Coastal zones are becoming increasingly topical (and politically sensitive) as they face relentless pressures from urban expansion, recreational development, and sea level rise due to climate change. This timely book provides a comprehensive introduction to the formation, dynamics, maintenance, and perpetuation of coastal sand dune systems. It describes the interactions between living organisms and the physical processes of geomorphology. A global range of examples enhance the book's international appeal. Based on the research presented in this book, simple to complex field studies and experiments could be designed at undergraduate and graduate levels to illustrate various biological principles. This accessible book is intended for a diverse audience; as an invaluable reference for researchers who study coastal dune systems and for novice researchers requiring a sound introduction to the subject. This book is suitable for both senior undergraduate and graduate students taking courses in coastal zone management, plant ecology, restoration ecology, and conservation biology, as well as the many professional ecologists and conservation biologists requiring a concise but authoritative overview of the topic. The book also will be of relevance and use to coastal managers, planners, naturalists, and anyone pursuing a greater understanding of coastal sand dunes.


Anwar Maun attended Punjab University in Lahore, where he received a Merit Scholarship as well as both a BSc and MSc (agricultural botany). After completing another MSc at the American University of Beirut in Lebanon, he won the Graduate Exchange Scholarship to Washington State University where he completed his PhD in crop ecology. In 1968, Anwar moved to the University of Western Ontario as a postdoctoral fellow, and in 1971 he was appointed to Assistant Professor, rising to the rank of Professor in 1986. Anwar was the author of more than 100 scientific papers and articles, with the majority focused on sand dune ecology, a field in which he became recognized as a world expert. For many years, Anwar was an Associate Editor of the Canadian Journal of Botany, in addition to being on the editorial board of the Journal of Coastal Research. Anwar retired from UWO in 2000, and sadly passed away in September 2007.