Barrier Islands: Coupling Anthropogenic Stability with Ecological Sustainability

Feagin, Rusty A.; Smith, William K.; Psuty, Norbert P.; Young, Donald R.; Martínez, M. Luisa; Carter, Gregory A.; Lucas, Kelly L.; Gibeaut, James C.; Gemma, J. N.; Koske, R. E.

doi:10.2112/09-1185.1

Cited by 61 publications

(43 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…Barrier island systems may serve as sentinels of climate change where sea level rise and storm-induced disturbances lead to significant alterations in environmental relationships that lead to mortality, new open habitat, and changes in distribution patterns of resident species and ecological communities (Young et al 2007, Feagin et al 2009). As a result, local and regional shifts in biodiversity are expected and these will alter ecosystem services associated with barrier island landscapes.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Distance to shoreline also changes in response to short-term patterns of erosion and accretion or to the environmental press of gradual sea level rise. The sudden pulse of storm induced erosion or accretion can lead to rapid change in distance to shoreline and may also alter elevation by leveling dunes and depositing sand in overwash fans (Fahrig et al 1993, Cahoon 2006, Feagin et al 2009). Thus, for a geo-referenced point, landscape position in coastal systems may be very dynamic leading to changes in environmental conditions and biotic interactions that affect relative success and distribution species at a local scale.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Landscape position and habitat polygons in a dynamic coastal environment

et al. 2011

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Abstract. In contrast to stable inland systems, coastal landscape positions are dynamic, changing as shorelines migrate and storms alter topography. We define landscape position by distance to ocean shoreline and elevation above sea level, two metrics that integrate a suite of environmental and biotic factors. As shoreline and elevation change, suitability of a geo-referenced position for a given plant species may also change. The objectives of our study were to use two methods for measuring landscape position (GPS and hyperspectral/light detection and ranging or LIDAR) to develop habitat polygons, compare habitat polygons for five species representing several adaptive strategies, and illustrate change in landscape position due to migrating shoreline for a Virginia, USA barrier island. Habitat polygons for each species were distinct, represented several growth forms or functional groups, and were indicative of tolerances to biotic and abiotic stresses. The habitat polygon for Cakile edentula (annual forb) was relatively small, indicating narrow habitat requirements for the strand environment. Cirsium horridulum (biennial forb), with succulent shoots and roots, occurred on dunes where water is most limiting. For the dunebuilding grass, Ammophila breviligulata, as distance from shoreline increased, minimum elevation also increased. Two woody species occurred across the entire island; however, Morella cerifera (N-fixing shrub), was limited to mesic swales whereas Juniperus virginiana (evergreen tree), with the largest habitat polygon, occurred on both dunes and swales. For a geo-referenced point on the north end of Hog Island, distance to shoreline increased from the shoreline to 1100 m inland over 139 years. In contrast, the geo-referenced point on the eroding portion of the island decreased from 1700 m to 120 m from the ocean shoreline over the same time period. Where sea level rise and storms are expected to alter shorelines and island topography, generation of habitat polygons from hyperspectral and LIDAR imagery provide rapid assessment of potential effects on species distribution patterns at local and regional scales. Habitat polygons have broad applicability beyond coastal systems and may contribute to a rapid assessment or identification of vulnerability for species as climate patterns shift through time.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Landscape position and habitat polygons in a dynamic coastal environment

et al. 2011

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“…Most common on both developed and undeveloped coasts of temperate regions, they are frequently driven by the need to control or eliminate invasive species. Nordstrom, 2008;Feagin et al, 2005Feagin et al, , 2010. Conroy et al, 2003;Nordstrom, 2008;Murray et al, 2009;Beetchie et al, 2010;Martinez et al, 2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Beach–dune sediment budgets and dune morphodynamics following coastal dune restoration, Wickaninnish Dunes, Canada

Darke

Walker

Hesp

2016

Earth Surf Processes Landf

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The results from three years of surveying and monitoring a dynamic foredune and dunefield restoration effort on Vancouver Island, Canada is presented. Complete removal of foredune vegetation occurred in three phases spaced a year apart in an effort to control invasive Ammophila spp. The collection of airborne LiDAR, orthophotographs, and bi‐monthly topographic surveys provided a means to quantify and examine sediment budgets and geomorphic responses. Three survey swaths, corresponding with each phase of vegetation removal, were established to provide detailed topographic coverage over the impacted beach, foredune, and dunefield landscape units. The swath corresponding with the first phase of removal recorded a positive sediment budget of 1·3 m3 m−2 after three years. A control swath, with data collected for a year prior and two years following removal, exhibited a distinct pulse of sediment delivery into the dunefield unit with a maximum gain of 0·03 m3 m−2 pre‐removal compared to 0·11 m3 m−2 post‐removal. Vegetation analysis zones, associated with each of the three swaths, demonstrate a range of vegetation responses due to variation in the vegetation removal and subsequent re‐invasion or removal methods employed. The first site to be cleared of vegetation, received ongoing invasive re‐growth control, and three years following removal vegetation cover dropped from 57% in 2009 to 13% in 2012 (−44%). An adjacent site was cleared of vegetation two years later (only one year of recovery) but experienced rapid Ammophila re‐invasion and percent cover changed from 61% in 2009 to 26% in 2012 (−35%). The data presented provides insights for improving the application of sediment budget monitoring in dynamic restorations and discusses the potential for detailed spatial–temporal survey data to improve our understanding of meso‐scale landscape morphodynamics following foredune disturbance. Overall, the vegetation removal treatments reduced the extent of invasive grass and increased dunefield mobility and dynamic activity. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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“…Given that a possible construction -destruction cycle of an island tail may take several centuries, and the characteristic development time to a phase four island tail takes 50-100 y, full development of a given island tail towards the fourth phase is very likely (cf. Feagin et al 2010).…”

Section: Discussion Generalmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The aim to maintain the complete successional series implies that there should be regular new formation of pioneer stages through natural dynamics, as older successional stages develop spontaneously from those. Not mentioned in the trilateral targets but important for island tails is that sealevel rise may pose a threat to stabilised barrier islands, whereas island with natural dynamics are more resilient under extreme storms (Feagin et al 2010;Oost et al 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tales of island tails: biogeomorphic development and management of barrier islands

Groot¹,

Oost

Veeneklaas³

et al. 2016

J Coast Conserv

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The Frisian islands (Southern North Sea) have extensive island tails, i.e. the entire downdrift side of an island consisting of salt marshes, dunes, beaches and beach plains, and green beaches. Currently, large parts of these tails are ageing and losing dynamics, partly due to human influence. This may mean a loss of young stages on the long term, and current management is not enough to counteract this. To aid the development of new interventions aiming at (re)introducing natural dynamics, a conceptual model of island-tail development under natural and disturbed conditions was developed, based on existing data, field visits and literature. The development of an island tail follows the general pattern of biogeomorphic succession. The first phase consists of a bare beach plain. In the second phase, embryonic dunes form. In the third phase, green beaches, dunes and salt marshes form, including drainage by creeks and washovers. In the fourth phase, vegetation succession continues and the morphology stabilises. Human interference (such as sand dikes and embankments) reduces natural dynamics and increases succession speed, leading to a reduction in the diversity in landforms and vegetation types. Both for natural and human-influenced island tails, succession is the dominant process and large-scale rejuvenation only occurs spontaneously when large-scale processes cause erosion or sedimentation. Island tails cannot be kept permanently in a young successional stage by reintroducing natural dynamics through management interventions, as biogeomorphic succession is dominant. However, such interventions may result in local and temporal rejuvenation when tailored to the specific situation.

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Barrier Islands: Coupling Anthropogenic Stability with Ecological Sustainability

Cited by 61 publications

References 31 publications

Landscape position and habitat polygons in a dynamic coastal environment

Landscape position and habitat polygons in a dynamic coastal environment

Beach–dune sediment budgets and dune morphodynamics following coastal dune restoration, Wickaninnish Dunes, Canada

Tales of island tails: biogeomorphic development and management of barrier islands

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