Research on the impact of various vegetation types on wave attenuation along the coast of Zhejiang province:taking Scirpus mariqueter, Spartina alterniflora, and mangrove ecosystems as examples
Tidal flat vegetation plays an important role in sediment accumulation, disaster prevention and mitigation, and the maintenance of ecosystem stability through its wave dissipation ecological functions. Consequently, investigating the wave attenuation characteristics of typical vegetation is significant for conserving tidal flats wetlands, preserving wetland biodiversity, and protecting the safeguarding of coastal engineering structures. This study focuses on three typical vegetation ecosystems along the coast of Zhejiang Province, namely Scirpus mariqueter, Spartina alterniflora, and mangroves. Using a high-frequency wave gauge, measurements of wave dissipation capacity for the three typical vegetation ecosystems were conducted at adjacent mudflats, vegetation edges, and within vegetation zones. The results indicate the average wave height attenuation rate in Spartina alterniflora vegetation zones is higher than that in the Scirpus mariqueter vegetation zones, which in turn is higher than in the mangroves zones and the adjacent mudflat. Further analysis reveals that both the type of vegetation and its growth stage determine the wave attenuation capacity of vegetation. In the early growth stage, the wave attenuation rate of mangroves is only slightly higher than that of adjacent mudflats. These findings contribute to the growing body of research on vegetation-induced wave attenuation and also deepen our understanding of the factors affecting coastal vegetation's wave dissipation efficiency, thereby providing a scientific basis for the protection of coastal engineering facilities.
