Effects of wave load on the long-term vegetation development and their resistance as grass revetments on sea dikes

Abstract

Construction and design processes of revetments, sea dikes and estuarine dikes along the German coastline adhere the paradigm to protect and safeguard reliably the coastal hinterland from wave attack and storm surges. Following these standards coastal protection structures provide only poor ecosystem services in any proper design or maintenance approach. As a result, the EcoDike-project has been started with the aim to quantify and enhance the ecosystem services of revetments, sea dikes and estuarine dikes while preserving or possibly even enhancing the existing safety standards. Therefore, a profound understanding of the complex long-term interactions between wave load and vegetation development on sea dikes is inevitable. To achieve these objectives a typical seadike in prototype scale is tested under realistic and long-term wave loading in the new outdoor wave basin at the Ludwig-Franzius-Institute in Hannover (Germany).