Artificial Habitat Restoration Model in Pre-leisure Coastal Areas
Date Issued
2011
Date
2011
Author(s)
Shih, Chun-Han
Abstract
In recent years, due to global warming and the rising sea levels associated with it, beach nourishment and groin building have been increasingly employed to protect coastal land from shoreline erosion. These actions may degrade beach habitats, reduce biomass and biotic density, and create new habitats at sites where they are employed. In this study, four approaches were developed to find indicator species from habitats created by coastal structures. These approaches consist of a model of the probability of species co-occurrence, a model of multi-environmental factor probability, a composite model, and an accompanying richness model. Simultaneously, two case studies were conducted in the Hsinchu Recreational Fishing Port in northwestern Taiwan and the Anping artificial beach nourishment project area of southwest Taiwan. Based on the aforementioned models, in the first empirical case, three primary producer species, Sarcodia montagneana, Ahnfeltiopsis flabelliformis, and Chondrus ocellatus were chosen as the indicator species with the highest co-occurrence probabilities and as species that showed greater tolerance to a more critical environment. It is imperative to understand how the three species influence the composition of sessile assemblages in coastal waters under particular co-occurring conditions and environmental factors. The results indicate that these models represent a feasible method of finding indicator species related to artificial structures and make it possible to design coastal structures based on biological and ecological considerations. This study provides an innovative approach that can be used in further advanced applications in artificial habitats associated with coastal management.
In the second empirical case, we conducted an eco-environmental evaluation at the Anping artificial beach-nourishment project area. At this area, sand piles within a semi-enclosed spur groin have been enforced using eco-engineering concepts since 2003. Four sampling sites were monitored during the study period from July 2002 to September 2008. An environmental impact assessment and biological investigations were conducted. The results indicated that both biotic (number of species, number of individual species, and Shannon–Wiener diversity) and abiotic parameters (suspended solids, biological oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand, dissolved inorganic nitrogen, dissolved inorganic phosphorus, total phosphorus, total organic carbon, median diameter, and water content) showed significant differences before and after beach engineering occurred. Biological conditions became worse in the beginning stages of the engineering project but improved after the restoration work was completed. Furthermore, we found that the composition of benthic invertebrates changed over the study period, and two groups of species, Bivalvia and Gastropoda, seemed to be particularly suitable to this habitat after the semi-enclosed artificial structures were completed. Additionally, our results led to the species Meretrix lamarckii, Fimbria fimbriata, and Marsupenaeus japonicus being selected as the indicator species with the highest richness. Obviously, the goal became completely and perfectly due to the use of indicator species. This study was developed in response to requests to provide guidance in the field application of HSI models of indicator species presented for use in eco-habitat mitigation. Such models can be used to monitor the environment and achieve an appropriate restoration level through mitigation.
Furthermore, in the future, release of the indicator species should be avoided due to genetic pollution. This study has taken a step in the direction of improving our understanding of the relationship between indicator species and habitat evaluation procedures in ecological restoration. Overall, the study provides an innovative approach that can be used for further advanced applications in pre-leisure habitats associated with coastal management.
Subjects
indicator species
beach nourishment
eco-engineering
habitat model
ecological restoration
pre-leisure
SDGs
Type
thesis
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