Coastal zones in the Eastern United States are highly developed, heavily populated, and regularly used for recreation while also being vulnerable to sea level rise and increased storm frequency. Identifying areas for compromise beach management that can improve coastal resiliency and create beach habitat, while minimizing impacts to recreational beach uses will only become increasingly important in the near future. In New Jersey, one of the most intensively developed coastlines in North America, mechanical beach raking and off-road vehicle use cause severe damage to coastal beach habitat on approximately 70% of the shoreline. These activities prevent the establishment of suitable beach habitat, increase erosion and inhibit the development of incipient dunes. However, because recreational beach uses are concentrated near the water in most areas, the opportunity exists to restore ecological conditions in the upper beach without imposing significant losses to recreation. This project focused on using this compromise beach management approach to establish back beach “exclosures” that were protected from vehicular disturbance and raking and allowed to naturally revegetate. Exclosures consisted of posts erected during the growing season that delineated the extent of back beach that would be excluded from raking or driving (~10% beach width).
Results/Conclusions
These exclosures were established in over 10% of the state’s coastline and this study compared changes in beach profile, plant density and rare species abundance over time in these areas as well as compared these treatments to beaches with no protections and those that have been historically protected in the state. Significant increases in beach elevation and vegetation cover were documented in exclosure treatments during the study period as well as documented increases in globally-rare beach plants, such as Amaranthus pumilus (Seabeach Amaranth, federally threatened) and beach-nesting birds, such as the Piping Plover (federally threatened). Historically protected beaches also displayed significantly greater dune development than those beaches without protections. This low-cost alternative to conventional beach management may offer a long-term solution to enhance the development of dune systems, reduce coastal erosion, and provide greater habitat for rare plant and animal species, all while maintaining existing recreational uses of the shoreline along New Jersey’s highly developed coast. Additionally, these data are being used to better inform coastal communities about the benefits of facilitating natural beach dynamics, and how identifying areas appropriate for natural dune establishment can improve resiliency and minimize costs associated with engineered dunes.