Field assessment of wave attenuation by BESE-elements in a mangrove environment

IF 3.9 2区 环境科学与生态学 Q1 ECOLOGY
Siegmund Nuyts , Peter I. Macreadie , Stacey M. Trevathan-Tackett
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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Coastal ecosystems provide critical ecosystem services, including carbon sequestration and coastal protection, yet face continuing global decline. In areas where natural revegetation is impeded (e.g., altered hydrodynamics, substrate instability, erosion), active restoration techniques using artificial structures like Biodegradable Elements for Starting Ecosystems (BESE-Elements), may facilitate ecosystem recovery. While laboratory studies have demonstrated promise, field evidence quantifying the hydrodynamic benefits of these structures in mangrove areas remains limited. This study evaluated BESE-Elements' wave attenuation performance in a tide-dominated mangrove (Avicennia marina) embayment in Western Port, Australia through two field experiments over one-month periods, using an array of six pressure sensors to measure wave attenuation. In Experiment 1, we compared a single 4-cm high BESE-Element (0.414 m2) to existing mangrove vegetation and bare sediment. Experiment 2 tested single, double (0.828 m2), and quadruple (1.656 m2) 4-cm high BESE-Element configurations. Results demonstrated that existing mangrove vegetation achieved the highest wave attenuation (15.2 % reduction relative to bare sediment), while BESE-Elements showed statistically significant but modest wave height reductions ranging from 2.1 % for single element to 3.7 % for quadruple configurations (p < 0.01) in water depths less than 1 m. Wave attenuation efficiency decreased with increasing water depth across all configurations. Long-term monitoring over a 20-month period revealed significant sediment accumulation within BESE-Element plots (mean 6.61 mm/year). While this study demonstrates modest wave attenuation effects of 4-cm high BESE configurations, these structures may influence other hydrodynamic processes relevant to mangrove establishment, such as flow velocity reduction, sediment retention, or propagule stabilisation. Future research should evaluate these potential mechanisms through field experiments with transplanted seedlings and continued monitoring of sediment dynamics.
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来源期刊
Ecological Engineering
Ecological Engineering 环境科学-工程:环境
CiteScore
8.00
自引率
5.30%
发文量
293
审稿时长
57 days
期刊介绍: Ecological engineering has been defined as the design of ecosystems for the mutual benefit of humans and nature. The journal is meant for ecologists who, because of their research interests or occupation, are involved in designing, monitoring, or restoring ecosystems, and can serve as a bridge between ecologists and engineers. Specific topics covered in the journal include: habitat reconstruction; ecotechnology; synthetic ecology; bioengineering; restoration ecology; ecology conservation; ecosystem rehabilitation; stream and river restoration; reclamation ecology; non-renewable resource conservation. Descriptions of specific applications of ecological engineering are acceptable only when situated within context of adding novelty to current research and emphasizing ecosystem restoration. We do not accept purely descriptive reports on ecosystem structures (such as vegetation surveys), purely physical assessment of materials that can be used for ecological restoration, small-model studies carried out in the laboratory or greenhouse with artificial (waste)water or crop studies, or case studies on conventional wastewater treatment and eutrophication that do not offer an ecosystem restoration approach within the paper.
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