Sustainable management of coastal sand dunes to human activities and natural disasters in Oregon, the United States

Dune destabilization became a socio-economic issue as Euro-Americans settled in Oregon in the 19th century. Non-native Ammophila arenaria and Ammophila breviligulata were widely used for stabilization from the early-20th century. As non-native beachgrasses turned invasive causing the loss of biodiversity and habitats, their removal became the focus to regain the active dunes to support the natural processes of the ecosystem. In this work we aimed to understand the response of coastal sand dunes to natural hazards (e.g. sea-level rise), human activities (e.g. settlement, urbanization and animal husbandry) and dune management initiatives (e.g. planting of non-native beachgrasses) in Oregon in the United States during two contrasting periods: 1) from the 19th to late-20th century and 2) from there to the early-21st century.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Managing coastal sand drift in the Anthropocene : A case study of the Manawatū-Whanganui Dune Field, New Zealand, 1800s-2020s

This is a pre-copy-editing, author-produced version of an article accepted in June 29, 2021 following peer review for publication in Environment & History [forthcoming] © The White Horse PressIn the Anthropocene, predicted sea-level rise is expected to continue, threating human life and activities along the coast. Dunes play a vital role in providing protection from this threat, aside from the ‘ecosystem’ services that they supply. This article uses scientific, popular and unpublished sources from the nineteenth century and twentieth to examine New Zealand’s largest coastal dune system: the Manawatū-Whanganui dune field. Extending south from Pātea to Paekakariki, it comprises approximately 900 square kilometres. Here, destabilized dunes drifting inland caused social, economic and political problems over the last 150 years. In the nineteenth century, human activities were responsible for setting the dunes in motion. Debates about the matter and attempts to prevent and stop it were then occurring in many parts of the world. Since dunes were a common concern, knowledge and practices were shared and travelled between countries though experts and migrants. The consequences of the solutions implemented and new environmental conditions explain that dunes are still a major issue in the Manawatū- Whanganui region. This article presents a comparative analysis of historical and present- day human responses to dune management to better understand long-term dune drift, its mechanisms and responses. Despite looking at a local case, this study can be extrapolated to dunes worldwide. It shows that holistic management of coastal ecosystems must take into account interdisciplinary analyses of long-term relations between dunes and society. Otherwise, the full picture about the present situation of dunes cannot be apprehended, compromising the implementation of future adaptation measures.ERC (grant agreement nº 802918)info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

The Sand of Caparica : A history of human intervention in a beach-dune system (Portugal)

A historical research about the human intervention in Costa da Caparica, particularly at S. João beach, starting in the 19th century, with the first dunes’ survey, the afforestation experiences and the construction of a drainage system. A long-term perspective on the socio-evolution of these hybrid environments.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

As Areias da Caparica : Uma história de intervenção humana num sistema praia-duna

Um storymap sobre a intervenção humana feita nas dunas da Costa da Caparica, em particular na praia de S. João, a partir do século XIX, com o primeiro levantamento dunar, as experiências de arborização e a construção de um sistema de drenagem. Uma perspectiva de longo prazo sobre a evolução desses ambientes híbridos.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio