Is Dawlish Warren is threaten by human impacts and marine processes.

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GCSE GEOGRAPHY COURSEWORK

IS DAWLISH WARREN UNDER THREAT?

My investigation aims to find out if Dawlish Warren is threaten by human impacts and marine processes and are these affecting the ecological and economical value of Dawlish Warren. I will put to test Butlers Model and see if it applies to Dawlish Warren. I will also look at the other side of the argument and see the effect of management in Dawlish Warren and look at the sea defences which have been put in place to prevent erosion and longshore drift from occurring and also protecting the Railway line. The question that needs to be asked is, should local councils protect the coast, or leave it to nature? And how does protection affect the people the environment and the future of Dawlish Warren? I will observe the laws, which have been enforced to ensure the nature of the reserve is protected and the ecological and economical value of Dawlish Warren is looked after. Fig A shows where my investigation is based

Dawlish warren incorporates a fantastic amenity- a nature reserve that covers 204 hectares or 505 acres. It is essentially a mile-and a half length of sand spit, extending around the mouth of the River Exe and positively teeming with flora and fauna, so much that not only has it been designated local nature reserve since 1978 but it is also an international one as well.

Nature reserves are not just for wildlife but they are also places for people to experience the wildlife and give people the chance to study and learn about them or to enjoy them and the contact they provide with nature.

The reserve is home to 600 different types of flowering plants as well as an array of wading birds, ducks and geese with as many as 30 different species at any one time, with 180 different bird species recorded every year and 2,000 species of in invertebrae including dragon flies.

The small understated stretch of sand spit that is Dawlish Warren is also a Site of Special Scientific Interest, which means it is recognised as being of national importance for wildlife, geology, geomorrphology and under European law it is also an area of particular importance to birds, particularly winter waders and wild fowl including Brent geese and teal- during the winter months birds travel from their northern breeding grounds from as far away as Siberia with many simply passing through on their way further south to rest and refuel.

The reserve is also home to a very small plant called the petal wort, a small lettuce measuring only about 3mm across, which makes the reserve a Candidate Special Area of Conservation under the EU habitats directive which supports certain natural habitats or species which are rare or threatened in Europe. As such, it is one of the only 17 such sites in Britain.

The reserve is also famous for it for its collection of orchids and also the unique warren crocus or romulea which is only found at this location. It doesn’t end there it is also a Ramsar Site a wetland of international importance for waterfowl under the Ramsar Convention along with the Exe estuary and Axminster Marshes it makes up Devon’s only Ramsar Site.

With such great importance this site has been given it is extremely worrying to know that this area is threatened by human impacts and coastal processes and without effective management is soon to be lost. Firstly the human impacts are as following: Boats and many water activities disturb wildfowl and wading birds, Small Waders come onto the beach and rest up at high tide because they can’t feed at this time so they use the opportunity to sleep. As I have mentioned earlier these birds have come a long way and need a lot of sleep to restore their energy, otherwise they could face death. Birds that do not come onto the beach go out to sea and sleep on the water, however if boats and water activities are going on they cannot sleep and restore their energy more to the point they will lose energy by flying away to another part where they feel it is quieter. Birds that do not have enough energy through lack of sleep or food will die on the journey to Dawlish Warren, birds that do not get enough sleep or food while they are at Dawlish Warren will most probably die on the journey back home.

The birds will feed day and night if the tide is out so they sleep either side of it.

To explain the importance of this as a feeding ground for birds, each cubic metre of the estuary mud contains, in human terms, the same calorific value as 14 mars bars.

In addition to boats walking and dog walking can also cause dramatic effects to the wildfowl and wading birds that go to Dawlish Warren to sleep and to feed. Dogs often appear to look like the artic fox so the birds will react to the dog as if it were a predator. Another issue that makes dog walkers worse than just walkers is that people who would normally go to Dawlish Warren will only go if it is a nice day, however with dog walkers they have to take their dog for a walk no matter what the weather is like this means the birds are affected more by dog walkers. The birds are not used to humans so are very cautious and are not likely go to sleep if people are walking up and down. Birds come to Dawlish Warren in Winter and Summer, in winter there are less walkers however there are more birds and it is a lot more important to feed more in the winter than the summer because you use up a lot more energy in the winter because of the cold. In summer although there is a lot less birds there is a lot more people. Therefore all year round it is important to supervise these birds, this is the job of the warden he or she will stay at warren point and anyone who goes past Warren point is asked to steer clear of the wildfowl and wading birds.

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Cycling, horse riding and metal detecting are many activities that threaten Dawlish Warren. Metal Detecting is damaging because in order to find the piece of metal buried underground it is necessary to dig up the ground that inhabits many wild flowers. Kite flying is also damaging to the birds especially because it appears to the birds as a predator and many will fly away from their feeding and sleeping grounds. The kite also can pull up flowers that are growing on its way up. Ball games are also threatening, while talking to Phil chambers he experienced one occasion where ...

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