Woody debris on beach environments: Magnitudes, collateral effects, and management

Abstract Woody Debris (WD) can be an essential component on beaches, influencing both the biological and physical functions and processes of this ecosystem. However, the presence of WD on beaches can conflict with their uses (e.g., tourism, fishing). Along 25 beaches, located on the central Caribbean coast of Colombia, a total of 4,219 WD pieces were found. The average abundance was 1.7 WD items/m, but this value ranged significantly between beaches (from 3.8 items/m to 0.001 items/m). Application of two evaluation indices, based on WD data, highlights that most of the beaches have a very high abundance of WD within overall refuse content and this WD most of time fully covers the beach area. In the same way, a Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA) was developed to show similarities and differences between beaches concerning WD abundances. This analysis highlights that the central Caribbean of Colombia can be divided into three specific groups of beaches according to WD abundances. Current WD patterns of abundance and accumulation are related to beach characteristics as well as the degree of beach exposure. In the same way, WD found in the study area reflects a strong influence of longshore-current transport. Understanding the ecological role that WD currently plays along the study-area beaches is necessary to planning and implementing appropriate management strategies.