Sustainability is a concept that refers to systems and not individual components of systems. Natural resource systems have internal linkages that laterally redistribute energy within the system when conditions change. Systems which successfully adapt to changing conditions are considered sustainable. These systems also have external linkages which connect or “loop” them to other systems. External linkages provide pathways for all forms of energy, including anthropogenic stress. Our case studies look at three examples of restoring linkages on Cape Cod.
Terrestrial ecosystem biospheres (biomass) are dependent on maintaining links between the atmosphere and geosphere (geomass). We are exploring alternatives to full scale, preconstruction site clearing. This alternative technique reduces stress to internal linkages from loss of biomass. This technique also contributes to reduction of stress to external linkages.
Improved survivability in transplanted native vegetation, even if it has been banked or heeled in for a period of time, provides significant financial benefit to property owners and jump starts regaining system sustainability.
A second case study looks at the consequences of removing biomass linkages between atmosphere and geosphere. In this case, anthropogenic removal of beach grass by pedestrian traffic allowed atmospheric forces to remove geomass. 14 feet of sand were scoured out of the beach end of the path and blown onto the top of the path in a 14 foot high pile. This contributed to a 28 foot climb or drop for people using this access path. Subsequently, pedestrian traffic began using an abutter’s property by default. This property then began to erode.
Problems with our natural resource systems are often responded to without considering the cause of the problem.
Within the first year, significant amounts of wind blown sand were successfully collected. The planted beach grass will be sending shoots up through the sand in the spring. We will be adding a few more layers of fencing until the grass begins flourishing and then the system will have regained sustainability.
Using storm winds to restore wind eroded habitat seems provacatively counter intuitive. Coastal habitat restoration is kind of like baking bread, you need to understand the components and their relationship to each other, then get them together, add energy and get out of the way. Except that our “oven” is the North Atlantic Coast of Cape Cod.
We used short fencing that works at the level where the sand is moving. This holds existing sand in place and captures new sand where we want a dune to form.
As our new landform emerges, we begin planting beach grass which, when established, will continue to hold and capture sand as a sustainable system.
The photos below shows how the deep cut had been filled in over two storm seasons. We used fencing patterns to fill in sand on the landward side first, planting beach grass (now buried but will sprout up) on the upper end while new fencing was added to keep collecting sand at a higher rate on the lower end.
