PROTECTING our SEED DIVERSITYSITE: STEVNS

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INTRODUCTION

Stevns is a municipality located on the south eastern coast of the Sjælland island in South Denmark. The municipality covers an area of 247 square kilometres with a total population of 21,892. Within the area, provides a variety of primary industries including agriculture and tourism and its natural richness.

The notion of establishing a programme with similar intentions to an existing site makes this project interesting, and thus Stevnsfort as highly feasible location. The historical intention of protecting life from a catastrophic disaster (such as nuclear war), resembles greatly to what many seed banks around the world attempt to create within their designs. Rather than human life however, it is seed diversity, which could play a major contribution to human survival after all. The significance of this site travels back even further as its embodiment of chalk land has been created over millenia from the age of dinosaurs. Currently, the Stevns kommune has applied for the site to be considered as a UNESCO World heritage Site.

Stevns Klint is one of a few locations on earth that best showcases the mass extinction at the end of the Cretaceous 65.5 million years ago, where more than half of the all faunal and floral species, including the dinosaurs, disappeared. The K/T boundary extinction is one of the biggest and most controversial mass extinction because of its relation to an extraterrestrial impact. International re-searchers have flocked to Stevns Klint to sample from the iridium-rich boundary layer. Furthermore, Stevns Klint provides the type of the Danian Stage and the cliff exposes along its length of 14 km a unique, Danian, cool-water bryozoan limestone mound complex formed shortly after the mass ex-tinction. The opportunity provides a large benefit in providing the right scientific attention globally in researching seed diversity.

As a seed storage facility, Stensfort and the Stevns municipality provides adequate infrastructure and natural advantages. The Stevns municipality provides accessibility from necessary transportation needs for a seed bank, with the remoteness available for security purposes. The closest railway station is Rødvig, where the surrounding town creates a proximity around this central station. The station is 5-10 minutes drive from Stevnsfort, through minimal density agricultural demographics.

Originally serving as a fort, the existing structure can be used as an ideal and secure location in providing safety to the collected seeds. The main hub of the seed bank can utilise the existing under-ground fort tunnels. Above ground, the site is protected by the cliff face overlooking the Baltic see and follows Stevns Klint on the west, protected by natural forest trees on the south. With the fenced off fort to the east, which can use the forts existing road as access in transporting seeds.

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STEVNS

Copenhagen

SJÆLLAND

STORSTRØM

FYN

GERMANY

SWEDEN

DANMARK

JUTLAND

MAP OF DENMARK

3 1:40000Stevns Site Plan

4 1:40000Topography Map

STORE HEDDINGE≈30m above sea

LILE HEDDINGE≈25m-30m above seal

RØDVIG≈10m-15m above sea

STEVNSFORT≈20m above sea

5 1:40000Forest Density

STORE HEDDINGE

LILE HEDDINGE

RØDVIG

6 1:40000Building Lots

STORE HEDDINGE

LILE HEDDINGE

RØDVIG

7 1:40000Figure Ground

STORE HEDDINGE

LILE HEDDINGE

RØDVIG

8 1:40000Roads

København

STORE HEDDINGE

LILE HEDDINGE

RØDVIG

9 1:40000Railway

Klippinge station

STORE HEDDINGE

RØDVIG

10 1:40000Aerial Photograph

STORE HEDDINGE

LILE HEDDINGE

RØDVIG

STEVNSFORT

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GEOLOGY

Stevns Klint is a 14.5km coastal cliff consisting of Cretaceous-Tertiary. The irregular coastal topography Within the geological build-up of Stevns, contains within it the asteroid strike that exterminated the dinosaur species and many flora and fauna at that time. The evidence is a thin layer that lies between the chalk and limestone known as “Fish Clay”.

The section of rock that needs to be investigated at Stevns Klint is the seperation of the soft Creta-ceous chalk from the harder overlying Tertiary bryozoan limestone. It is the relatively soft chalk at the base which is eroded by storm waves and is subject to general debris shedding. The overlying bryo-zoan limestone, with its hardgrounds and flint layers, is more resistant to erosion and is strong enough to form overhanging projections of the coastal cliff that result in large and small recurring collapses.

Analysis was performed in 2011, by Pederson & Strunck, to be compared with data collated from analysis in 1992 by Surlyk. Data was performed through a series of oblique photographs and devel-oped into relevant computer softwares. Thus the data results describe the changes in cliff profile over the past 20 years.

Based on the research conducted, the estimated the average rate of coastal erosion at Stevns Klint to be 15 cm/year. Although this seems significant, there are cases of erosion such as Lønstrup Klint with erosion levels of 1.25m/year.

TillLimestone

ChalkClay

SeaBeach

Talus

Overhang

10 m

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Cliff fall at the lighthouse of Stevns Fyr

Cliffside at Tommestrup

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· Bulletin of the Geological Society of Denmark6

south (Figs 2, 7). Mound growth was by combinedlateral migration and upwards aggradation and theposition of the mound crest gradually shifted to-wards the south during growth. Accumulation onthe northern flanks was slow and the beds are thin.They are outlined by prominent inclined bands ofnodular flint representing Thalassinoides burrow gal-leries formed during periods of low sedimentationrates (Fig. 8). The individual mounds are roughlycontemporaneous but show some southward over-lap of each other and it is crucial for any type of strati-graphic sampling that the depositional architectureis correctly identified (Alvarez et al. 1984; Surlyk1997; Hart et al. 2004).

The bryozoan wackestone is characterized byThalassinoides boxworks and the burrow fills becomelight grey in the top 30 cm, in places down to 80 cm,approaching the base of the overlying Fiskeler Mem-ber. This part of the chalk wackestone is smeared andhas been subject to pervasive early post-burial soft-sediment deformation. The mounded unit is partic-ularly well exposed in the classical section below theold Højerup church where the studies of Surlyk (1972,1997), Svendsen (1975) and Larsen & Håkansson(2000) were undertaken and where most geochemi-cal and micropalaeontological sampling has been car-ried out.

Seis

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STEVNS KLINT

Cretaceous–Tertiary Boundary

40S N0

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Fig. 3. N–S oriented seismic profile immediately offshore the coastal cliff, Stevns Klint, showing the irregular mounded reflectionpattern of the Upper Cretaceous succession. The Stevns Klint profile is projected onto the line in the same scale. Note that the reliefof the Cretaceous–Tertiary boundary follows the subsurface relief with a valley beneath the southern end of the cliff and a wideridge beneath the central part. From Lykke-Andersen & Surlyk (2004).

15 1:10000Stevnsfort Site Plan

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Stevnsfort MuseumStevns Prison

Boesdal KalkbrudAgricultural Residence

Residential

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Stevnsfort MuseumStevns Prison

Boesdal KalkbrudAgricultural Residence

Residential

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Stevnsfort MuseumStevns Prison

Boesdal KalkbrudAgricultural Residence

Residential

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Stevnsfort MuseumStevns Prison

Boesdal KalkbrudAgricultural Residence

Residential

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Stevnsfort MuseumStevns Prison

Boesdal KalkbrudAgricultural Residence

Residential

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SURROUNDING CONTEXT

BOESDAL KALKBRUD

During the early 1900s there was a construction boom in Copenhagen, which gave way to high demands in structural materials. Lime being one of those materials, allowed Stevns to subsequently boom with its natural richness. Lime, also known as quicklime, is a white caustic alkaline substance consisting of calcium oxide, which is obtained by heating limestone combined with water, and heat. In the 1920s, Stevns began to break lime in the Boesdal quarry. In the 1978 the quarry closed down. Today, there is no active mining in the area, however remnants of the that time is evident. It currently serves as a space for cultural activites, camp sites and shelter bases.

Two furnaces at the edge of the quarry where workers once burnt lime. The lime that was burnt was used to make mortar and extracted for agricultural use. A 20 metre high cone pyramid also remains with a diameter of 60 metres, the space served as storage for crushing and drying limestone.

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SURROUNDING CONTEXT

STEVNS KLINT HØJERUP

Højerup Old Church, located on the edge of the cliff, overlooking the spectacular views of the Baltic Sea and walk the approximately 20 km long footpath along Stevns.

Højerup gamle Kirke (a medieval church) rested on a 15 m thick overhang. There was a slide that continued several tens of metres out into the sea. Shortly after the incident the cliff was protected by wave breakers to inhibit wave erosion and to secure the rest of the old church.

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LOCAL MATERIALSLIME

Limestone is extracted from quarries or mines. Part of the extracted stone, selected according to its chemical composition and granulometry, is calcinated at about 1000 °C in different types of lime kiln.

Quicklime is produced according to the reaction:

CaCO3 + heat > CaO + CO2. = Ca(OH)2

CALCIUM CARBONATE + HEAT > CALCIUM OXIDE + CARBON DIOXIDE

=CALCIUM HYDROXIDE

Hydrated lime, known as slaked lime, is produced according to the reaction:

CaO + H2O > Ca(OH)2

CALCIUM OXIDE + WATER

= CALCIUM HYDROXIDE

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240

W

300

330N

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60

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120

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S

210

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THE ELEMENTS WIND

Direction: Throughout the year the predominant winds travel in a North-South, and vice versa direction.

Velocity (km/hr): Velocity is strongest during the months where wind travels in a North-South direction. Stronger speeds of 15km/hr or more primarily arrive from the South.

Frequency: As an average, Denmark experiences 14 days: no wind, 180 days wind from west and 170 days wind from north, south, east.

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THE ELEMENTS SUNLIGHT

WINTER (average)

Sunrise: 8:36:48

Sunset: 15:51:27

Daylight: 07hrs14min

Noon: 12:14:07 11.71°

SUMMER (average)

Sunrise: 3:34:08

Sunset: 20:53:56

Daylight: 17hrs19min

Noon: 12:14:07 57.71°

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January February

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Yearly Temperature

THE ELEMENTS TEMPERATURE

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THE ELEMENTS PRECIPITATION

January February

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36 1:3000Stevnsfort plan 1956

1. Elevator from concrete bunker2. Depot Area3. Staircase from concrete bunker4. ABC Cleaning Station Depot Area5. Magazines, 150mm grenades and 40mm6. Spare Parts7. Accident Central8. Ammunitions Magazine9. Residential Booklet Crew10. Central Machine North11. Machine Workshop12. Hospital13. Officer Housing14. Artillery Workshop15. Toilet and Bath16. Mortuary17. Artillery Workshop18. Shaft to surface (covered)19. Flanking Construction20. Armoured Doors21. Ammunitions Magazine22. South Battery23. Crew Residence24. Central Machine South25. Ammunitions Magazine26. Utilities and Gas Filters27. Shaft to Surface28. Central Artillery29. Residential Rank and Toilets30. Central Artillery Air Defence31. Shaft for Radar

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37 1:3000Stevnsfort plan underground

38 1:3000Stevnsfort plan ground

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1.50UNDERGROUND TUNNELS

UNDERGROUND TUNNELS

15.00

26.00

SITE

SITE

EXISTING TRACKS

EXISTING TRACKS

EXISTING FORT

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MAIN ROAD

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Stevnsfort site section BB

Stevnsfort site section AA

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