PARENT SESSION
Poster Session # 7: Restoration, Resource Management, and Conservation.

Monday, August 4 Presentation from 5:00 PM to 6:30 PM. SITCC Exhibit Hall B.

Post-hurricane dune restoration techniques on vegetation recovery at Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge, Alabama.

Moffett, J. Mincy^*,1, Boyd, Robert², Wooten, Michael ³, ¹ Auburn University, Auburn, AL² Auburn University, Auburn, AL³ Auburn University, Auburn, AL

ABSTRACT- Coastal beach and dune systems of the U.S. Gulf Coast are frequently impacted by tropical storms and hurricanes. We studied the effects of sand fencing and annual fertilization on beach/dune vegetation at Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge, a barrier peninsula system near Gulf Shores, AL, for five years (1998-2002). Pairs of sampling grids were established at three locations in the Refuge: two in an area of mature relatively stable tertiary dunes (Perdue Unit) and one in a more dynamic and exposed area of secondary dunes and swales (Ft. Morgan Unit). One member of each pair was sand fenced, with each sand-fenced grid subdivided into three fertilized and three unfertilized areas. Fertilized areas were treated with 13-13-13 fertilizer (rates ranging from 140-260 Kg/Ha/yr) applied in early April of each year. Sand fence 'broken-chevrons' were installed at the seaward edge of the primary dune. Total plant cover, species richness, and diversity (Shannon-Wiener Index) were determined each year and analyzed for treatment effects. Fertilizing significantly increased total plant cover and species richness, but not species diversity, over time in the Perdue Unit. Fertilizing had no significant effect on any variable in the Ft. Morgan Unit. Sand fencing in the Perdue Unit significantly increased plant cover and diversity, but species richness was unaffected. These effects were localized in a narrow zone bordering the sand fence. In the Ft. Morgan Unit, sand-fencing did not significantly affect any variable. Our results show these restoration treatments can significantly accelerate post-disturbance vegetation recovery, but that site-specific factors can influence the overall success of these treatments.

Key words: dune, hurricane, vegetation, restoration