Coastal dunes have long suffered the effects of human interventions that have altered the landscape and operation of these ecosystems. Aggregate extractions have been shown to modify the biogeomorphological processes in aeolian sedimentary systems. The impacts associated to aggregate extraction include the reduction of available sediment and changes to the topography and vegetation patterns, thereby altering the sedimentary dynamics and limiting the recovery capacity of the dunefield. The aim of this article is to analyse the environmental effects produced by historical aggregate extraction in the foredune area of an arid aeolian sedimentary system (El Médano, Tenerife, Spain) through a study of the airflow dynamics and spatial distribution of vegetation, sediment and topographic changes. The methodology was designed with two temporal scales: (i) a long‐term approach which compares historical sources and current ones; (ii) a short‐term approach through experimental data collection to characterize the present functioning. For the latter, a field study was carried out in June 2021, collecting wind speed and direction data at a height of 0.50 m, sediment data (sand sheet thickness, grain size and sorting), and vegetation data (cover and species richness) at 40 sample points. The main results show that when the anthropic stress ceased the foredune did not follow a natural environmental pattern, and that the way it functions at the present time is determined by the changes induced by the aggregate extraction. Changes include alterations to the topography, the creation of a lagoon, and the generation of an aeolian deflation area and flow acceleration zones with the associated sand transport. This research contributes to an understanding of the environmental consequences of aggregate extractions on the foredunes of arid aeolian sedimentary systems and can enable the relevant authorities to make better‐informed decisions that help the management of these ecosystems.
A trial study of foredune restoration on El Inglés beach (Gran Canaria, Spain) was carried out between July 2018 and December 2019 as part of the MASDUNAS program of the Gran Canaria Island Council. Among the objectives of that project was the sand relocation from the tip of La Bajeta to the El Inglés beach, the installation of sand collectors and the reintroduction of specimens of Traganum moquinii that act as generators of new mound dunes in the foredune. This study presents results, extracted from the scientific monitoring of the project, on the efficiency of the sand collectors and the evolution of the planted specimens of T. moquinii. The knowledge gained from this trial study is key to improve and adapt the coastal dune restoration procedure in arid systems.
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