Impact of dune vegetation on wave and wind erosion : A case study at Ängelholm Beach, South Sweden

At several places in South Sweden, dune vegetation is removed from coastal dunes with the purpose to increase biodiversity in sandy habitats. At these sites, also morphological changes take place as the dunes are no longer stabilized by vegetation. In this case study at Ängelholm Beach in South Sweden, the effect of vegetation removal on dune erosion by wind and waves is evaluated. Analyses of volume and land cover changes show that wave and wind erosion increased due to the vegetation removal. Sand was transported away from the beach and dune system, into a forest behind the beach, and dune front erosion during storms increased by 2–4 times, compared to dunes with the vegetation intact.