ABSTRACT

Power, M.A. and Brown, C.D., 0000. Assessing the relationships among protected areas, disturbance, and ecological integrity on Newfoundland’s coastal vegetated dunes.

Vegetated sand dune systems are a relatively rare form of coastline on the Island of Newfoundland, but they provide diverse benefits to regional ecology and human landscape use. Despite their importance to coastal biodiversity and inland protection, few vegetated sand dune systems are located within protected areas in Newfoundland. Under little to no protection, many of these dune systems are vulnerable to anthropogenic disturbances (e.g., dune trampling and all-terrain vehicle use). Boreal vegetated dunes, such as those in Atlantic Canada, are also subject to extensive natural disturbances that result from storm and precipitation events. Current climate change projections point to an increase in these types of events in Newfoundland, which, combined with the ongoing anthropogenic disturbance regime, may overwhelm the natural rejuvenation processes of dune coastlines. Employing a transect-plot method of data collection and following a protected area approach, this study characterizes the vegetation cover, plant community, and disturbance features on Newfoundland’s dune systems. Vegetation cover was sparser in unprotected areas, which were also associated with a greater cover of nonendemic plant species. Regardless of protection status, substrate disturbance was linked with loss of total vegetation cover across the system. This research provides important empirical findings on the relationships among protected areas status, vegetation cover, plant community, and substrate disturbance on Newfoundland’s coastal vegetated dunes, highlighting the need for additional land management initiatives to protect these vulnerable landscapes under the combined effects of human visitation and climate change.