Characteristics of Coastal Dune Topography and Vegetation in Environments Recently Modified Using Beach Fill and Vegetation Plantings,Veneto, Italy |
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Authors: | Karl F Nordstrom Ulrike Gamper Giorgio Fontolan Annelore Bezzi Nancy L Jackson |
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Institution: | 1.Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences,Rutgers University,New Brunswick,USA;2.Ufficio ecologia del paesaggio,Bolzano,Italy;3.Dipartimento di Scienze Geologiche Ambientali e Marine,Università degli Studi di Trieste,Trieste,Italy;4.Department of Chemistry and Evironmental Science,New Jersey Institute of Technology,Newark,USA |
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Abstract: | Human actions can contribute to degradation of coastal environments or they can increase the likelihood that these environments
will be restored. Beach nourishment provides a basis for restoration, but ways must be found to add habitat improvement to
projects designed for shore protection. This study examines how beach nourishment projects can help reinstate dune landscapes
in locations where beaches and dunes had been replaced by static shore protection structures. Dune topography and vegetation
on three nourished sites on the northern Adriatic Coast of Italy are compared to a reference site to evaluate changes after
beach fill was emplaced. Results reveal how nourishment projects used for shore protection can restore the space available
for dunes to form, increase the likelihood of sediment transfers inland and increase the diversity of topography and vegetation.
Beach raking prevents formation and growth of hummocky, incipient backshore dunes that would otherwise evolve into a naturally
functioning foredune. Sand-trapping fences can speed the process of foredune development but can be counterproductive if they
interfere with transport to beach grass (Ammophila littoralis) planted landward of them. Shore protection structures can provide stability and more time for dune evolution on eroding
shores, resulting in greater species richness and longer retention of ecological niches. These structures need not be required
if re-nourishment occurs frequently enough to provide a beach wide enough to protect against storm wave uprush. |
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