problem. On the contrary, there are many actors and points of view involved in any
restoration action: ecological, but also social and economic. A multicriteria analysis
can help to achieve a common goal in which coastal dunes are restored, while there
are also social and economic gains. We end the book with a discussion of all the
chapters. In Chap. 20, Martínez et al. summarize the most relevant findings and show
how coastal dune restoration does indeed have a wide variety of meanings, goals, and
methods.
In brief, the extensive information gathered in this book shows that coastal dune
restoration is much more than ‘‘assisting the recovery of an ecosystem that has
been degraded, damaged or destroyed’’ by means of recovering the vegetation
(Lithgow et al., in revision). Often, coastal dune restoration can be counterintuitive, because it may mean that it is necessary to remove vegetation in order to
activate the system and revitalize the dunes and the vegetation that grows in these
environments. However, coastal dune restoration also means increasing vegetation
cover after human intervention. Certainly, a multidisciplinary approach is very
much required and the costs and benefits of restoration should be considered.
Coastal dune restoration must integrate the needs and expectations of stakeholders,
as well as those of decision makers and scientists. Finally, dune restoration plans
should take a regional approach, incorporating landscape-scale processes
(Gallego-Fernández et al. 2011).
Acknowledgments We are very grateful to all the authors of the chapters in this book who
kindly contributed their chapters and shared their restoration experiences. We are also very
grateful for the insightful comments of Lawrence R. Walker.
References
Acosta ATR, Jucker T, Prisco I, Santoro R (2012) Passive recovery of Mediterranean coastal
dunes following limitations to human trampling. In: Martínez ML, Gallego-Fernández JB,
Hesp PA (eds) Restoration of coastal dunes. Springer, New York (Chapter 12)
Arens SM, Geelen LHWT (2006) Dune landscape rejuvenation by intended destabilisation in the
Amsterdam water supply dunes. J Coastal Res 22(5):1094–1107
Arens SM, Slings QL, Geelen LHWT, Van der Hagen HGJM (2012) Restoration of dune
mobility in the Netherlands. In: Martínez ML, Gallego-Fernández JB, Hesp PA (eds)
Restoration of coastal dunes. Springer, New York (Chapter 7)
Bakker C, de Graaf HF, Ernst WHO, van Bodegom PM (2005) Does the seed bank contribute to
the restoration of species-rich vegetation in wet dune slacks? Appl Veg Sci 8(1):39–48
Burke A (2007) Recovery in naturally dynamic environments: a case study from the sperrgebiet,
southern African arid succulent karoo. Environ Manage 40(4):635–648
Carter RWG (1988) Coastal environments. An introduction to the physical, ecological and
cultural systems of coastlines. Academic Press, London
Davis ALV, Van Aarde RJ, Scholtz CH, Delport JH (2002) Increasing representation of localized
dung beetles across a chronosequence of regenerating vegetation and natural dune forest in
South Africa. Glob Ecol Biogeogr 11(3):191–209
Davis ALV, van Aarde RJ, Scholtz CH, Delport JH (2003) Convergence between dung beetle
assemblages of a post-mining vegetational chronosequence and unmined dune forest. Restor
Ecol 11(1):29–42
10
M. L. Martínez et al.
restoration action: ecological, but also social and economic. A multicriteria analysis
can help to achieve a common goal in which coastal dunes are restored, while there
are also social and economic gains. We end the book with a discussion of all the
chapters. In Chap. 20, Martínez et al. summarize the most relevant findings and show
how coastal dune restoration does indeed have a wide variety of meanings, goals, and
methods.
In brief, the extensive information gathered in this book shows that coastal dune
restoration is much more than ‘‘assisting the recovery of an ecosystem that has
been degraded, damaged or destroyed’’ by means of recovering the vegetation
(Lithgow et al., in revision). Often, coastal dune restoration can be counterintuitive, because it may mean that it is necessary to remove vegetation in order to
activate the system and revitalize the dunes and the vegetation that grows in these
environments. However, coastal dune restoration also means increasing vegetation
cover after human intervention. Certainly, a multidisciplinary approach is very
much required and the costs and benefits of restoration should be considered.
Coastal dune restoration must integrate the needs and expectations of stakeholders,
as well as those of decision makers and scientists. Finally, dune restoration plans
should take a regional approach, incorporating landscape-scale processes
(Gallego-Fernández et al. 2011).
Acknowledgments We are very grateful to all the authors of the chapters in this book who
kindly contributed their chapters and shared their restoration experiences. We are also very
grateful for the insightful comments of Lawrence R. Walker.
References
Acosta ATR, Jucker T, Prisco I, Santoro R (2012) Passive recovery of Mediterranean coastal
dunes following limitations to human trampling. In: Martínez ML, Gallego-Fernández JB,
Hesp PA (eds) Restoration of coastal dunes. Springer, New York (Chapter 12)
Arens SM, Geelen LHWT (2006) Dune landscape rejuvenation by intended destabilisation in the
Amsterdam water supply dunes. J Coastal Res 22(5):1094–1107
Arens SM, Slings QL, Geelen LHWT, Van der Hagen HGJM (2012) Restoration of dune
mobility in the Netherlands. In: Martínez ML, Gallego-Fernández JB, Hesp PA (eds)
Restoration of coastal dunes. Springer, New York (Chapter 7)
Bakker C, de Graaf HF, Ernst WHO, van Bodegom PM (2005) Does the seed bank contribute to
the restoration of species-rich vegetation in wet dune slacks? Appl Veg Sci 8(1):39–48
Burke A (2007) Recovery in naturally dynamic environments: a case study from the sperrgebiet,
southern African arid succulent karoo. Environ Manage 40(4):635–648
Carter RWG (1988) Coastal environments. An introduction to the physical, ecological and
cultural systems of coastlines. Academic Press, London
Davis ALV, Van Aarde RJ, Scholtz CH, Delport JH (2002) Increasing representation of localized
dung beetles across a chronosequence of regenerating vegetation and natural dune forest in
South Africa. Glob Ecol Biogeogr 11(3):191–209
Davis ALV, van Aarde RJ, Scholtz CH, Delport JH (2003) Convergence between dung beetle
assemblages of a post-mining vegetational chronosequence and unmined dune forest. Restor
Ecol 11(1):29–42
10
M. L. Martínez et al.