Coastal ecosystems: geomorphologic evidences of sediment transport. PRESENTACION INVITADA

PERILLO, M.M.; PERILLO, G.M.E.

Vitoria

Congreso; I Particles in America; 2018

Associação Brasileira de Recursos Hídricos

The concepts of variability and change are analyzed for natural and impacted estuarine and coastal ecosystems at different temporal and spatial scales. Ecosystems are both resistant and resilient to natural and anthropic influences until hydrological and erosional processes result in definitive and unrecoverable modifications in state after crossing certain thresholds. All other situations occurring at coastal settings have a temporal and spatial ?periodicity? that allow, at least partly, the return to the initial condition. The paths followed can be different but coastal settings will tend to recuperate based on their resilience.Coastal environments are subject to the most energetic processes that include from simple regular wave and current activity, and sea breeze to significant storm surges, hurricanes and tsunamis. At different time-spatial scales, sediment transport processes acting upon the preexisting geomorphology introduce modifications that could be exacerbated by anthropogenic changes. We present a series of cases where geomorphologic changes are occurring through sediment transport processes but also including some physical-biological interactions, since in many wetlands and estuaries biological conditions play a major role in modifying both the geomorphology and the transport properties. We furthermore stress the non-linear interaction among them. Given the predictions of effects of future climate change on coastal areas, advancing in the understanding of how these interactions apply to each individual ecosystem are of utmost importance, however, interactions with stakeholder and decision makers also are essential since, without integrated management plans, simply understanding the natural processes is not enough to mitigate or adapt to the changes.