Ongoing investigation of the ecohydrological conditions at four west coast dunefields (Ainsdale, Newborough Warren, Whiteford Burrows and Braunton Burrows) has recently been focused at Braunton in North Devon. BGS Opportunity Funds, coupled with the acquisition by CEH of a pneumatic portable auger, has enabled investigation and sampling from cores taken from ‘deep’ boreholes beneath the high dunes at Braunton along the existing Sandy Lane Shore Slack transect. Work has previously focused on the slack floors and the shallow water table beneath them. Analyses of chemistry, stable isotopes, SF6, as well as grain size and falling head permeability will, in due course, enable a better understanding of groundwater provenance in the dune fields and of the recharge processes away from the dune slack floors. Preliminary results are described. Further data are still awaited and will be incorporated in a future report. A way forward is described which will deliver peer reviewed papers on the deep drilling work at Braunton, a paper on work at Whiteford and detailed investigation funded largely by Natural England and CEH at four new sites. These sites are likely to include two acid coastal dunes on the North Sea Coast, which will contrast with the alkaline sites on the west coast, one in Cumbria and one elsewhere.
Investigations are in progress to determine the potential for ASR, in the Cretaceous Lower Greensand aquifer at Horton Kirby, to meet demand during droughts of up to 2 years, whilst also meeting normal seasonal demands. The sands and sandstones are glauconitic and ferruginous so an understanding of the hydro geochemistry is needed to predict the responses to injection of aerobic water from the overlying Chalk aquifer. Pumped and pore water from the aquifers have been characterised, microcosm experiments undertaken and the results used to constrain geochemical modelling. The transmissivity of the 23 m thick aquifer is calculated to be 45 m2/d and it contains Ca-HCO3 type groundwater with a pH of 7.6 and a SEC of 329 μS/cm. Concentrations of Fe(total) and Mn exceed the prescribed concentration value (PCV). The water to be injected is also a Ca-HCO3 type with a pH of 7.4 and a SEC of 537 μS/cm, is aerobic and contains elevated concentrations of nitrate (22 mg/l), but not in excess of limits. Likely impacts of ASR are reactions with Fe-minerals (including small quantities of pyrite) resulting in an increase in dissolved iron and sulphate, and removal of injected nitrate through reduction.
An experiment was conducted in a suite of eight Solardome glasshouses program med to provide a factorial combination of two levels of CO, concentrations (ambient and ambient plus 340 ppm) and two levels of temperature (ambient and ambient +3°C) with two replicates for each C02 x temperature combination. Plants were grown in 0.11 m diameter pots made from 1.5m lengths of drainage pipes, filled with washed silica sand and supplied with full strength Long Ashton solution. Combined and independent increases in [CO,J and temperature promoted leaf extension and increased final leaf length, particularly during the early stages of the growing season (July) the absence of any CO, effect on leaf extension later in the season (August) in Dactylis glomerata was possibly due to its large canopy, with leaf extension more closely coupled to canopy microclimate than externally imposed treatments. Elevated C02 concentrations had no significant effect on leaf numbers.Elevated temperature significantly increased leaf production in Helianthemum nummularium (p<0.05), but only in combination with an increase in [CO,] in Plantago lanceolata (p<0.05).Elevated CO, promoted early leaf senescence (p<0.05) with the exception of Poa alpina which was more sensitive to a 3C increase in growth temperature (p<O.O I ). The greater sensitivity of P. alpina to elevated temperature than [CO,] may reflect its alpine habit. • Elevated [CO] increased leaf size but not leaf n umber and promoted early leaf senescence in most species. • There was little evidence of any interaction between elevated [CO2] and temperature on plant canopy development.
Coastal margin habitats (sand dunes and beaches, machair, saltmarsh, shingle and beaches, maritime cliffs) constitute a transition zone between terrestrial and marine habitats. They are doubly sensitive to climate change, experiencing changes in rainfall, temperature, storminess, etc., but also habitat loss due to coastal erosion and sea-level rise. Sediment supply and sediment transport are key natural processes these habitats require for a natural, dynamic state, on which their unique biodiversity depends. Coastal erosion and sea-level rise may increase or reduce sediment supply, depending on local context. However, change in the character or extent of these habitats is certain, requiring proactive management response. Where fixed landward assets prevent natural migration, habitat loss will occur due to coastal squeeze; in other locations rollback or managed realignment should be considered as management options. Coastal water tables may rise due to sea level rise, or fall due to changing rainfall, depending on local context. Both may have serious impacts on coastal biodiversity, and on other coastal land uses. Coastal margins are highly important for ecosystem service provision, primarily leisure and recreation, and coastal defence. Climate change may increase leisure uses but will create significant challenges for coastal defence, requiring integrated management of sediment budgets across all habitats.
Denna policybrief (D4.1) har tagits fram som en del av Horizon Europe PLAN-B-projekt (bidragsavtal nr. 101135308) i samarbete med sitt systerprojekt AquaPLAN (bidragsavtal nr. 101135471). Denna policybrief ger strategisk vägledning för Europeiska unionen att hantera ljusföroreningar, erkänna dess negativa miljöpåverkan, harmonisera insatser och tillhandahålla ett ramverk för samordnade nationella åtgärder, samt att främja vetenskapsbaserad reglering och hantering av artificiellt ljus på natten (Artificial Light at Night, ALAN). För att stödja politiska åtgärder för att minska ljusföroreningar uppmuntras individer att underteckna ett stödformulär, medan organisationer kan stödja initiativet genom att underteckna ett stödbrev, vilket finns tillgängligt på begäran från de kontakter som anges i policybriefingsdokumentet. Rekommenderad citeringYakushina, Y., Klenke, R., Fletcher, D., Jones, L., Nascimento, A. T. A., Teixeira, C. P., Goulart, V. D. L. R, Maggi, E., Hoelker, F., Barnett, C., Tysiac, P., Sanchez de Miguel, A., Sheriff, G., Lomas, M. J., Van Hoorick, G., & Wood, M.D. (2025). Restoring the night: A policy agenda for light pollution mitigation in Europe. Policy brief written by the PLAN-B project (Horizon Europe No. 101135308) and the AquaPLAN project (Horizon Europe No. 101135471). Översatt av Henrik Sandgren. Zenodo. Disclaimer This publication was produced under the Horizon Europe programme (Grant Agreement No. 101135308) as part of the PLAN-B project. The content reflects only the views of the authors. The European Commission is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained herein. The information is provided “as is” without warranty of fitness for a particular purpose. The PLAN-B Consortium accepts no liability for any direct, indirect, or consequential damages arising from its use. This is a Swedish translation of the Policy Brief “Restoring the Night: A Policy Agenda for Light Pollution Mitigation in Europe” (published June 2025) (access the original version here).
Este resumen de políticas (D4.1) se crea en el marco del proyecto PLAN-B de Horizon Europe (acuerdo de subvención Nº 101135308), en colaboración con su proyecto hermano AquaPLAN (acuerdo de subvención Nº 101135471). Este resumen proporciona directrices estratégicas para que la Unión Europea avance en el abordaje de la contaminación lumínica, reconociendo sus impactos ambientales adversos, coordinando esfuerzos y ofreciendo un marco para la acción nacional conjunta, así como promoviendo la regulación y gestión de la iluminación artificial nocturna (ALAN, del inglés Artificial Light at Night) basada en evidencia científica. Para apoyar las medidas políticas encaminadas a reducir la contaminación lumínica, se alienta a las personas a firmar un formulario de apoyo, mientras que las organizaciones pueden apoyar la iniciativa firmando una carta de apoyo, que está disponible a solicitud a los contactos que figuran en el documento informativo sobre políticas. Cita recomendada Yakushina, Y., Klenke, R., Fletcher, D., Jones, L., Nascimento, A. T. A., Teixeira, C. P., Goulart, V. D. L. R, Maggi, E., Hoelker, F., Barnett, C., Tysiac, P., Sanchez de Miguel, A., Sheriff, G., Lomas, M. J., Van Hoorick, G., & Wood, M.D. (2025). Restoring the night: A policy agenda for light pollution mitigation in Europe. Policy brief written by the PLAN-B project (Horizon Europe No. 101135308) and the AquaPLAN project (Horizon Europe No. 101135471). Traducido al español por Florencia Reichmann & Daniel Lisbona. Zenodo. Disclaimer This publication was produced under the Horizon Europe programme (Grant Agreement No. 101135308) as part of the PLAN-B project. The content reflects only the views of the authors. The European Commission is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained herein. The information is provided “as is” without warranty of fitness for a particular purpose. The PLAN-B Consortium accepts no liability for any direct, indirect, or consequential damages arising from its use. This is a Spanish translation of the Policy Brief “Restoring the Night: A Policy Agenda for Light Pollution Mitigation in Europe” (published June 2025) (access the original version here).
Soil greenhouse gas emissions from cattle grazed and un-grazed temperate upper salt marsh were measured using dark static chambers, monthly for one year. Below-ground gas sampling tubes were also used to measure soil methane (CH4) concentrations. CH4 efflux from grazed and un-grazed salt marsh did not differ significantly although grazing did lead to ‘hotspots’ of underground CH4 (up to 6% of total air volume) and CH4 efflux (peak of 9 mg m−2 h−1) significantly linked to high soil moisture content, low soil temperatures and the presence of Juncus gerardii. Carbon dioxide (CO2) efflux was greater from the un-grazed marsh (mean of 420 mg m−2 h−1) than the grazed marsh (mean of 333 mg m−2 h−1) throughout most of the year and was positively correlated with the deeper water table and greater soil temperatures. Grazing was not a significant predictor of nitrous oxide (N2O) soil emissions. Global Warming Potential (GWP; over 100 years), calculated from mean yearly chamber fluxes for CH4 and CO2, did not differ significantly with grazing treatment. Seasonal variation in the key drivers of soil greenhouse gas efflux; soil temperature, moisture and water table, plus the presence or absence of aerenchymatous plants such as J. gerardii were more important to the magnitude of greenhouse gas emissions than grazing management per se.
