Sand Dunes Essay

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Man Kinds Affect on Sand Dunes It is undeniably true, that one of the most popular features of a sandy beach is its dunes and yet they are slowly being stripped awaymercilessly exploited by mankind. This exploitation takes the form of recreational activities, structural development, afforestation, agriculture, housing, industrial production, grazing and the construction of airfields along coastlines. Sand dunes are an essential component to coast and shorelines because of the protection they provide from natural destructive occurrences such as tsunamis and storm surges. Not only do these sandy hills offer protection, but provide a natural habitat for different animal and vegetative species. Unfortunately, because of this misunderstanding, human activity has had a massive impact on these coastal dunes. In this paper I will be exploring the affect that humans have on sand dunes, discussing the reasons why humans have modified this natural feature and the consequence of these modifications. To be able to elaborate on the affects of humans on sand dunes, we must first understand what a sand dune is. A sand dune can be defined as a hill of sand that has been accumulated by either wind or water flow. These dunes can vary in form and size, depending on the interaction of the before mentioned elements. Often there is spacing in between dunes, these spacings are known as slacks. A large number of sand dunes is known as a dune field, and an extensively large dune field is known as an erg. Most dunes can be found running parallel to the shore, directly inland from the beach in some coastal areas. One popular area in the Bahamas to see sand dunes is on the shores of Abaco, specifically Treasure Cay beach. In the majority of cases, the significance of sand dunes is to protect the inland from storm waves and other natural ravages of the sea. Dunes are not only unique to

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