19. The promenades are intensively used throughout the year and new projects pose
risks to protected areas. The Kentish plover on the verge of extinction.
35. Wind no more construct dunes, but still able to erode the
constructed ones!
36. 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.
37. Most planted marram grass on maritime promenades decay
and die in 6 or 7 years
38. 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.
43. Attitudes we need to know in order to manage trade-offs as
the dog-walkers impact.
44. Another outcome is that the beach nourishment (100.000m3
each year) does not affect the emerged profile.
The vulnerability to flood has not varied.
45. Even on the areas with most accretion, the risk of flooding
persists.
46. 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.
47. So, an experience that can be applied to other urban dunes, with
an improved toolbox: the Ecosystem services perspective.