Can the long-term effects of beach cleaning heavy duty machinery on aeolian sedimentary dynamics be detected by monitoring of vehicle tracks? An applied and methodological approach

Pinardo-Barco, Silvia; Sanromualdo-Collado, Abel; García‐Romero, Leví

doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.116645

Cited by 5 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 42 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Reducing the disturbance (mechanized grooming and driving) at the restoration site and implementing a relatively passive dune restoration project using sand fencing and seeds of native duneforming species allowed for the recovery of natural geomorphic processes and interactions with vegetation that accreted sand over time without any manual or mechanical sediment addition. Mechanized grooming and driving have been shown to significantly impact beach and dune plant communities (Dugan et al, 2003;Schlacher et al, 2008;Dugan and Hubbard, 2010;Houser et al, 2013;Schooler et al, 2019;Pinardo-Barco et al, 2023). Beach driving alone has also been shown to impact recovery of dune systems (Houser et al, 2013;Pinardo-Barco et al, 2023).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Mechanized grooming and driving have been shown to significantly impact beach and dune plant communities (Dugan et al, 2003;Schlacher et al, 2008;Dugan and Hubbard, 2010;Houser et al, 2013;Schooler et al, 2019;Pinardo-Barco et al, 2023). Beach driving alone has also been shown to impact recovery of dune systems (Houser et al, 2013;Pinardo-Barco et al, 2023). However, few studies have evaluated the passive recovery of dunes following the cessation of beach grooming.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Using dune restoration on an urban beach as a coastal resilience approach

et al. 2023

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Coastal dunes are globally recognized as natural features that can be important adaptation approaches for climate change along urban and natural shores. We evaluated the recovery of coastal dunes on an intensively groomed urban beach in southern California over a six-year period after grooming was discontinued. Restoration actions were minimal and included installation of three sides of perimeter sand fencing, cessation of mechanical grooming and driving, and the addition of seeds of native dune plants. To track recovery, we conducted physical and biological surveys of the restoration site and an adjacent control site (groomed beach) using metrics including sand accretion, elevation, foredune and hummock formation, vegetation recovery, and wildlife use. Sediment accretion, elevation, and geomorphic complexity increased over time in the restoration site, largely in association with sand fencing and dune vegetation. A foredune ridge (maximum elevation increase of 0.9 m) and vegetated hummocks developed, along with a general increase in elevation across the restoration site (0.3 m). After six years, an estimated total volume of approximately 1,730 m3 of sand had accreted in the restoration site and 540 m3 of sand had accreted in the foredune ridge. Over the same period, more than a meter of sediment (vertical elevation change) accumulated along the perimeter sand fencing. Groomed control areas remained flat and uniform. The total cover of vegetation in the restoration site increased over time to a maximum of approximately 7% cover by the sixth year. No vegetation was observed on the groomed control site. Native plant species formed distinct zones across the restoration site beginning by the second year and increasing over time, with dune forming species aggregating closest to the ocean in association with the incipient foredune ridge. Ecological functions observed in the restoration area included presence of dune invertebrates, shorebird roosting, and use by a breeding federally threatened shorebird, the western snowy plover (Charadrius nivosus nivosus). Our findings on geomorphic and ecological responses of a pilot dune restoration on a heavily groomed urban beach provide new insights on the opportunities and expectations for restoring dunes as nature-based solutions for climate adaptation on urban shorelines.

show abstract