Use of ecosystems in coastal erosion management

Gracia, C Adriana; Rangel-Buitrago, Nelson; Oakley, Judith A.; Williams, A. T.

doi:10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2017.07.009

Cited by 192 publications

(108 citation statements)

References 62 publications

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“…In the face of global change, there is a growing interest in the role of mangroves, salt marshes and seagrass meadows in coastal protection (Temmerman et al ; Bouma et al ; Narayan et al ). Coastal protection by vegetation is provided either by the standing biomass and/or by a reduction of the sediment erosion leading to an enhancement of higher foreshores, both related to wave attenuation (Bouma et al ; Möller et al ; Gracia et al ). In this context, an in‐depth mechanistic understanding of the role of coastal vegetation on reducing sediment erosion is pivotal for making predictions in the future, where the frequency and magnitude of extreme sea levels are predicted to increase (Menéndez and Woodworth ; Vousdoukas et al ).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Role of eelgrass on bed‐load transport and sediment resuspension under oscillatory flow

Marin‐Diaz

Bouma

Infantes

2019

Limnology & Oceanography

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Coastal vegetation is widely attributed to stabilize sediment. While most studies focused on how canopy causes flow reduction and thereby affects sediment dynamics, the role of roots and rhizomes on stabilizing the surface sediment has been less well studied. This study aims to quantify interactions between above‐ and belowground biomass of eelgrass (i.e., living Zostera marina plants and mimics) with surface sediment erosion (i.e., bed load and suspended load), under different hydrodynamic forcing that was created using a wave flume. Belowground biomass played an important role preventing bed‐load erosion, by roughly halving the amount of sediment transported after being exposed to maximal orbital velocities of 27 cm s−1, with and without canopy. Surprisingly, for suspended sediment transport, we found opposite effects. In the presence of eelgrass, the critical erosion threshold started at lower velocities than on bare sediment, including sand and mud treatments. Moreover, in muddy systems, such resuspension reduced the light level below the minimum requirement of Z. marina. This surprising result for sediment resuspension was ascribed to a too small eelgrass patch for reducing waves but rather showing enhanced turbulence and scouring at meadow edges. Overall, we conclude that the conservation of the existent eelgrass meadows with developed roots and rhizomes is important for the sediment stabilization and the meadow scale should be taken into account to decrease sediment resuspension.

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mentioning

confidence: 99%

Role of eelgrass on bed‐load transport and sediment resuspension under oscillatory flow

Marin‐Diaz

Bouma

Infantes

2019

Limnology & Oceanography

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“…Compared with traditional hard-bank revetment in urban areas, the use of sediment as a revetment matrix eliminates disadvantages, such as poor hydrophilicity, lower biodiversity, imbalanced ecological structure, and poor self-purification capabilities [31,32], and it also decreases the cost of sediment dredging. The application of sediment for revetment purposes highlights ecological function; increases habitat heterogeneity; regulates microbiological community structures, benthos, and fishes; and provides more space for plants.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Preliminary Study on A Novel Water Treatment Pond Design Using Dredged Sediment, Shrub Willow and Recycling Hand Pumps for the Restoration of Water Pollution

Chen

Bai

Yang

et al. 2019

Water

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The treatment of polluted water and sediment often costs too much and has little benefit. In this study, we proposed a novel design using dredged sediment, shrub willow (Salix spp.) and recirculating hand pumps for the restoration of polluted river water in Changchun city, China. Sediment was filled as a matrix for plant growth, shrub willow was transplanted for the absorption of nutrients, and ten hand-pumped water wells were built for recycling the polluted water. During the 5-month experimental period, the shrub willow growth and nutrient contents, sediment nutrient concentration and water quality were measured. The results showed that this pond system could effectively decrease the sediment pollutant levels, and its removal efficiencies of organic matter (OM), total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) could respectively reach as high as 11%, 10% and 26%. The dissolved oxygen (DO) content increased by more than 90% in August, and the chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total nitrogen (TN) content decreased by 44.93% and 19.82%, respectively. This means that the treatment pond could efficiently work toward the purification of polluted river water. The benefits and feasibility of this system application were also analyzed, and we found that it could be widely used for the treatment of polluted water and sediment in urban areas.

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“…For instance, sabellariid reefs play an important role as a physical barrier for storm waves and currents, and they can temporarily store sandy sediments (impounding as much as 96% of the sediment that washes over them [131]), thus mitigating coastal erosion [45]. In some circumstances, preserving and restoring RBP might be an environmentally friendly and cost-effective alternative to the installation of hard coastal infrastructure (e.g., groins, seawalls, breakwaters) for coastal erosion management [132,133]. Conversely, increased sedimentation due to the establishment of invasive RBP might be a serious problem.…”

Section: Regulating Servicesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Role of Reef-Building, Ecosystem Engineering Polychaetes in Shallow Water Ecosystems

Bruschetti

2019

Diversity

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Although the effect of ecosystem engineers in structuring communities is common in several systems, it is seldom as evident as in shallow marine soft-bottoms. These systems lack abiotic three-dimensional structures but host biogenic structures that play critical roles in controlling abiotic conditions and resources. Here I review how reef-building polychaetes (RBP) engineer their environment and affect habitat quality, thus regulating community structure, ecosystem functioning, and the provision of ecosystem services in shallow waters. The analysis focuses on different engineering mechanisms, such as hard substrate production, effects on hydrodynamics, and sediment transport, and impacts mediated by filter feeding and biodeposition. Finally, I deal with landscape-level topographic alteration by RBP. In conclusion, RBP have positive impacts on diversity and abundance of many species mediated by the structure of the reef. Additionally, by feeding on phytoplankton and decreasing water turbidity, RBP can control primary production, increase light penetration, and might alleviate the effects of eutrophication affecting supporting ecosystem services, such as nutrient cycling. They can also modulate cultural ecosystem services by affecting recreational activities (e.g., negative impacts on boating and angling, increased value of sites as birdwatching sites). Acknowledging the multiplicity of synergistic and antagonistic effects of RBP on ecosystems and linking changes in habitat structure, filter-feeding activities, and biodeposition to ecosystem services are essential for effective decision-making regarding their management and restoration.

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Use of ecosystems in coastal erosion management

Cited by 192 publications

References 62 publications

Role of eelgrass on bed‐load transport and sediment resuspension under oscillatory flow

Role of eelgrass on bed‐load transport and sediment resuspension under oscillatory flow

A Preliminary Study on A Novel Water Treatment Pond Design Using Dredged Sediment, Shrub Willow and Recycling Hand Pumps for the Restoration of Water Pollution

Role of Reef-Building, Ecosystem Engineering Polychaetes in Shallow Water Ecosystems

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