Sand dune stabilization
Dunes provide habitat for highly specialized plants and animals, including rare and endangered species.
Plants that thrive on the foredune must be tolerant to salt spray, strong winds, and burial by blowing/accumulating sand.
Examples of beach and foredune vegetation of temperate zones include Ammophila arenaria (an invasive species on the west coast of North America[3]: 56 ), Honckenya peploides, Cakile maritima, and Spartina coarctata.
Examples of temperate zone flora of the plain and backdune include Hudsonia tomentosa, Spartina patens, Iva imbricata, and Erigeron glaucus.
The shrub stage is variable depending on microclimate, and may be influenced the height of the water table, wind and salt spray.
Inconsistent vegetation, known as a fragmented or decoupled gradient, can create weak points in the dune that limit its effectiveness against floods and even its continued existence.
[4] Publicly owned beaches, found in U.S. states such as California and Hawaii and in other jurisdictions, present the opportunity to systematically manage—or mismanage—beaches and their accompanying dunes.
Sand dunes serve an important purpose by protecting inland areas from coastal water intrusion.
They are able to absorb the impact and protect inland areas from high energy storms and act as a resilient barrier to the destructive forces of wind and waves.
It is also understood that coastal dunes need to have limited interaction with humans in order for their protection and survival.
[11] This decline has been mainly due to erosion caused by the depletion of vegetation cover in order to convert sand dunes to land for forestry, farming and urban areas.
[12] The loss of vegetation causes sand to move inland which is a process known as sand encroachment, this process can having damaging effects on inland properties and leaves properties vulnerable to future coastal hazards for example storm surge.
They also disrupt the long shore transport of sediment through the construction of piers, marinas or groynes, breakwaters and other hard structures.
It also became apparent that the native New Zealand dune vegetation was out-competed by this introduced species which caused issues biologically.
Planting of nurseries should be conducted in the hollows of any present sand hills or in depressions of sandy areas.
Seedlings need to be protected from human trampling, which is done mainly by fencing off newly planted areas.
[12] Figure two shows an area of newly planted vegetation at Spencer Park Beach, New Zealand.
These walkways provide access to beaches for the public that does not require pedestrians to cross the dunes themselves thus preventing damage.
