Conservation and restoration of moist and wet dune slacks within the SCI (Habitats Directive) “Dünen St. Peter”

On the western mainland coast, the dunes on the outermost tip of the Eiderstedt peninsula are unique but meanwhile far removed from the original characteristics due to nutrient inputs, urban sprawl, drainage and afforestation.

Humid dune slacks are of particular importance for the conservation of biodiversity. They are typically located low enough to be groundwater-dependent. Very distinctive types of vegetation develop depending on the degree of saturation with water as well as water hardness and salinity. The focus of the report is on these dune slacks that are now hardly to be found on the German mainland coast.

Proposed measures for the conservation and promotion of biodiversity in humid dune slacks differ depending on location and vegetation. These include targeted water management to promote moist deciduous forests in the northern part and, in individual cases, tree and shrub removal measures or the creation of soil seed banks in the southern part.