Coastal Dunes Of California

In this book, coastal dune specialists from tropical and temperate latitudes cover a wide set of topics, including: geomorphology, community dynamics, ecophysiology, biotic interactions and environmental problems and conservation. The book offers recommendations for future research, identifying relevant topics where detailed knowledge is still lacking. It also identifies management tools that will promote and maintain the rich diversity of the dune environments in the context of continuing coastal development.

The formation and existence of coastal sand dunes are important considerations in the analysis of coastal problems and selection and design of remedial measures, but little in the way of detailed information has been published on the coastal dunes of California. This paper describes dune localities along the California coast and examines their common features. Dune forms, beach configuration and conditions, activity of dune sand, and sediment sources are the factors considered in describing the localities.