Human occupancy of coastal regions and the physical forces of nature are combining to eliminate many valuable wetlands
Excerpt
TWO-THIRDS of the world's population and more than 40 of its largest cities occupy coastal areas. In the United States 75 percent of the population lives in close proximity to the sea. Human occupancy within a mile of the ocean shore is now increasing at more than three times the national growth rate.
These cultural elements and associated physical forces are the shoreline's worst enemies. Together, they are also responsible for the loss of a considerable portion of America's wetlands.
But the same problem confronts all coastal countries. Three-fourths of the world's shorelines are retreating at a rate of four inches or more per year. A third are retreating at a rate of more than three feet a year.
The threat in perspective
Regardless of the man-induced activities responsible for the problem, coastal real estate is threatened. Between 1850 and 1950 at least 269 million cubic yards of material eroded from the Virginia shoreline of the Chesapeake Bay system (4, 17)—enough material to cover the District of Columbia with 4 feet of soil. The bay's shoreline currently is retreating at a rate of 2 to …
Footnotes
Donald W. Davis is distinguished service professor of geography, Earth Science Department, Nicholls State University, Thibodaux, Louisiana 70310.
- Copyright 1986 by the Soil and Water Conservation Society
This article requires a subscription to view the full text. If you have a subscription you may use the login form below to view the article. Access to this article can also be purchased.