Prioritizing the conservation of coastal dunes in Northern ...uuid:16061662-5a1e-4… · and dunes International Workshop -Management of Coastal Dunes and Sandy beaches 12/06/2018

Prioritizing the

conservation of coastal

dunes in Northern Spain

FELPETE, J. I. & FERNÁNDEZ IGLESIAS, E.

Dunes in the Atlantic Biogeographic Region:

some controversial questions (…to discuss)

1. The Atlantic Biogeograhical Process is fine but, what about

the differences within this Biogeographical Region?

2. Does it make sense to prioritize the conservation of dunes

in northern Spain? (most of you know how they are)

3.Are we conserving something with a few value (in N

Spain)? Sites of Conservation Importance (SCI) or Sites with

Restoration Needs (SRN)?

12/06/2018International Workshop -Management of Coastal Dunes and Sandy beaches 2

TALK OVERVIEW

1.Life+ARCOS (overview)

2.Caracterization of cantabrian dunes (european context)

3. Understanding the origin of sediments

4. Facing the loss of biodiversity

5.How to prioritisize


Project Life+ARCOS actions (overview)


PARTNERS (6) SITES (10)

Duration: 2014-2018 (2019)Coordinating: University of Oviedo (INDUROT)Partners typology: Universities, Regional authorities, National authorities responsable formanagement of the coasts, Private sector

Project Life+ARCOS actions (overview)


• Elimination of pine trees

10 sites included in Natura 2000

• Elimination of AIS

• Improve sand acumulation (sand traps)

• Physical protection (fencing)

• Plantation of structural plants

• Plantation of non structural species

Some characteristics of Cantabrian coast

and dunes


1.Coastal landscape is dominated by large to small cliffs

2.Dunes are small (on this occassion size matters!)

3.Dunes are not abundant (really scarce)

4. Small river basins for dune nourishment (Cantabrian range

is quite close to the sea)

5. Coast is settled on diverse lithologies

6. Dunes include an important number of protected species

Erosional (rocky) vs Depositional (sedimentary) coasts


Littoral of Northern Spain is characterized by an erosional and rocky coast (red line), where cliffs are

dominant. Yellow lines represent depositional coasts. See the differences!!

Zoom in to Spain and the Cantabrian coast12/06/2018International Workshop -Management of Coastal Dunes and Sandy beaches 8

In Basque Country, Cantabria and the Asturian Regions only about 292 hectares are still occupied by

dune habitats 2110, 2120 and 2130*; meaning about 16% of the dune habitats occurring in the Atlantic

Bioregion in Spain. The remaining 84% of the Atlantic Spanish dunes are located in the Galician Region.

Even in Northern Spain differences in dune habitats occurrence are significant

16%

84 %

AtlanticBiorregion in Spain

Regional setup: small river basins12/06/2018International Workshop -Management of Coastal Dunes and Sandy beaches 9

The rivers in the Northern slope of the Cantabrian range drop by 2600 m in as much 70 km horizontal to

its base level in the Bay of Biscay. This fact gives rise to high gradient river channels with an important

contribution of coarse bedload transport in their sediment transfer dynamics.

Rainfall average

Cantabrian Sea

Cantabrian range

85 Fluvial systems

85 small river basins ends in the Cantabrian sea

99% of the Cantabrian dunes are located in these river mouths

But nol all river mouths have dunes


Lithology also matters!


Western coast

Siliciclastic lithologisCentral coast

Mixed lithologies

Easter coast

Calcareous lithologies

Valdés Ribadesella Llanes

Region of Asturias

Three main lithologies are

present.

1. Siliciclastic

2. Mixed

3. Calcareous

RIVERS. Rivers are an essential

source of sediments towards the

coast.

Largest coastal sites where sand isacumulated occur in the East

acumulaciones arenosas en el

litoral cantábrico aparecen al E de

las desembocaduras fluviales.

Mesotidal (<4 m)

Origin of sediments: rivers


Case study: Barayo (W cantabrian coast)12/06/2018International Workshop -Management of Coastal Dunes and Sandy beaches 13

EVOLUTION

Since 1956 to

present

Historical review of dune dynamics (Barayo)12/06/2018International Workshop -Management of Coastal Dunes and Sandy beaches 14

1956 to 2006

Dune’s front moves forward

about 30 m

2006 to 2014

Dune’s front moves backward

about 30 m

Erosion rates: Barayo (W cantabrian coast)12/06/2018International Workshop -Management of Coastal Dunes and Sandy beaches 15

20062014

Embryonic

White

Pine trees

Region of Asturias: target site Barayo

In 2014 essential embryonic and white dunes were destroyed by destructive storm surges

Trend analysis of storm surges


The loss of dunes is not homogeneous


Managing pine trees, a common issue

Asturias CantabriaBasque

CountryGalician

BARAYO LIENCRES


Almost any dune species was found!12/06/2018International Workshop -Management of Coastal Dunes and Sandy beaches 19

115 m

DOES IT MAKE SENSE TO

TALK ABOUT CONSERVATION?

MAYBE, IT SHOULD BE BETTER

TO TALK ABOUT RESTORATION

Loss of dune habitats

Facing the protection of dune species12/06/2018International Workshop -Management of Coastal Dunes and Sandy beaches 20

Glaucium flavum Otanthus maritimus Medicago marina Chamaesyce peplis

Halting against the loss of biodiversity also means fighting against the loss of

genetic diversity

PROTECTED IN ALL THE

ADMINISTRATIVE REGIONS

PROTECTED IN ONE OR

MORE

ADMINISTRATIVE REGIONS

Dune loss could lead to regional extinction


SEED COLLECTION

EX SITU CONSERVATION

PLANT PRODUCTION

REINTRODUCTION

Prioritisation needs information


1. In 2003 a cartographic and thematic database was developed by

INDUROT

2. 85 fluvial systems were characterized (estuarines and dunes)

3. Objective: give support to decision makers (prioritize)

Cartography12/06/2018International Workshop -Management of Coastal Dunes and Sandy beaches 23

Base map

Habitats / Environmental Units

Aereal image


Database

Geological / Geomorphological

Images

Land use

Vegetation / plants occurrence

Animals

Rating the interest for conservation


• 38% of dunes and 48% of estuaries were

destroyed by human impacts: landfill and

buidings.

• 1150 hectares are still occupied by dunes

Assesing the importance of human impacts


Absence < 0 Compatible 1-3 Moderate 3-5 Severe 5-7 Cirticial 7-10

Serantes

Esteiro

Barayo

Guadamía

La Huelga

Poo

Penarronda

Porcía

Frexulfe

Esva

San Pedro

Artedo

Ñora

Merón

Niembro

Purón

Cobijero

Tapia

Sta Mª Mar

Verdicio

Bañugues

Perán

España

La Griega

Espasa

La Vega

Cuevas del Mar

San Antolín

La Franca

Navia

Nalón

Villaviciosa

Ribadesella

Tina Mayor

Viavélez

Luarca

Avilés

Aboño

Piles

Llanes

Main conclussions


1. There are important differences in the way we have to

manage the dunes in the Cantabrian area. Actions over

the small river basins could be included to improve the

sediments feeding.

2. The Atlantic dunes have to cope with the same problems

but the working scales are so different that the solutions

should be different, and also te priorization.

3.Same impacts on the cantabrian dunes could result in the

loss the entire dune system with strong consequences on

the biodiversity.

Aknowlegments


T.E. Díaz A. Bueno C. Ley J.I. FelpeteJ. Varas

L. Oreja E. IglesiasL. García

THANKS FOR YOUR ATTENTION!!

J.L. Tejerina J. Marquínez

Life+ARCOS staff

Documents

Prioritizing the conservation of coastal dunes in Northern ...uuid:16061662-5a1e-4… · and dunes International Workshop -Management of Coastal Dunes and Sandy beaches 12/06/2018