RT journal article
T1 EstuarIndex: an eco-geomorphological index to assess the conservation state of estuaries
A1 Aranda García, María
A1 Gracia Prieto, Francisco Javier
A1 Peralta González, Gloria
A2 Biología
A2 Ciencias de la Tierra
K1 Coastal vulnerability
K1 Estuaries
K1 Estuarine conservation
K1 Habitat connectivity
K1 Index-based assessment
AB The main objective of this work is to present a novel methodology to assess the environmental, ecological, and conservation status of mid-latitude estuaries by means of an index-based method, EstuarIndex. The EstuarIndex is an integration of four sub-indexes, assessing the status of the main subsystems present on estuaries: sandy environments, dunes, tidal flats, and the drainage network. Each sub-index includes variables combining three types of factors: morphosedimentary and oceanographic factors, ecological factors, and management and protection factors. The environmental status is finally evaluated in five possible classes: (1) Very low, (2) Low, (3) Medium, (4) High, and (5) Very High, according to EU requirements for classifying the conservation status of habitats. Three pilot zones along the Spanish coast have been chosen for testing the method: San Vicente de la Barquera estuary (N Spain), Guadiana estuary (SW Spain), and Ebro River delta mouth (E Spain). They present different oceanographic and geomorphological conditions. The results obtained have proven that EstuarIndex is a suitable methodology for the application to other estuaries. The systematic application of EstuarIndex on broad time scales would allow evaluating the system trends, what seems key for implementation of more realistic restoration strategies, and it has a great potential as a tool for environmental management in natural protected areas. Furthermore, it may help in the detection of the most relevant site-specific vulnerabilities for long-term sustainability in response to both natural and artificial drivers.
PB Springer
SN 1866-6280
YR 2023
FD 2023-08-24
LK http://hdl.handle.net/10498/31354
UL http://hdl.handle.net/10498/31354
LA eng
DS Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Cádiz
RD 21-sep-2026