Victorian Resources Online (archived)
Archived content — This page contains material from the Victorian Resources Online (VRO) website. It is no longer maintained and is provided for reference only. This content is hosted by CeRDI and is not endorsed by Agriculture Victoria.

Sitemap

Coastal erosion

What is it?

Coastal erosion is the specific form of wind erosion which damages coastal sand dunes. The sand dunes have little material less than 0.1 mm diameter and thus dust movement is rarely associated with this form of erosion. Loss of vegetative cover by over use of such areas allows wind to destabilise the dunes.

Land degradation - An example of coastal erosion
A Boardwalk used to minimise damage to coastal vegetation in an area of coastal erosion previously initiated by human trampling

Impact

Small areas of disturbance and sand exposure can lead to a loss of dune stability. Coastal amenity is damaged. In some cases the erosion can mobilise a dune and lead to significant damage and productive loss on adjoining land

Management

Vegetation is essential to stabilise dune systems. The environment is harsh for plant growth (steep, low moisture holding capacity, and of relatively low fertility) and thus is quite susceptible to low levels of disturbance. Retention of vegetation by controlling trafficking and trampling is essential.
CC BY 4.0 AU

This page contains material sourced from the Victorian Resources Online (VRO) website, originally published by the State Government of Victoria.

The content is provided under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Australia licence (CC BY 4.0 AU).

This material is presented in an archived form and is no longer maintained or updated. It is provided for general information only and should not be relied upon as current advice.

This site is hosted by the Centre for eResearch and Digital Innovation (CeRDI), Federation University Australia. It is not endorsed by Agriculture Victoria.

Agriculture Victoria does not accept liability for any loss, damage or consequences arising from the use of, or reliance on, this material.