Two ICBiBE studies show that beach management and restoration compromises the conservation of beach biodiversity

Coastal ecosystems, particularly dunes and beaches, are facing increasing threats due to urbanization, climate change, and restoration and management practices that are alien to the ecological needs of the species present. Two papers from the University of Valencia (UV) confirm the importance of reorienting coastal management policies towards the protection of species that depend on open dune habitats and natural debris deposited on beaches

The two studies, led by the researcher of the Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology (ICBiBE), located at the Science Park, Miguel Angel Gomez-Serrano (Department of Microbiology and Ecology of the UV) and published in the journals Nature Ecology & Evolution and Trends in Ecology & Evolution, describe the process by which certain activities could be damaging coastal biodiversity, and call for a reconsideration of current dune restoration strategies, as well as the management of tidal debris, i.e., natural and anthropogenic materials deposited on beaches by wave action.

In his first study, Dune restoration must consider species that need open and early successional dune habitats, Gómez-Serrano warns that traditional dune restoration practices are endangering species that depend on open and early successional habitats. According to the article, these habitats, which are essential for many species of coastal plants and birds, are being affected by dune restoration projects, whose design tends to reduce the ecological heterogeneity of these ecosystems.

Beaches and their dunes are dynamic habitats that harbor a unique diversity of species adapted to changing conditions. “While current interventions can be beneficial in preventing erosion and protecting shorelines from flooding, they are also detrimental to species that need open areas for nesting or feeding. At present, dune restoration projects tend to be more oriented to the replanting of dunes than to the vital needs of the birds that inhabit them,” regrets the scientist. “Shorebirds, such as kentish plovers, require open areas with sparse vegetation to locate their nests, where they can detect predators in time while they are incubating. Increased vegetation cover reduces their ability to do so, which decreases their chance of survival,” he adds.

“Measures that favor dune stabilization, such as reforestation and fencing of areas with dense vegetation, may be counterproductive in places where dynamic habitats are essential for biodiversity”

The article also draws attention to the additional pressure placed on these species by factors such as climate change and widespread coastal urbanization. “Rising sea levels and coastal erosion compromise the future of these habitats, preventing the natural migration of dunes inland and creating a situation of coastal compression that further restricts the space available for biodiversity,” explains Miguel Ángel Gómez-Serrano.

In this context, the study warns of the urgent need to reconsider current restoration practices to avoid further degradation of dune ecosystems. “Measures that favor dune stabilization, such as reforestation and fencing of areas with dense vegetation, may be counterproductive in places where dynamic habitats are essential for biodiversity,” insists the author of the research.

Beach biodiversity conservation depends on tidal debris management

In his second paper, entitled Improving beach natural debris management for biodiversity conservation, Gómez-Serrano highlights the importance of natural debris deposited by the sea on the beach, such as seaweed, driftwood and marine animal remains. Tidal debris is, according to the study, essential for the dispersal processes of coastal plants, for sustaining the food chains of the beach, for contributing to the stabilization of the sandy substrate and, after all, for the success of the birds that nest on the beaches. However, as the article points out, current beach cleaning practices using heavy machinery remove not only anthropogenic litter, such as plastics and other human waste, but also this vital organic material for the ecosystem. “Beach cleaning with machinery can lead to the direct loss of the nests of birds that breed directly on the sand, as is the case of the kentish plover. In addition, this cleaning deteriorates the habitat used for nesting and drastically reduces their food, since the adults and chicks of this species depend on the invertebrates associated with this natural debris,” the scientist explains.

Towards a sustainable management of beaches and dunes

Both studies agree on the urgency of rethinking beach management strategies, integrating not only aesthetic and recreational needs, but also the ecological processes that sustain biodiversity. And they urge governments and local authorities to implement stricter regulations regarding the preservation and management of natural debris on beaches, or the promotion of dune restoration projects that include conservation objectives for species that depend on open and dynamic habitats. The article proposes to differentiate, for the management of their tidal debris, urban beaches from natural beaches, and suggests a more incident legislative landscape in the conservation of these ecosystems. “The recent approval by the European Parliament of the Nature Restoration Act provides an opportunity to get things right in the future,” concludes the author.