FROM ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION TO

ECOSYSTEM SERVICES

ES concept shedding light on governance of complex environments: the case of urban dunes

Exemplar description:

A hot-spot in terms of:• Administrative environment• Social and economic activity• Ecosystems and beach

morphodynamics

1990

2004

2007-16

Disruption of natural longshore sand transport processes

From 1990 wind is unable to construct dunes

Dunes become stabilized, sand accretion disappears and Ammophila degenerates and disappear (Van der Putten 1998, 2013).

Intensive cultural use throughout the year

The effect on property prices probably being of much higher dimension than touristic activity

So, the contents for the blueprint protocol were clear

Departure point for the AMB administration:learn to construct dunes and to maintain them because they are a beautiful instrument of brandscaping, a hot-spot of biodiversity, and protect coastline and its economic activity from storms and sea level rise

So, what’s the difference with ecological restoration?

The difference is that ecosystem services concept is really an explicit management tool

Physical processes & dune construction

As we discovered that wind still keeps it’s ability to erode dunes

Physical processes & dune construction

We have learned which one is the prevailing constructing-eroding wind

Physical processes & dune construction

We have developed a new system to transform marram grass plantings into efficient sand-trapping systems

Marram grass as natural capital (dune builder)

Physical processes & dune construction

As LIDAR and satellite images has become so precise

Physical processes & dune construction

We are modelling 2100 scenarios for Sea Level Rise for different processes

Physical processes & dune construction

And we have been able to cross and analyse different parameters

Physical processes & dune constructionSome explicit spatial relationships between emerged sand volume and beach width (surface of beach cells corresponding to 100m segments).

Physical processes & dune construction

A precise cartography of where the beach width is not enough to keep 5m2/person (and maximum measured densities of 500 persons/100m beach length).

Physical processes & dune construction

A precise cartography of where the beach is short of emerged sand

Physical processes & dune construction

Where are located regression processes from 2004

Physical processes & dune construction

Where there is not enough height to prevent washover

Physical processes & dune construction

A precise distribution of flood events and where there is a loss of sand volume

Physical processes & dune construction

Combining all those negative factors

Physical processes & dune construction

And crossing this information with the highest measured densities of sun-bathers

Physical processes & dune construction

And with dwelling density. Our model shows over 16,000 dwellings. If each one has an average price of 200.000,00€ total worth is 3.200.000.000,00 €

If the impact of loss of beach quality on property prices can be millionary!

Socio-cultural and economic processes

We have done stakeholder mapping

Socio-cultural and economic processes

Cartographies of intensity of use along the year

Socio-cultural and economic processes

Some obvious correlations

Socio-cultural and economic processes

Some big trade-offsAn average dog produces daily 0,3kg of solid excrements and 0,75 ltrs of urine.

Dog excrements are a dangerous source of Esterychia coli. Some of the strains being resistant to antibiotics. E coli is main source of cystitis. There are more than 5,000 dogs visiting daily the beaches

Socio-cultural and economic processesSome solutions to other trade-offs

Socio-cultural and economic processesSome solutions to other trade-offs

Socio-cultural and economic processesThe role of social networks as a source of information and to generate conversations

Governance and administrative processesThe Metropolitan Administration of Barcelona has to provide beaches with dry and clean sand. So flood and erosion risks is a big issue.

Governance and administrative processes

Governance and administrative processes

As the model is not functioning, each year a million euros is spent just accumulating sand where is not needed and without preventing coastal erosion.

The AMB keeps struggling with a shifting coastline and without legal instruments to solve the problems.

Governance and administrative processesThere is one engineering company funded by the central administration which does more than 90% of coastal defence and dune management projects.

So, in a regime of monopoly innovation is very limited and efficiency efforts inexistent.

A retraslocation of only 6.000m3 of emerged sand has proved to be much more efficient & effective

A proposal made by us and executed by coastal administration is working quite well!

And a previous project done at Calafell (50km south) beach will work at Castelldefels.

Adaptive management of emerged sand & constructed ecosystems

So, a tiny plant can compete and win over conventional and expensive methods of coastal defence.

So, Ecosystem services concept can be quite useful for the decision environment of complex landscapes