Vegetation changes as an indicator of impact from tourist development in an arid transgressive coastal dune field

Hernández‐Cordero, Antonio I.; Hernández‐Calvento, Luis; Espino, Emma Pérez Chacón

doi:10.1016/j.landusepol.2017.03.026

Cited by 47 publications

(33 citation statements)

References 52 publications

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“…Similarly, BT showed higher seasonal recovery rates in comparison with MB and IB (up to 62, 43 and 24 m respectively). The shoreline changes observed over the monitored period was of the same magnitude of the variation found by previous studies [28,31]. Comparing shoreline recovery rates for other mesotidal high-energy beaches, we found seasonal rates from 11 to 29 m for seasonal (6 months) e.g., in Oregon [46], or faster recovery rates 10-15 m/month [47,48].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 87%

“…Here, the main research was focused on the dune field dynamics over last decades, highlighting the general deficit of sediments, accelerated by anthropogenic factors like infrastructures and the increase of tourism [25][26][27][28][29]. Yet, the recent field measurements of the dune system have shown a constant loss of sediment volume on the dunes [27,30] and modifications on the aeolian dynamics [30][31][32]. Regarding historical shoreline change, previous studies described the evolution of Maspalomas cuspate foreland with the use of aerial photographs from 1961 and 2012.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Multiannual Shore Morphodynamics of a Cuspate Foreland: Maspalomas (Gran Canaria, Canary Islands)

Fontán-Bouzas

Alcántara‐Carrió

Albarracín

et al. 2019

JMSE

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On a cuspate sandy foreland, the cycle of beach erosion and recovery is driven by the bi-directional approaches of wave climates, which also determine its specific shape. This work describes the seasonal morphodynamics of the Maspalomas natural cuspate foreland over a period of six years. This area, located in the south of Gran Canaria Island, consists of two beaches with different shoreline orientation, Maspalomas Beach and El Inglés Beach, converging to La Bajeta Tip at the head of the foreland. Shoreline variability and three-dimensional beach changes were measured and coupled to wave energy and longshore currents. From wave analysis, 112 storm events were identified over the period in focus. These events most frequently came from the northeast and in summer, which is consistent with the strong northeasterly trade winds between April and September. However, the strongest storms from the southwest were found to be the main cause of intense shoreline retreats, of up to 100 and 200 m, at Maspalomas Beach and La Bajeta Tip, respectively. The Maspalomas Beach sector showed interannual variability, with a general trend of erosion, whereas La Bajeta Tip demonstrated faster beach recovery. In contrast, El Inglés Beach sector presented a stable shoreline, in spite of the occurrence of wave storms approaching from northeast or southwest. Consequently, results indicate that energetic waves play a significant role in shoreline dynamics and Maspalomas landform shape. Post-storm sand recovery processes do not only occur during calm periods, but also during energetic events. The findings of this study have improved the understanding of seasonal and multiannual cuspate foreland morphodynamics, setting the groundwork for a potential long-term evolution model of Maspalomas coast.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 87%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Multiannual Shore Morphodynamics of a Cuspate Foreland: Maspalomas (Gran Canaria, Canary Islands)

Fontán-Bouzas

Alcántara‐Carrió

Albarracín

et al. 2019

JMSE

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“…All these areas have been described by Hernández-Calvento et al (2014) and Hernández-Cordero et al (2017). It has also been shown that these environmental changes have not been produced by a regional climate change: according to Smith et al (2017), the mobility index (Lancaster 1988) has been maintained since the 1960's with a value greater than 200, indicating a fully active mobile dunefield or aeolian processes.…”

Section: Accepted Manuscriptmentioning

confidence: 72%

“…Previous research including the combination of geomorphology and biota has aided in the understanding of such dune systems (Stallins, 2006;Corenblit et al, 2011) and can improve our knowledge of, for example, the operation of barrier-island dunes (Stalllins, 2001;Stallins and Parker, 2003). Vegetation type and density becomes in these cases a good indicator of environmental changes (Moreno-Casasola, 1986;Hesp, 1988;Arens, 1996;Lancaster and Bass, 1998;Martinez et al, 2001;Hernández Calvento, 2006;Miot da Silva et al, 2008;Hernández-Cordero et al, 2017). Similarly, comprehensive analyses of the combined evolution of vegetation cover and density, plant communities and topographic changes within…”

Section: Accepted Manuscriptmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Biogeomorphological processes in an arid transgressive dunefield as indicators of human impact by urbanization

García‐Romero

Delgado‐Fernández

Hesp

et al. 2019

Science of The Total Environment

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Urban and tourist developments can have long-lasting impacts on coastal environments and fundamentally alter the evolution of coastal dune systems. This is the case of the Maspalomas dunefield (Gran Canaria, Canary Islands), hosting one of the largest tourist resorts in Spain. The resort was built on top of a sedimentary terrace at 25 m above sea level (El Inglés) in the 1960s, and has subsequently affected local winds and therefore aeolian sediment transport patterns. Buildings on the terrace deflect the winds to the south of the dunefield, where the rate of sediment transport accelerated. A shadow zone appeared to the lee side of the resort with a consequent decrease in wind speed and aeolian sediment transport and an increase in vegetation cover. In this paper, first we characterize the environmental changes around El Inglés terrace in recent decades, and describe the changes in the shadow zone through an analysis of the evolution of sedimentary volumes and vegetation characteristics (density, spatial patterns, and plants communities). A series of historical aerial photographs, recent orthophotos and digital elevation models obtained by digital photogrammetry and LiDAR, as well as fieldwork were used to characterize plant communities and spatial-temporal changes in erosive landforms. Results show changes in the pattern and migration rates of dunes located at the southern edge of the urbanization, as well as the formation of blowouts and large deflation areas, where the vegetation increases in density and number of plant communities. We discuss eco-anthropogenic factors that have produced these environmental changes.

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Historical Ecology of the Coastal Aeolian Sedimentary Systems of the Canary Islands

et al. 2022

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Vegetation changes as an indicator of impact from tourist development in an arid transgressive coastal dune field

Cited by 47 publications

References 52 publications

Multiannual Shore Morphodynamics of a Cuspate Foreland: Maspalomas (Gran Canaria, Canary Islands)

Multiannual Shore Morphodynamics of a Cuspate Foreland: Maspalomas (Gran Canaria, Canary Islands)

Biogeomorphological processes in an arid transgressive dunefield as indicators of human impact by urbanization

Historical Ecology of the Coastal Aeolian Sedimentary Systems of the Canary Islands

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