The ecological effects of beach replenishment
Grober, L.E. (1992). The ecological effects of beach replenishment. MSc Thesis. School of the Environment. Duke University: Durham. 88 pp.
|
| Available in | Author |
|
Document type: Dissertation
|
| Keywords |
Accretion > Beach accretion > Beach nourishment
Marine/Coastal |
| Abstract |
A comprehensive review of the literature pertaining to the ecological impact of beach replenishment is presented. General conclusions of published studies tend to support the hypothesis that marine communities do not suffer any serious or long-term effects from beach replenishment activities. However, a close examination of the literature reveals that most of these studies are short-term, inconclusive and focus on superficial and ambiguous characteristics of infaunal communities. The measures typically employed are not sufficient to measure changes in community structure and organization and therefore lead one to prematurely conclude that impacts to ecological communities are minimal. Many studies lack adequate spatial and temporal controls and as a result cannot distinguish between natural and seasonal variation in faunal populations. The lack of base-line data, pre-nourishment data and long-term studies make it difficult to conclusively measure the effects of beach replenishment beyond one year. The impacts to sensitive communities and species has largely been ignored by the literature but available literature suggests the effects may be significant. A list of recommendations to monitor and reduce the negative effects of beach replenishment is also presented. |
|
