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Landscape Visual Quality and Meiofauna Biodiversity on Sandy Beaches

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Abstract

Sandy beaches are central economic assets, attracting more recreational users than other coastal ecosystems. However, urbanization and landscape modification can compromise both the functional integrity and the attractiveness of beach ecosystems. Our study aimed at investigating the relationship between sandy beach artificialization and the landscape perception by the users, and between sandy beach visual attractiveness and biodiversity. We conducted visual and biodiversity assessments of urbanized and semiurbanized sandy beaches in Brazil and Uruguay. We specifically examined meiofauna as an indicator of biodiversity. We hypothesized that urbanization of sandy beaches results in a higher number of landscape detractors that negatively affect user evaluation, and that lower-rated beach units support lower levels of biodiversity. We found that urbanized beach units were rated lower than semiurbanized units, indicating that visual quality was sensitive to human interventions. Our expectations regarding the relationship between landscape perception and biodiversity were only partially met; only few structural and functional descriptors of meiofauna assemblages differed among classes of visual quality. However, lower-rated beach units exhibited signs of lower environmental quality, indicated by higher oligochaete densities and significant differences in meiofauna structure. We conclude that managing sandy beaches needs to advance beyond assessment of aesthetic parameters to also include the structure and function of beach ecosystems. Use of such supporting tools for managing sandy beaches is particularly important in view of sea level rise and increasing coastal development.

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Acknowledgments

This work was partially supported by the CAPES Foundation (Ministry of Education). G. Felix was supported by CAPES, and M. Polette and S.A. Netto were supported by the Brazilian Research Council (CNPq). We thank Daniel Conde (Universidad de la República, Uruguay) and Paulo Pezzuto (Universidade do Vale do Itajaí, Brazil) for the constructive comments and suggestions. R. Gingold (sweepandmore.com) is thanked for the critical reading and editing of the manuscript. We are indebted to the anonymous referees for their helpful comments and suggestions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Marine Science Laboratory, University of Southern Santa Catarina, Unisul, Av Acácio Moreira 787, Dehon, Tubarão, SC, 88704-900, Brazil

    Gabriela Felix & Sérgio A. Netto

  2. Centro de Ciências Tecnológicas, da Terra e do Mar - CTTMar, Universidade do Vale do Itajaí Univali, Caixa Postal 360, Itajaí, SC, 88301-970, Brazil

    Rosemeri C. Marenzi & Marcos Polette

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  1. Gabriela Felix
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  4. Sérgio A. Netto
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Correspondence to Sérgio A. Netto.

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Felix, G., Marenzi, R.C., Polette, M. et al. Landscape Visual Quality and Meiofauna Biodiversity on Sandy Beaches. Environmental Management 58, 682–693 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-016-0735-x

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