their listing as a threatened and critically imperiled species ( U . S . Fish and Wildlife Service , 2014 ; NatureServe , 2014 ). A recently published study ( Pelton et al ., 2022 ) found that Kiawah and Seabrook Island ’ s provide critical stop-over ecosystems for over 41 % of the total red knot population . The Town of Kiawah Island ’ s Shorebird Stewards provide assistance to the protection of shorebirds by educating beachgoers and advocating for the protection of critical shorebird habitat .
Mirroring our previous report in 2021 , beach sediments remain relatively stable and in good condition . According to the 2020 Annual Beach Monitoring Report to the Town of Kiawah Island by Coastal Science & Engineering [ CSE ] ( 2021 ), Kiawah ’ s beach remains one of the healthiest in the state of South Carolina . Despite the impacts of severe storms over the past 10 years , the beach has been in a state of recovery since 2016 . The report stated the beaches gained approximately 255,700 cubic yards of sand from November 2019 to November 2020 , which will protect the Island from the impacts of sea-level rise and severe weather into the future ( see page 60 , CSE , 2021 ). Building setbacks on the beach , established early on , have allowed us to sustain our healthy dunes , which in turn have protected not only our properties but also our wildlife .
Research conducted by Dr . Eric McElroy at the College of Charleston , concluded that plant and animal biodiversity was important to maintain a healthy dune system ( McElroy , 2020 ). Dune vegetation supports animal diversity by providing habitat for a variety of wildlife and stabilizes sediment . This valuable but fragile ecosystem is home to several pioneer plant species which establish themselves in hot , dry , salty , and windy conditions . This vegetation is vital to supporting fauna within the dunes , as well as provide stability to the dune system . Expanding upon existing mapping techniques to analyze vegetative cover for marshes ( Ganju et al ., 2020 ), we analyzed the vegetation trends within the dune system . A regression analysis was conducted on the coverage of vegetation within the interdune areas ( Gramling , 2012 ). This analysis studied the change between baseline conditions in 2015 and current conditions 2021 using quarter-acre zones . The analysis suggests interdune areas along the eastern portion of the island show a positive trend , with the western portion showing a decrease in vegetation . This is most likely attributed to the movement of the primary dune position due to erosion in the west and accretion in the east . While this initial data provides a glimpse into the interdune vegetation , further analysis using high resolution imagery in subsequent years is warranted to capture long-term trends . The Conservancy will continue to acquire additional datasets to sustain this analysis in the future .
Ecological Health of Kiawah Island 2022 14