Wave attenuation by coastal heterospecific vegetation - modeling of synthetic plant meadows by Response Surface Methodology (RSM)

Abstract

Knowing the interactions between wave and aquatic vegetation is becoming increasingly important because of the phenomenon of plant-induced wave attenuation for the development of sustainable coastal management systems. Many of the wave-vegetation interaction studies focus on monotypic coastal plant meadows, while coastal plant meadows are typically heterospecific in nature, and the work on heterospecific plant meadows is still very limited. This research aims therefore to explain the heterospecific vegetation-wave interactions using a three-level four-factor surface response methodology (RSM) using controlled laboratory wave flume conditions. Heterospecific seagrass species, Cymodocea serrulata is physically simulated using synthetic plant mimics to establish a relationship between wave attenuation (E%) and four direct control factors, i.e. wave period (T), water depth (h), bed roughness factor (f) and plant density (N), using an empirical model. The model developed was evaluated using the methodology of variance analysis (ANOVA) and analyzed for the key and interaction effects of the parameters studied. The findings showed that both individually and in combination, all the parameters considered are significantly successful on E%. All model-based findings were compared with a new collection of experimental data, and validation tests were carried out.