Dune Building and Beach Restoration and/or Stabilization with Vegetation

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It is known for a while that “Puerto Rico’s coastline is experiencing shoreline retreat (beach erosion). This is the result of several factors acting in unison. Principally, alteration of the natural beach geomorphology, natural beach profile, elimination of dunes, elimination or replacement of natural and typical vegetative cover, placement of erosion control structures, loss of coral cover on reefs, rise in sea level, and more frequent and stronger storm waves.

 

It is proven, very well known, accepted and widely documented that the most efficient, successful, cost-effective and easy to implement method to protect beaches against erosion is to restore their natural beach profile. Especially important in restoration is the building and stabilization dunes with vegetation. Dune are the most efficient defense against waves, storm-surge flooding and erosion. They protect property from coastal hazards, and maintain the integrity of beaches and their socioeconomic benefits.  These facts are acknowledge and documented by almost all foremost experts from Federal and State Government Agencies and Academic Institutions from Florida, Texas, New Jersey, North Carolina, Massachusetts, Australia and Puerto Rico, among others.

 

The success and know-how of planting vegetation to build and stabilize dunes is very well documented with several planting guides developed by Government agencies and academic institutions. These guidelines were result of many experiments and case studies since the sixties. The US Army Corps of Engineers Shore Protection Manual is one of those guidelines. A leading member of our Group, Dr. Pedro Juan Rivera Lugo, PhD, Forest Ecologist, performed a very successful dune building with vegetation demonstration projects in the Piñones Coastal Forest.

 

The Puerto Rico Coastal Zone Management Program identifies the need to establish a program or take measures to restore and stabilize the dune remnants. The State of New Jersey adopted a formal hazard mitigation plan that recommends creation and enhancement of dunes as one of the primary hazard mitigation efforts, due to documented success, relatively low cost and ease of implementation, and passed funds to municipalities to provide vegetation for planting dunes.

 

Beaches and dunes are built by currents, waves and finally winds moving the sand up the beach until sand collection vegetative structures (large leaves, fibrous roots, and multiple stems) of specially adapted vegetation traps the sand and stabilizes it. The unique features of typical beach vegetation, grass, small shrubs, and trees are considered a protection asset, resisting and retarding erosion during storms. Natural coastal landforms & vegetation on them dissipate wave energy by absorbing and spreading it over a wide area. Dunes are critically important because they act like bulwarks against surging sea waves dampening their energy and as a source of sand to replenish natural beach erosion.

 

Our group has evaluated this issue and reached consensus on the importance of building dunes and stabilize beaches with vegetation. Check the bibliographic list of some of consulted documents.

 

Due to the present and imminent threat to our beaches we have created an interdisciplinary Group of experienced scientific experts in the various fields necessary for the performance of beach restoration & stabilization projects. Our service include the following:

1. A preliminary analysis and discussion of the viability of restoring and/or stabilizing the beach with vegetation;

2. Followed by a project conceptual pre-proposal presentation and a final proposal and presentation;

3. The actual project consists of a more meticulous beach characterization & profiling analysis which includes identification of reference natural system state and natural gradients conditions and consideration on wave energy and currents regime, beach processes, ecological, geomorphological, wave sea level rise scenarios and social indicators criteria;

4. Followed by the design of the proposed beach profile to emulate the natural geomorphology, and physical processes dynamics, important to beach-dune ecosystem stability and function. Including dune reconstruction to a specific design shape and positioning within the beach profile, including recreation of vegetation types and succession;

5. Identify beaches that can be sources of plants for nursery propagation;

6. The Planting & Management Plan with proper planting, fertilization, irrigation, maintenance, and monitoring procedures;

7. The necessary Studies, Plans and Permitting required by regulatory agencies (DNRE & USACE);

8. Sand moving, re-leveling;

9. Planting, fertilization, irrigation, maintenance, and monitoring.

 

The Group expertise consist on the following fields:

 

• Coastal Zone Managers

• Arborists

• Forest Ecologist

• Coastal Forest Manager

• Forest and beach restoration practitioner

• Physical Oceanographer

• Geological Oceanographer

• Coastal Engineer

• Architect

• Landscape Architect

• Geographer

• Land Surveyor

• Landscape Contractor

 

 

The Dune Building and Stabilization with Vegetation Conservation Action Team (Dune-CAT) of the Caribbean Landscape Conservation Cooperative (CLCC) have the same members and some of the objectives as the beach restoration & stabilization Group. Being vulnerable coastal habitats one of  the CLCC conservation issue. The CLCC collaborates, cooperates and coordinates with the Dune-CAT, providing scientific and technical support in their conservation initiatives, planning, management and implementation of actions, to conserve, restore and sustain natural and cultural beach resources. In CLCC words the Dune-CAT is the work force of the CLCC. They work together within a common framework.

 

Led by the US Forest Service, International Institute of Tropical Forestry. CLCC founding members are Federal and Commonwealth conservation related agencies, such as the Army Corps of Engineers, US Geological Survey, Soil Conservation Service, US Fish & Wildlife Service and the PR Department of Environmental and Natural Resources, among others.

 

The Point of Contact for the Dune-CAT is Pedro M. Gonzalez co-founder and president of MARE Society. MARE is a non-profit organization focused on the conservation, protection, and enhancement of coastal & marine resources.

 

(NOTE: The Dune-CAT has preliminary approval. Is not official yet)

 

Bibliography

 

(1) Guide to the Ecological Systems of Puerto Rico - Gary L. Miller and Ariel E. Lugo. USDA, Forest Service International Institute of Tropical Forestry - General Technical Report IITF-GTR-35 June 2009

 

(2) Bush, D.M., R.M.T. Webb, J. Gonzalez Liboy, L. Hyman, and W.J. Neal. 1995. Living with the Puerto Rico Shore. Duke University Press. 193p

 

(3) Dune Protection and Improvement Manual for the Texas Gulf Coast, Texas General Land Office, 2005. 30pp.

 

(4) Rogers, S. and D. Nash. 2003. The Dune Book North Carolina Sea Grant, NC State University, 30pp.

 

(5) Jim O’Connell 2008. Coastal Dune Protection & Restoration - Using ‘Cape’ American Beachgrass & Fencing. Woods Hole Sea Grant & Cape Cod Cooperative Extension, 17pp.

 

(6) NSW Department of Land and Water Conservation 2001, Coastal Dune Management: A Manual of Coastal Dune Management and Rehabilitation Techniques, Coastal Unit, DLWC, Newcastle

 

(7) Common Coastal Plants in Florida - A Guide to Planting and Maintenance - Florida Sea Grant 1997

 

(8) Karl F. Nordstrom 2008. Beach and Dune Restoration. Cambridge University Press. 187p

 

(9) Coastal Engineering Research Center (CERC) (1984). Shore Protection Manual, Ft. Belvoir, VA: US Army Corps of Engineers

 

(10) Puerto Rico Coastal Zone Management Program - Revision and update, September, 2009

 

 

 

 

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