Junicoast

The purpose of this action is to implement concrete conservation actions needed to inhibit land degradation processes identified in action A.1 namely sand removal through wind erosion. The most durable and appropriate approach from conservation as well as aesthetic point of view to control dune mass migration and attain stabilization is through establishment of vegetation. Mechanical techniques will be considered only if very unstable and degraded areas are identified during the reconnaissance survey of action A.1. Such measures will only act as vehicles for holding the sand in place temporarily until newly introduced vegetation can be established and take over the stabilization. Therefore, the following sequence of procedures will be implemented:

• Creation of posts and fences and provision of ground coverings (soil amendments) to break the force of the wind and to trap sand. Fences could be built from branches of any available shrubs or trees; ground covering could be soil or any soil amendment that could cover the sand closely and would not blow away. This intervention will be applied if and only on severely degraded dunes are identified in action A.1.
• The planting of ammophilous, indigenous, sand-fixing plants that were found present in the area during the action A.2
• The sowing of seeds of the above species as the simplest way of establishing a continuous plant cover and incorporating organic matter to the soil.
• The establishment of permanent vegetation using the appropriate key-stone species as described in actions C.3 and C.4.