Revision as of 12:30, 2 June 2010 editNuclearWarfare (talk | contribs)Edit filter managers, Autopatrolled, Administrators83,664 edits Reverted to revision 361353717 by Remyrem1; rvv. (TW)← Previous edit | Revision as of 04:27, 23 September 2010 edit undoLfstevens (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users68,380 edits rewrite lead, linksNext edit → | ||
Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
]s are common features of shoreline and desert environments. Dunes provide habitat for highly specialized plants and animals, including ] and ]. They can protect beaches from erosion and recruit sand to eroded beaches. Dunes are threatened by human activity, both intentional and unintentional. Countries such as the United States, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and Netherlands, operate significant dune protection programs. | |||
'''Sand Dune Stabilization''' is a ] technique for preventing ]. ]s may be stabilized through the planting of ]. Sand dunes trap sand and beach material washed and blown up, thereby slowing the rate of erosion and creating an effective ]. ]s will also have to be introduced to stop trampling. Sand dune stabilization does not disrupt the coastline, creates natural habitats for animals and plants and is not regarded as unattractive. However, for successful dunes to be placed it must be thoroughly researched beforehand and can generally take long periods of time until established<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.snh.org.uk/publications/on-line/heritagemanagement/erosion/appendix_1.2.shtml |title=A guide to managing coastal erosion in beach/dune systems |publisher=] |accessdate=December 12 2009}}</ref>. | |||
Stabilizing dunes involves multiple actions. Planting ] reduces the impact of wind and water. Fences catch sand and other material. ]s protect dunes from damage from foot traffic.<ref>{{ | |||
cite web |url=http://www.snh.org.uk/publications/on-line/heritagemanagement/erosion/appendix_1.2.shtml |title=A guide to managing coastal erosion in beach/dune systems |publisher=] |accessdate=December 12 2009}}</ref> | |||
==Vegetation== | ==Vegetation== |
Revision as of 04:27, 23 September 2010
Sand dunes are common features of shoreline and desert environments. Dunes provide habitat for highly specialized plants and animals, including rare and endangered species. They can protect beaches from erosion and recruit sand to eroded beaches. Dunes are threatened by human activity, both intentional and unintentional. Countries such as the United States, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and Netherlands, operate significant dune protection programs.
Stabilizing dunes involves multiple actions. Planting vegetation reduces the impact of wind and water. Fences catch sand and other material. Footpaths protect dunes from damage from foot traffic.
Vegetation
Sand dunes which already exist on the upper beach but vegetation can be stabilized by transplanting plants onto the dune. What type of plants are used is generally dictated by where on the dune the plants are going to be placed. A coastal dune is composed of the foredune, which is the angled side of the linear dune which faces the ocean, the broad sand plain which may or may not be present on some coastal dunes, but is the flat expanse on the top of the dune, and the backdune which is the other angled side of the dune which faces away from the ocean.
Foredune flora
Plants that thrive on the foredune must be tolerant to salt spray, strong winds, and sand burial. Vegetation typically found on the foredune are Ammophila arenaria, Honckenya peploides, Cakile maritima, and Spartina coarctata.
Backdune flora
Plants which thrive on the broad dune plain and backdune have characteristics which cause the grasses to grow together into dense vegetation termed a "Dune Mat" that firmly holds the sand dune together. Vegetation typical of the broad sand plain and backdune are Hudsonia tomentosa, Spartina patens, Iva imbricata, and Eregeron glaucus. Sometimes these species can be invasive to native plant and animal life, however in dunes where no habitat currently exists, they pose no great threat.
After the herbaceous plant species mentioned above have taken root and developed fully on the dune, the next stage of stabilization, or "shrub stage" can begin. During this phase, larger shrubs with deeper extending root systems are introduced to the habitat. Some examples are Empetrum nigrum, Ilex vomitoria, and Vaccinium ovatum. The shrub stage is usually the final phase of stabilization and may last for short or long periods of time depending on microclimatic conditions such as distance from the shoreline, availability of groundwater, or salt spray effects.
Public and private coastal management
Often, long stretches of shoreline are not owned by a single owner, but are instead divided into segments usually owned by many separate owners. Because of this, it is sometimes difficult to stabilize an entire linear dune which may run the length of the beach due to private unwillingness to cooperate or from extended deliberation when deciding if and how to best stabilize the dune. Vegetation on private lots is chosen at the discretion of the lot owner and thus can be decided based on aesthetic appearance and personal taste rather than on traits that would best characterize the plant for that position. Because of this, dune integrity can be segmented, known as a fragmented or decoupled gradient which creates weak points in the dune that are ineffective against mitigating floods. Fragmented dune gradients are in an environmentally degraded state, however they can provide unique opportunities for nature to grow where it otherwise may not have.
References
- "A guide to managing coastal erosion in beach/dune systems". Scottish Natural Heritage. Retrieved December 12 2009.
{{cite web}}
: Check date values in:|accessdate=
(help) - Martinez, M. L. (2004). Coastal Dunes: Ecology and Conservation. Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg. ISBN 3-540-40829-0.
{{cite book}}
: Unknown parameter|coauthors=
ignored (|author=
suggested) (help) - Nordstrom, Karl F. (2008). Beach and Dune Restoration. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-85346-0.
See also
- Coastal management
- Sand dune ecology
- Coastal erosion
- Coastal geography
- Integrated coastal zone management
- Beach evolution
- Longshore transport
External links
- Sand Dune Stabilization And Reclamation In Southeastern Colorado
- Monitoring sand dune stabilization along the coastal dunes of Ashdod-Nizanim Israel
- Vetiver System for Sand Dune Stabilization A Vietnamese Experience
This environment-related article is a stub. You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it. |
Coastal management | ||
---|---|---|
Management | ||
Hard engineering | ||
Soft engineering | ||
Related topics |