Coastal dunes: geomorphology, ecology and management for conservation. Proceedings of the third European dune congress, Galway, June 1992

The volume covers many aspects of these dunes in 48 papers, predominantly of European case studies. There are five divisions of papers, the first being geomorphology of dunes, especially processes and environmental history. A section on ecological environments includes papers on a man-made beach-dune system, marram grass, dune vegetation and its management. Following this there are further papers more specifically connected with ecological management for particular plant and insect species or for vegetation communities. The next section places emphasis on management for conservation of the dune systems themselves, with examples of coastal protection by way of sea defence structures, dune reconstruction, barrier dunes, and through hydrological research and dune landscape-ecological mapping. There are also studies of management conservation and policies, a national dune inventory for England, and finally three broadly historical acocunts. The last, shorter section explores prospects for future management, and the monitoring programmes and strategies needed. -J.W.Cooper