Tentsmuir before People
The Environment
A long time ago, around 21,000 years ago, Scotland looked very different, as the land was covered in glaciers, due to the climate being very cold. When this ice melted, around 18000 years ago, Scotland’s vegetation was completely different, with the land being very rocky and not very green! The vegetation was mainly composed of heath and short growing shrubs.
11,300 years ago, Scotland's vegetation changed, as the climate warmed and the soil gained enough nutrients to support Scotland’s beautiful trees, especially birch and hazel. Birch trees are still present today in Tentsmuir, and you can identify them by looking for their silver trunks.
How has the sea influnced Tentsmuir?
The sea has a large control over Tentsmuir's beach, due to it eroding and depositing sand. In the 1980s, Tentsmuir Point was growing by 15 metres a year, whereas the southern section reached its maximum width in the 1980s and is now eroding.
Falling sea levels have also enabled the dune system at Tentsmuir to expand. This decline in sea level is connected to Scotland being covered in ice 21000 years ago. When the ice was present in Scotland, its weight was pushing down on the land, meaning sea level increased around Scotland. But when the ice melted, Scotland slowly sprang back. This is called isostatic rebound. This means that Scotland is slowly rising around 1.6mm a year, causing sea level to fall.
You can see how much Tentsmuir beach has grown by looking at the position of the ice house and World War Two defence blocks. Originally, they would have been located right at the coast.
How do the sand dune systems grow and evolve?
Tentsmuir contains a beautiful sand dune system, and Barry and Ben are going to describe how they form. This natural process is still occurring today, causing the dune system to grow. When you are at Tentsmuir, look out for the pioneer plants, marram grass, sea rocket and sea lyme grass. Also, try and identify the dune grassland and heath, the climax community woodland and finally alders, which respresent old dune slacks, which are 'dips' between two sand dunes.
ACTIVITY
When you visit Tentsmuir beach enjoy playing this sand dune game!
Take turns to be the ‘climate’. The person being the climate shouts out four options for the rest, the ‘dunes’.
- When ‘onshore’ is shouted, the ‘dune’ people take three steps towards the dune.
- When ‘offshore’ is shouted, the ‘dune’ people take three steps towards the sea.
- When ‘rain’ is shouted, the dune people crouch down, as wet sand can’t move.
- If the ‘dune’ people reach the dunes, they can link arms, as they are stabilised by the marram grass!
- When ‘tsunami’ is called, all the ‘dune’ people have to scatter away from each other.