Braunton Burrows

About the Braunton Burrows investigation

This investigation is primarily aimed at A level students, but easily be tackled by GCSE students. It focuses on sand dune (psammosere) succession, but some of the data could be used to focus on a microclimates investigation.

The established route to enquiry and the concepts of ecological succession and coastal processes are found in a number of A level specifications. For example:

Exam board	Level	Unit name
OCR	AS	Coastal Environments
OCR	A2	Ecosystems Under Threat Geographical skills
Edexcel	A2	Biodiversity Under Threat
AQA	AS	Coastal Environments Geographical Skills
AQA	A2	Geography Fieldwork investigation
WJEC	A2	Coastal landforms and their management Individual research enquiry

Whilst sand dune successions are not specifically found in the GCSE specifications, there are a number of references to coastal environments.

In additions, all GCSE Geography courses now contain ‘Controlled Assessments,' some of which require fieldwork or research to be carried out.

Succession

Click here to download a simple powerpoint to help introduce the concept.

Student help booklet

It can be helpful to provide for students a booklet which contains some valuable help. One such example can be downloaded here.

MS Word (97-2003) Format

PDF Format

Risk assessment

Braunton Burrows is perhaps a little more hazardous than one might expect. After a period of high winds in 2008, the shifting sands revealed live ammunition from past military exercises. Adders, steep slopes, the tide and the perennial risk of exposure can all increase the hazards.

A sample risk assessment form can be downloaded by clicking here.

Web links

Sand dune successions

http://www.geo-world.org/ks5/year12/virtual_dunes.html

http://www.offwell.free-online.co.uk/successn/index.htm

http://www.theseashore.org.uk/theseashore/Sand%20dune%20section/sand%20dune%20intro.html

http://www.sandsoftime.hope.ac.uk/succession/blowout.htm

http://www-biol.paisley.ac.uk/bioref/Habitats/dunes1.html

Braunton Burrows

http://www.countrysideinfo.co.uk/biospher_reserves/index.htm

http://www.unesco.org/mabdb/br/brdir/directory/biores.asp?mode=all&Code=UKM+02

http://www.bbc.co.uk/devon/content/articles/2008/02/07/braunton_burrows_feature.shtml