A global ‘greening’ of coastal dunes: An integrated consequence of climate change?

Jackson, Derek W.T.; Costas, Susana; González-Villanueva, Rita; Cooper, J. Andrew G.

doi:10.1016/j.gloplacha.2019.103026

Cited by 84 publications

(65 citation statements)

References 64 publications

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“…Therefore, once a section has become eroded and cliffed there is little to trap the aeolian transport of sand; hence, post-storm morphology may be important in dictating variation in subsequent recovery at this site. Over recent years, attention has been given to whether dunes systems are becoming "over-vegetated" [4][5][6]; it is postulated that this phenomenon may exacerbate the role of antecedent morphology. Vegetation stabilizes the dune which increases the angle of repose and reduces dune slumping; this means that cliffing persists longer than it would for less vegetated dunes.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, their coastal protection function has been valued in the US as $86,000 per hectare per year [2]. In recent years, observations have been made of increased vegetation and stabilization of coastal dunes [3,4], leading to vigorous debate on the appropriateness of intervention [5,6] and research into intervention efficacy, e.g., [7,8]. Proper understanding of the drivers of dune evolution in all forms of coastal environment is required to inform an adequate suite of management practices.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Spatial Variation in Coastal Dune Evolution in a High Tidal Range Environment

et al. 2020

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Coastal dunes have global importance as ecological habitats, recreational areas, and vital natural coastal protection. Dunes evolve due to variations in the supply and removal of sediment via both wind and waves, and on stabilization through vegetation colonization and growth. One aspect of dune evolution that is poorly understood is the longshore variation in dune response to morphodynamic forcing, which can occur over small spatial scales. In this paper, a fixed wing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), is used to measure the longshore variation in evolution of a dune system in a megatidal environment. Dune sections to the east and west of the study site are prograding whereas the central portion is static or eroding. The measured variation in dune response is compared to mesoscale intertidal bar migration and short-term measurements of longshore variation in wave characteristics during two storms. Intertidal sand bar migration is measured using satellite imagery: crescentic intertidal bars are present in front of the accreting portion of the beach to the west and migrate onshore at a rate of 0.1–0.2 m/day; episodically the eastern end of the bar detaches from the main bar and migrates eastward to attach near the eastern end of the study area; bypassing the central eroding section. Statistically significant longshore variation in intertidal wave heights were measured using beachface mounted pressure transducers: the largest significant wave heights are found in front of the dune section suffering erosion. Spectral differences were noted with more narrow-banded spectra in this area but differences are not statistically significant. These observations demonstrate the importance of three-dimensionality in intertidal beach morphology on longshore variation in dune evolution; both through longshore variation in onshore sediment supply and through causing longshore variation in near-dune significant wave heights.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatial Variation in Coastal Dune Evolution in a High Tidal Range Environment

et al. 2020

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“…Alternatively, several studies have focused on the role of climate as a principal driver of increases in dune stability (Da Silva and Hesp, 2013;Jackson and Cooper, 2011). For example, a recent study shows a global 'greening' (increased vegetation cover) of coastal dunes since 1984 (Jackson et al, 2019). This stabilisation was attributed to the changes in climate and atmospheric composition (N, P, CO 2 ); however, this study only considered dune sites with limited or no human intervention.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Coastal dune mobility over the past century: A global review

Gao

Kennedy

Konlechner

2020

Progress in Physical Geography: Earth and Environment

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The mobility of coastal dunes is characterised by bio-geomorphological responses related to change in boundary conditions, particularly sediment supply, wind and vegetation cover, as well as human activities. There remains uncertainty regarding the relative importance of these drivers on dune mobility at a global scale. In this study, trends and dominant drivers of coastal dune mobility are synthesised through the literature review focusing on shifts in dune mobility over the last century (1870–2018). In total, 176 individual dunes, with 55 dunes from the Europe-Mediterranean area, 23 from Africa, 30 from North America, 23 from South America, 20 from Oceania and 23 from Asia, are reviewed in this work. The results show that there is a worldwide trend of dune stabilisation, with 93% (164 out of 176) of the reviewed sites showing a loss of bare sand area due to an increase in vegetation cover and urbanisation expansion. Multiple factors have contributed to the stabilisation process, including (a) land-use change such as the change of traditional farming practises, coastal urbanisation and tourism development; (b) dune stabilisation projects; (c) sediment decline caused by the riverine and coastal constructions; and (d) change in climate (i.e. the decrease in windiness, and the increase in temperature and rainfall) and storms. Our results suggest human intervention played a dominant role in altering dune mobility for most dunes during the past century, while climate and storms are also important drivers, especially for dune sites with limited human activities.

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“…Like the coastal systems of which they are a component, dunes are dynamic and highly responsive to climate change at decadal timescales. In the Little Ice Age, dunes were more mobile , and probably had high biodiversity, whereas the present climate favours stability (Jackson & Cooper, 2011;Jackson, Costas, González-Villanueva, et al, 2019), with concomitant advanced succession and lower diversity.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dune gardening? A critical view of the contemporary coastal dune management paradigm

Cooper

Jackson

2021

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Modern coastal dune management is viewed largely through the prism of dune ecology. Achieving maximum biodiversity and preserving priority species are the primary objectives and management is based on interventions (grazing, mowing, burning, reseeding, and artificial destabilisation) to achieve that purpose. Under non-managed conditions, dune vegetation tends to evolve temporally following well-established succession patterns that lead to a low diversity scrub or woodland. Achieving high diversity involves resisting succession so as to preserve the more biodiverse, earlier stages. The net effect of management is to create dunes with a network of vegetation types that conform to human wish lists. Rather than natural environments, such interventions reduce dunes to the status of parklands.The natural status of NW European dunes under the conditions of relatively stable sea level and generally limited sand supply over the past few thousand years, and certainly since the Little Ice Age (1650-1800), is to be at a relatively well-vegetated and advanced stage of succession. Modern dune management effectively amounts to a form of "dune gardening" to maintain a status that is not natural (i.e., attuned to the ambient environment) under contemporary conditions or those of the past two centuries. Current practice is based on a human value-judgement that views natural succession as the enemy. This view and the resulting actions to resist natural change are at variance with the more pervasive environmental management goal of maintaining natural systems by resisting human intervention. Such an approach reduces dune resilience to global climate change. We advocate an approach that views dunes as combined geomorphological and ecological systems capable of change in response to changing environmental drivers.

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A global ‘greening’ of coastal dunes: An integrated consequence of climate change?

Cited by 84 publications

References 64 publications

Spatial Variation in Coastal Dune Evolution in a High Tidal Range Environment

Spatial Variation in Coastal Dune Evolution in a High Tidal Range Environment

Coastal dune mobility over the past century: A global review

Dune gardening? A critical view of the contemporary coastal dune management paradigm

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