Large Wood Debris Contributes to Beach Ecosystems but Colombian Beachgoer’s Do Not Recognize It

Rogério Portantiolo Manzolli, David Blanco, Luana Portz, Andrea Yanes, Seweryn Zielinski, César Augusto Ruiz Agudelo and Andres Suarez
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Rogério Portantiolo Manzolli: Department of Civil and Environmental, Universidad De La Costa, Barranquilla 080002, Colombia
David Blanco: Department of Civil and Environmental, Universidad De La Costa, Barranquilla 080002, Colombia
Luana Portz: Department of Civil and Environmental, Universidad De La Costa, Barranquilla 080002, Colombia
Andrea Yanes: Department of Civil and Environmental, Universidad De La Costa, Barranquilla 080002, Colombia
Seweryn Zielinski: Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management, Sejong University, 209 Neungdong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul 05006, Korea
César Augusto Ruiz Agudelo: Doctoral Program in Environmental Sciences and Sustainability, Universidad Jorge Tadeo Lozano, Bogotá 110311, Colombia
Andres Suarez: Grupo de Investigación en Gestión Marino Costera GEMARC, Universidad De La Costa, Barranquilla 080002, Colombia

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 13, 1-22

Abstract: Large Woody Debris (LWD) accumulation serves essential ecological functions and benefits society’s coastal ecosystems (e.g., beaches). Thus far, the ecosystem services perspective has paid little attention to LWD. Therefore, we aim to contrast social perceptions on LWD and its ecological significance in Puerto Velero beach, Caribbean, Colombia. In consequence, the contribution of LWD to the conformation and creation of Puerto Velero beach was analyzed, as well as how beachgoers perceive the importance of LWD and if they were willing to pay to remove LWD in this beach. To achieve this, a quantitative convergent approach was then proposed using GIS analysis and remote sensing to understand the contributions of LWD to the Puerto Velero beach ecosystem; and in addition, a survey was performed to determine how beachgoers perceived LWD and how they valued the phenomenon. Results indicate that LWD contributed to beach maintenance; nevertheless, most people neglected LWD values because of its lack of visual attractiveness. As such, ecosystem services targets become conflicted because people positively perceived ecosystem services provided by beaches, but they did not assign importance to the beach dynamics they deemed unattractive, regardless of their vast importance.

Keywords: beach erosion; ecosystem disservices; coarse woody debris; social perceptions; Caribbean Sea (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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