Journal
CONSERVATION LETTERS
Volume 3, Issue 1, Pages 1-11Publisher
WILEY
DOI: 10.1111/j.1755-263X.2009.00087.x
Keywords
Bioshields; hurricanes; tsunami; coastal vegetation; wave attenuation; storm surge; disaster management
Categories
Funding
- Vlaamse Inter-universitaire Raad (VLIR) [ZEIN2008PR347]
- Australian Academy of Science
- Stockholm Resilience Centre
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Vegetated coastal ecosystems provide goods and services to billions of people. In the aftermath of a series of recent natural disasters, including the Indian Ocean Tsunami, Hurricane Katrina and Cyclone Nargis, coastal vegetation has been widely promoted for the purpose of reducing the impact of large storm surges and tsunami. In this paper, we review the use of coastal vegetation as a bioshield against these extreme events. Our objective is to alter bioshield policy and reduce the long-term negative consequences for biodiversity and human capital. We begin with an overview of the scientific literature, in particular focusing on studies published since the Indian Ocean Tsunami in 2004 and discuss the science of wave attenuation by vegetation. We then explore case studies from the Indian subcontinent and evaluate the detrimental impacts bioshield plantations can have upon native ecosystems, drawing a distinction between coastal restoration and the introduction of exotic species in inappropriate locations. Finally, we place bioshield policies into a political context, and outline a new direction for coastal vegetation policy and research.
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