title: Attenuation of tides and storm surges in coastal mangroves

authors: Montgomery, John

abstract: Mangrove forests have been shown to provide coastal protection by reducing waves, moderating currents, stabilizing sediments, and lessening storm winds.  However, the interaction between storm surge and mangroves is less understood with some studies showing substantive water level reductions across mangrove forests and other work demonstrating negligible flood reduction.  Here, the relationship between mangrove forests and storm surge is investigated using a variety of techniques including a simplified analytic solution, water level observations in two contrasting mangrove forests (with and without channels), and a numerical model used to explore the importance of variations in vegetation density and complex bathymetry.
The analytic solution to flow through vegetation was based on the shallow water approximation to the equations of motion and predicts water level across a simplified mangrove forest during a flood event.  The solution accurately reproduced observed peak water levels of a 10-year flood event in the Firth of Thames, New Zealand and in a forest during Hurricane Charley in Ten Thousand Island, Florida.   The analytic solution demonstrated that in a simplified scenario vegetation density, forest size, flood amplitude, and flood duration determine peak water level reduction.  Mangroves reduce flood levels by limiting the landward flow of water and acting as a water storage mechanism.  
The variability in flood protection provided by coastal mangroves is demonstrated through the comparison of inundation events in two contrasting forests in New Zealand, channelized mangroves in Tauranga and a more homogenous forest in the Firth of Thames. New observations from Tauranga were collected to complement existing observations from the Firth of Thames.  Both forests are ~1 km wide and populated by mono-specific cultures of grey mangroves and subjected to inundation events that reached a depth of ~0.6 m at the seaward edge of the forest.  However, no reduction of water level occurred across the mangroves in Tauranga and the forest in the Firth of Thames provided quantifiable flood protection.  
The influence of channels, variations in vegetation density, and forest slope on the flood protective services provided by mangroves was explored with a series of numerical “experiments” based on a depth integrated 2-D numerical model of a mangrove forest in Tauranga, New Zealand.  Modelling results demonstrated that channelization and large-scale distribution of vegetation are more important to determining flood attenuation than detailed characterization of the vegetation.  
Population densities in coastal areas are rapidly expanding; simultaneously, intertidal ecosystems that provide coastal protection are degrading resulting in an increased reliance on traditionally engineered solutions.  Sea-level-rise and a projected increase in storm frequency and severity requires modifications to existing coastal defense strategies.  Natural ecosystems, such as mangroves, may both protect coastlines and help shorelines adapt to climate change.  Integrating natural ecosystems into coastal defense schemes requires a thorough understanding of the interaction between the coastal hazard and ecosystem.  Here we show that the flood defense provided by mangroves is non-linear and strongly site specific and that mangroves provide effective flood protection if vegetation properties, local bathymetry, and storm characteristics allow for vegetation to reduce the landward flow of water.

text: Attenuation of tides and storm surges in coastal mangroves Mangrove forests have been shown to provide coastal protection by reducing waves, moderating currents, stabilizing sediments, and lessening storm winds.  However, the interaction between storm surge and mangroves is less understood with some studies showing substantive water level reductions across mangrove forests and other work demonstrating negligible flood reduction.  Here, the relationship between mangrove forests and storm surge is investigated using a variety of techniques including a simplified analytic solution, water level observations in two contrasting mangrove forests (with and without channels), and a numerical model used to explore the importance of variations in vegetation density and complex bathymetry.
The analytic solution to flow through vegetation was based on the shallow water approximation to the equations of motion and predicts water level across a simplified mangrove forest during a flood event.  The solution accurately reproduced observed peak water levels of a 10-year flood event in the Firth of Thames, New Zealand and in a forest during Hurricane Charley in Ten Thousand Island, Florida.   The analytic solution demonstrated that in a simplified scenario vegetation density, forest size, flood amplitude, and flood duration determine peak water level reduction.  Mangroves reduce flood levels by limiting the landward flow of water and acting as a water storage mechanism.  
The variability in flood protection provided by coastal mangroves is demonstrated through the comparison of inundation events in two contrasting forests in New Zealand, channelized mangroves in Tauranga and a more homogenous forest in the Firth of Thames. New observations from Tauranga were collected to complement existing observations from the Firth of Thames.  Both forests are ~1 km wide and populated by mono-specific cultures of grey mangroves and subjected to inundation events that reached a depth of ~0.6 m at the seaward edge of the forest.  However, no reduction of water level occurred across the mangroves in Tauranga and the forest in the Firth of Thames provided quantifiable flood protection.  
The influence of channels, variations in vegetation density, and forest slope on the flood protective services provided by mangroves was explored with a series of numerical “experiments” based on a depth integrated 2-D numerical model of a mangrove forest in Tauranga, New Zealand.  Modelling results demonstrated that channelization and large-scale distribution of vegetation are more important to determining flood attenuation than detailed characterization of the vegetation.  
Population densities in coastal areas are rapidly expanding; simultaneously, intertidal ecosystems that provide coastal protection are degrading resulting in an increased reliance on traditionally engineered solutions.  Sea-level-rise and a projected increase in storm frequency and severity requires modifications to existing coastal defense strategies.  Natural ecosystems, such as mangroves, may both protect coastlines and help shorelines adapt to climate change.  Integrating natural ecosystems into coastal defense schemes requires a thorough understanding of the interaction between the coastal hazard and ecosystem.  Here we show that the flood defense provided by mangroves is non-linear and strongly site specific and that mangroves provide effective flood protection if vegetation properties, local bathymetry, and storm characteristics allow for vegetation to reduce the landward flow of water.

year: 2021

title: Sorption of sulfamethoxazole, sulfachloropyridazine and sulfamethazine onto six New Zealand dairy farm soils

authors: Srinivasan, Prakash

subjects: partitioning coefficient

abstract: We have investigated the sorption potential of three sulfonamides (SAs) in six New Zealand dairy farming soils using a modified batch equilibrium method employing 0.005 M CaCl₂ as background solution. Both liquid and solid phases were extracted to analyse for the antibiotic concentrations in order to avoid underestimation that may arise a result of photolysis or biotic degradation. The experimental data were later used to construct Freundlich isotherms to determine the effective distribution coefficients. Low log Koc value for all SAs suggests considerable leaching potential for SAs under conditions that are conducive for leaching. The sorption affinity for all soils followed the trend SCP>SMZ>SMO.

text: Sorption of sulfamethoxazole, sulfachloropyridazine and sulfamethazine onto six New Zealand dairy farm soils We have investigated the sorption potential of three sulfonamides (SAs) in six New Zealand dairy farming soils using a modified batch equilibrium method employing 0.005 M CaCl₂ as background solution. Both liquid and solid phases were extracted to analyse for the antibiotic concentrations in order to avoid underestimation that may arise a result of photolysis or biotic degradation. The experimental data were later used to construct Freundlich isotherms to determine the effective distribution coefficients. Low log Koc value for all SAs suggests considerable leaching potential for SAs under conditions that are conducive for leaching. The sorption affinity for all soils followed the trend SCP>SMZ>SMO.

year: 2010

title: Incorporating New Zealand indigenous views into community resilience frameworks for the built environment

authors: Boston, Megan

abstract: Community resilience lacks a standardized definition and methodology to quantify. Many governments and organizations have attempted to construct frameworks for improving community resilience, particularly as related to the built environment. However, few of these frameworks explicitly consider the values and cultural aspects of marginalized communities that are potentially negatively disadvantaged due to colonialization or socio-economic deprivation. To date, little research has worked on integrating Maori cultural views into these resilience frameworks. Using survey results investigating Maori and New Zealand European cultural views on resilience and aspects of the built environment, it has been found that Maori value unity and community cohesion as aspects of resilience more than New Zealand Europeans. Further, communities can increase community cohesion and unity through adapting Maori Marae’s or communal gathering places to increase community resilience following a disaster.

text: Incorporating New Zealand indigenous views into community resilience frameworks for the built environment Community resilience lacks a standardized definition and methodology to quantify. Many governments and organizations have attempted to construct frameworks for improving community resilience, particularly as related to the built environment. However, few of these frameworks explicitly consider the values and cultural aspects of marginalized communities that are potentially negatively disadvantaged due to colonialization or socio-economic deprivation. To date, little research has worked on integrating Maori cultural views into these resilience frameworks. Using survey results investigating Maori and New Zealand European cultural views on resilience and aspects of the built environment, it has been found that Maori value unity and community cohesion as aspects of resilience more than New Zealand Europeans. Further, communities can increase community cohesion and unity through adapting Maori Marae’s or communal gathering places to increase community resilience following a disaster.

year: 2022-07-01