UAV-imaging to model growth response of marram grass to sand burial: Implications for coastal dune development

Nolet, Corjan; Puijenbroek, M.E.B. van; Suomalainen, Juha; Limpens, Juul; Riksen, Michel

doi:10.1016/j.aeolia.2017.08.006

Cited by 43 publications

(30 citation statements)

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“…In this experiment we used only a RGB sensor so vegetation metrics (e.g., normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI)) could not be determined. However, we suggest that including infra-red based vegetation index data such as NDVI could be used to further enhance the M3C2-PM analysis by separating vegetation from bare sand areas to improve identification of the more dynamic parts of the dune environment, as has been shown by Reference [36].…”

Section: Kap Surveysmentioning

confidence: 94%

“…SfM-MVS has been used to study geomorphological features such as glacially sculpted ridges [17], estimate biomass in tropical forest environments [31] and create digital surface models of coastal dune environments [32]. Fine spatial resolution data (typically sub-centimetre) have been used to quantify the heterogeneity of seagrass meadows [33], conduct coastal vulnerability assessments [34], map mangroves [35] and quantify changes in vegetation within dune ecosystems [36,37]. Although these prior experiments have demonstrated the opportunities for this new approach to be adopted widely in coastal environments, drone operations specifically are not without their risks in these settings.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Tracking Fine-Scale Structural Changes in Coastal Dune Morphology Using Kite Aerial Photography and Uncertainty-Assessed Structure-from-Motion Photogrammetry

et al. 2018

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Coastal dunes are globally-distributed dynamic ecosystems that occur at the land-sea interface. They are sensitive to disturbance both from natural forces and anthropogenic stressors, and therefore require regular monitoring to track changes in their form and function ultimately informing management decisions. Existing techniques employing satellite or airborne data lack the temporal or spatial resolution to resolve fine-scale changes in these environments, both temporally and spatially whilst fine-scale in-situ monitoring (e.g., terrestrial laser scanning) can be costly and is therefore confined to relatively small areas. The rise of proximal sensing-based Structure-from-Motion Multi-View Stereo (SfM-MVS) photogrammetric techniques for land surface surveying offers an alternative, scale-appropriate method for spatially distributed surveying of dune systems. Here we present the results of an inter- and intra-annual experiment which utilised a low-cost and highly portable kite aerial photography (KAP) and SfM-MVS workflow to track sub-decimetre spatial scale changes in dune morphology over timescales of between 3 and 12 months. We also compare KAP and drone surveys undertaken at near-coincident times of the same dune system to test the KAP reproducibility. Using a Monte Carlo based change detection approach (Multiscale Model to Model Cloud Comparison (M3C2)) which quantifies and accounts for survey uncertainty, we show that the KAP-based survey technique, whilst exhibiting higher x, y, z uncertainties than the equivalent drone methodology, is capable of delivering data describing dune system topographical change. Significant change (according to M3C2); both positive (accretion) and negative (erosion) was detected across 3, 6 and 12 months timescales with the majority of change detected below 500 mm. Significant topographic changes as small as ~20 mm were detected between surveys. We demonstrate that portable, low-cost consumer-grade KAP survey techniques, which have been employed for decades for hobbyist aerial photography, can now deliver science-grade data, and we argue that kites are well-suited to coastal survey where winds and sediment might otherwise impede surveys by other proximal sensing platforms, such as drones.

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Section: Kap Surveysmentioning

confidence: 94%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tracking Fine-Scale Structural Changes in Coastal Dune Morphology Using Kite Aerial Photography and Uncertainty-Assessed Structure-from-Motion Photogrammetry

et al. 2018

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“…The latter condition is not disputed, as the reinforcing feedback between the 5 growth response of marram grass and burial by wind-blown sand is well documented (Huiskes, 1979;Disraeli, 1984;Maun and Lapierre, 1984;Van der Putten et al, 1988;Hesp, 1991;Maun, 1998) and recognized to be fundamental to coastal dune development in temperate regions around the world (e.g., Baas and Nield, 2010;Durán and Moore, 2013;Keijsers et al, 2016;Nolet et al, 2017). The positive feedback mechanism is thought to originate from a trait that all beach grasses of the genus Ammophila possess, namely potentially unlimited horizontal and vertical growth through its rhizomes (Gemmell et al, 1953;10 Ranwell, 1972).…”

Section: Boundary Conditions Indicating Favorable Accommodation Spacementioning

confidence: 99%

“…The capacity to trap sand, as noted before, is enhanced by the growth response of marram grass to trapping, which introduces the positive feedback mechanism driving coastal dune development (Gemmell 20 et al, 1953;Ranwell, 1972). Using very high-resolution data, Nolet et al (2017) showed that marram grass on foredunes along the Zandmotor thrives best under a sand trapping rate of approximately 0.3 meter of sand per growing season and that marram grass can withstand sand burial up to 1 meter of sand. However, while this demonstrates how positive plant-sand feedback steers dune development, it must be noted that the physical size of a developing dune also controls its morphology.…”

Section: Boundary Conditions Indicating Favorable Accommodation Spacementioning

confidence: 99%

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Accommodation space indicates dune development potential along an urbanized and frequently nourished coastline

Nolet¹,

Riksen²

2018

Preprint

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Abstract. With densely populated areas well below mean sea level, the Netherlands relies heavily on its dunes to ensure coastal safety. About half of the sandy coastline, however, is subject to structural marine erosion and requires frequent sand nourishments as a counteractive measure. A key component of present-day coastal safety policy is creating favorable conditions for natural dune development. These conditions essentially involve a (1) steady supply of wind-blown sand towards (2) wide accommodation space where sand can accumulate and dunes are sheltered from storm surge impact. This paper examines to 5 what extent an experimental mega-scale beach nourishment (termed Zandmotor in Dutch) has contributed to creating accommodation space favorable for dune development. Using publicly available airborne Lidar data and Sentinel-2 satellite imagery, favorable accommodation space is identified by comparing recent changes in coastal morphology against dune vegetation cover dynamics. With a focus on European marram grass (Ammophila arenaria) as the most prominent dune-building species, this paper demonstrates that the Zandmotor supports an especially high potential for incipient (embryo) dunes to develop as most 10 of its favorable accommodation space is located on the beach. However, considering persistent anthropogenic disturbances arising from recreation, leisure and nature management, dune development along this urbanized coastline may not reach its full potential.

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Growth response of dune‐building grasses to precipitation

Homberger,

Lynch,

Riksen

et al. 2024

Ecohydrology

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The formation and development of coastal dunes are influenced by the growth of dune‐building grasses. Concurrently, the development of coastal dunes has been positively related to growing season precipitation, which might be due to precipitation promoting the growth of dune‐building grasses. However, a direct response relationship between precipitation and dune‐building grasses has yet to be identified. We explored the impact of precipitation on dune‐building grass species using a three‐step approach. (1) We assessed how plant‐available soil moisture changed with precipitation along an elevation profile from embryo dune to foredune. (2) We quantified the growth response of European marram grass (Ammophila arenaria [L.] Link) and sand couch (Elytrigia juncea [L.] Nevski) in a controlled pot experiment with water treatments derived from long‐term precipitation records. (3) We explored the impact of different precipitation scenarios on the growth of dune‐building grasses. Our field monitoring results showed that changes in soil moisture of the upper soil profile (0–50 cm) closely followed precipitation dynamics for all topographic positions. In our controlled pot experiment, soil moisture significantly increased plant growth in plant attributes associated with dune‐building, irrespective of species. Our scenario analyses indicated that prolonged periods with deviations from average growing season precipitation significantly affect plant growth, with extremely dry years reducing plant growth up to 23% and extremely wet years increasing plant growth up to 32%. Hence, in precipitation‐dependent coastal dune ecosystems, future extreme climatic events might have considerable consequences for dune development by notably influencing the growth of dune‐building vegetation.

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UAV-imaging to model growth response of marram grass to sand burial: Implications for coastal dune development

Cited by 43 publications

References 54 publications

Tracking Fine-Scale Structural Changes in Coastal Dune Morphology Using Kite Aerial Photography and Uncertainty-Assessed Structure-from-Motion Photogrammetry

Tracking Fine-Scale Structural Changes in Coastal Dune Morphology Using Kite Aerial Photography and Uncertainty-Assessed Structure-from-Motion Photogrammetry

Accommodation space indicates dune development potential along an urbanized and frequently nourished coastline

Growth response of dune‐building grasses to precipitation

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