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Rivers and Coasts - dynamic landscapes
Rivers and coasts are dynamic environments, continually changing in response to variations in weather, land-use and the supply of sediment. This capacity to change, often unpredictably, is one of their most fascinating features. However, it predisposes them to human interference from schemes designed to restrict and control their natural dynamism.
Restriction of dynamic rivers and coasts affects water and sediment flows which can destroy wildlife habitat and reduce landscape value and diversity. Intervention at one point in a river or coast can have a detrimental knock-on effect at another point in such dynamic landscapes.
Rivers have become increasingly disconnected from their floodplains as a result of flood bank construction to protect land used for agriculture and other purposes. A more sustainable approach is to restore, in a planned way in appropriate locations, the natural function of floodplains as temporary floodwater storage areas. This helps to reduce the impacts of floods downstream. Creating room for dynamic rivers in this way could have additional benefits for restoration of natural habitats.
In some areas, erosion and retreat of the coastal edge, which is under constant attack by the sea, needs to be controlled to prevent loss of valuable infrastructure. However, there are alternatives to hard rock armour or concrete defences which permanently obscure rock exposures and may have adverse knock-on effects along the coast. Soft defences or rock mounds may reduce wave energy sufficiently to prevent major coastal retreat, yet allow the gentle erosion needed to maintain coastal rock exposure and a natural looking coastline.
Scottish Natural Heritage is working towards the sustainable management of dynamic landscapes and can provide advice on their management and conservation.
Publications resulting from some of our recent research and survey work into dynamic systems, including work on Coastal Cells, Focus on Firths and river processes, are listed on our geodiversity publications pages, and are available from Scottish Natural Heritage Publications.