RT journal article
T1 Estuarine Mapping and Eco-Geomorphological Characterization for Potential Application in Conservation and Management: Three Study Cases along the Iberian Coast
A1 Aranda, María
A1 Gracia Prieto, Francisco Javier
A1 Peralta González, Gloria
A2 Biología
A2 Ciencias de la Tierra
K1 estuarine subsystems
K1 estuarine connectivity
K1 coastal conservation
K1 cartography
K1 aerial photographs
AB Geomorphological changes in recent decades in three estuaries along the Iberian coast were analysed using aerial orthophotographs. A hierarchical classification scheme, based on a literature review representing 26 estuarine eco-geomorphological features relevant to estuarine dynamics and functioning, is described. The estuaries selected were San Vicente de la Barquera (N Spain), Guadiana River (SW border between Spain and Portugal) and the Ebro River Delta mouth (NE Spain). For these systems, a 60-year time series of high-resolution maps was developed, analysing the changes in feature surfaces. The main subsystems analysed were beach, dunes, saltmarshes and the drainage network. The results of the cartographies showed general behaviour common to all transitional systems, relationships among main subsystems and processes inherent to each one. This work illustrates how beaches and dunes serve as a protective barrier for the tidal flats, acting as a sediment buffer for the entire system. The subsystems are connected by the drainage network responsible for the exchange of matter and energy between them. Furthermore, an accuracy assessment was performed in one of the study zones to identify the limitations of mapping with aerial photographs. The results explain the changes with time but also the processes and relationships between the estuarine features at a long-term scale. This work adds an important perspective towards a general understanding of their dependence on intrinsic and boundary conditions.
PB MDPI
SN 2076-3417
YR 2020
FD 2020-07
LK http://hdl.handle.net/10498/23573
UL http://hdl.handle.net/10498/23573
LA eng
DS Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Cádiz
RD 21-sep-2026