9706531 Lancaster Vegetation plays an important role in determining the dynamics and morphology of desert and coastal sand dune environments via its influence on the entrainment and transport of sand by the wind. Many of these environments are sensitive to climate change and variability as well as human impacts such as grazing, off-road vehicles, and recreational use. This research develops an empirical model of relations between sand transport rates and the cover and geometry of natural dryland vegetation based on field studies of boundary layer winds, vegetation characteristics, and direct measurements of sand transport rates in vegetated areas are investigated through an assessment of the partitioning of shear stress between the vegetation and the intervening surface and by high frequency measurements of temporal and spatial variations in sand movement in relation to the gustiness and turbulence intensity of near surface winds. Based on field data, empirical models are developed that can be used to:(1) predict the effects of climate change and variability on sand transport rates in vegetated sandy areas; and (2) guide environmental restoration programs in such areas.
