ES/NC based management as a way to boost mediterranean

urban dune ecosystems

1908

Circa 1950

Last mobile dunes 1980

1992 the first maritime promenade in Spain with dunes as central aspect of the landscape treatment

Transformations due to urbanization & modification of coastal dynamics

1950

2014

Coastal regression due to the new harbour

Mechanical sieving impedes the natural sand aeolian transport

Impact of dog excreta over marram grass & cat colonies over fauna

Dune relief disappearance, afforestation and no more semi-mobile dunes!

Ecosystem services as opportunities for a new way of management

Altered ecosystem but biodiversity still remaining. Still on time to react!

Nicer landscapes lead to higher price of properties!! The brandscape of the metropolitan area?

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A wider window to cope with a complex environment

With municipalities

The Barcelona Metropolitan Administration

And the central government, with a new shore act that enables other stakeholders to make actions on coastal defence for first time

A wider window to cope with a complex environment

The promenades are intensively used throughout the year and new projects pose risks to protected areas. The Kentish plover on the verge of extinction.

Anthropocene environment

Although not constructing dunes, the same winds prevails

Historic images analysis

Explain how new dunes can be

Same azimuth makes different fetch lengths

Same azimuth makes different fetch lengths as the shore position varies

Global trends of accretion and erosion

Varied along time, specially with the construction of the new harbour

The environmental impact assessment act made obliged to move 100.000m3 of sand each year (with an unknown impact on nearshore ecosystems).

OPERAs project + Barcelona Metropolitan AdministrationThe perfect combination!

Construction of dunes and blowouts

Construction of dunes and blowouts that can be seen on satellite imaginery

Construction of dunes and blowouts along 15km of metropolitan coastline

With different communication projects

Communication opportunities

Wind no more construct dunes, but still able to erode the constructed ones!

And as happens in other places along European coast, marram grass is displaced easily by other plants: so, there is

a need to improve methods.

Most planted marram grass on maritime promenades decay and die in 6 or 7 years

So we are studying the most influential ecological factors and creating, along with the staff of the metropolitan

administration, a “management manual of urban dunes”. The first in Europe oriented to introduce semi-mobile dunes

on urban environments.

Mapping of the cultural use of metropolitan beaches

The social use varies between summer and the rest of the year

Between neighbours and people who has to arrive by public transport of private means

Different groups with potential different narratives and attitudes

Attitudes we need to know in order to manage trade-offs as the dog-walkers impact.

Another outcome is that the beach nourishment (100.000m3

each year) does not affect the emerged profile.The vulnerability to flood has not varied.

Even on the areas with most accretion, the risk of flooding persists.

The modification of the profile of the emerged beach could be an effective way to protect the coast and at a cost much

cheaper than the prevailing beach nourishment.

So, an experience that can be applied to other urban dunes, with an improved toolbox: the Ecosystem services perspective.