and animal life?
3. Are increasing global temperatures beneficial or detrimental to dune development?
Regards,
Elleni - East African Student Ambassador
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