Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 26, 2025
08:09
Measuring and Mapping Patterns of Soil Erosion and Deposition Related to Soil Carbonate Concentrations Under Agricultural Management
Published on: September 12, 2017
11.8K
Does vegetation accelerate coastal dune erosion during extreme events?
Rusty A Feagin1,2,3, Rachel A Innocenti2, Hailey Bond4
1School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
Science Advances
|June 14, 2023
Summary
Contrary to popular belief, coastal vegetation can accelerate dune erosion during extreme storms. This research reveals how vegetation
Area of Science:
- Coastal geomorphology
- Ecogeomorphology
- Natural hazard research
Background:
- Vegetation is widely believed to stabilize coastal dunes and reduce erosion.
- The protective role of vegetation during extreme storm events remains incompletely understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of vegetation on coastal dune erosion during simulated extreme storm conditions.
- To challenge the conventional paradigm regarding vegetation's role in coastal protection.
Main Methods:
- Conducted 104-m-long beach-dune profile experiments.
- Utilized a flume to simulate extreme storm events and wave action.
- Analyzed erosion and accretion patterns in vegetated and non-vegetated dune profiles.
Main Results:
- Vegetation initially acts as a physical barrier but ultimately accelerates erosion.
- Key mechanisms include decreased wave run-up, increased sediment fluidization, and wave energy reflection.
- Formation of discontinuous scarps leads to further accelerated erosion.
Conclusions:
- Vegetation's role in coastal dune erosion is complex and can be detrimental during extreme events.
- Findings necessitate a fundamental revision of how vegetated coastal features provide protection.
- This research highlights the importance of considering vegetation dynamics in coastal hazard management.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
02:41Responses to Drought and Flooding
10.8K
Water plays a significant role in the life cycle of plants. However, insufficient or excess of water can be detrimental and pose a serious threat to plants.
10.8K
02:26Ecological Disturbance
17.2K
An ecological disturbance is a temporary disruption in the environment resulting from abiotic, biotic, or anthropogenic factors, causing a pronounced change in an ecosystem. The impact of an ecological disturbance, which can depend on its intensity, frequency, and spatial distribution, plays a significant role in shaping the species diversity within the ecosystem.
17.2K
01:57Adaptations that Reduce Water Loss
25.8K
Though evaporation from plant leaves drives transpiration, it also results in loss of water. Because water is critical for photosynthetic reactions and other cellular processes, evolutionary pressures on plants in different environments have driven the acquisition of adaptations that reduce water loss.
25.8K
01:50Threats to Biodiversity
22.5K
There have been five major extinction events throughout geological history, resulting in the elimination of biodiversity, followed by a rebound of species that adapted to the new conditions. In the current geological epoch, the Holocene, there is a sixth extinction event in progress. This mass extinction has been attributed to human activities and is thus provisionally called the Anthropocene. In 2019 the human population reached 7.7 billion people and is projected to comprise 10 billion by...
22.5K
01:22Effect of Sea Water on Concrete
301
Concrete exposed to seawater can undergo degradation like the dissolution of ettringite and gypsum, increasing the material's porosity and decreasing its strength. In contrast, the crystallization of salts within the concrete's pores can cause expansion, particularly above the waterline where evaporation occurs. Nonetheless, this expansion only happens when seawater, enabled by the concrete's permeability, manages to infiltrate the structure.
Concrete in areas between tide marks,...
Concrete in areas between tide marks,...
301
02:02Responses to Salt Stress
13.2K
Salt stress—which can be triggered by high salt concentrations in a plant’s environment—can significantly affect plant growth and crop production by influencing photosynthesis and the absorption of water and nutrients.
13.2K