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Biomorphogenic feedbacks and the spatial organization of a dominant grass steer dune development
Bonte, D.; Batsleer, F.; Provoost, S.; Reijers, V.C.; Vandegehuchte, M.L.; Van De Walle, R.; Dan, S.; Matheve, H.; Rauwoens, P.; Strypsteen, G.; Suzuki, T.; Verwaest, T.; Hillaert, J. (2021). Biomorphogenic feedbacks and the spatial organization of a dominant grass steer dune development. Front. Ecol. Evol. 9: 761336. https://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2021.761336
In: Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. Frontiers Media: Lausanne. ISSN 2296-701X; e-ISSN 2296-701X
Peer reviewed article  
Available in  Authors 
  • Vlaams Instituut voor de Zee: Open access 377037 [ download pdf ]
  • Waterbouwkundig Laboratorium: Open Repository 368798 [ OWA ]
Keywords
    Coastal protection > Coastal protection against erosion > Dunes     
    Coastal protection > Integrated Coastal Zone Management > Environmental protection 
    Literature and desktop study
Author keywords
    nature-based solution, coastal safety, ecological feedbacks, spatial configuration, synthesis, model, remote sensing
Project Top | Authors 
  • ENDURE - ENsuring DUne REsilience against Climate Change
Authors  Top 
  • Bonte, D.
  • Batsleer, F.
  • Provoost, S.
  • Reijers, V.C.
  • Vandegehuchte, M.L.
  • Van De Walle, R.
  • Dan, S.
  • Matheve, H.
  • Rauwoens, P.
  • Strypsteen, G.
  • Suzuki, T.
  • Verwaest, T.
  • Hillaert, J.
Abstract
    Nature-based solutions to mitigate the impact of future climate change depend on restoring biological diversity and natural processes. Coastal foredunes represent the most important natural flood barriers along coastlines worldwide, but their area has been squeezed dramatically because of a continuing urbanization of coastlines, especially in Europe. Dune development is steered by the development of vegetation in interaction with sand fluxes from the beach. Marram grass (Calamagrostis arenaria, formerly Ammophila arenaria) is the main dune building species along most European coasts, but also in other continents where the species was introduced. Engineering of coastal dunes, for instance by building dunes in front of dikes, needs to be based on a solid understanding of the species’ interactions with the environment. Only quantitative approaches enable the further development of mechanistic models and coastal management strategies that encapsulate these biomorphogenic interactions. We here provide a quantitative review of the main biotic and physical interactions that affect marram grass performance, their interactions with sand fluxes and how they eventually shape dune development. Our review highlights that the species’ spatial organization is central to dune development. We further demonstrate this importance by means of remote sensing and a mechanistic model and provide an outlook for further research on the use of coastal dunes as a nature-based solution for coastal protection.
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