Coastal Scenery Assessment: Definitions and Typology

Abstract

Although scenery is an invaluable asset from any environmental viewpoint, coastal scenery is a lesser-considered aspect of coastal management. Therefore the Coastal Scenic Evaluation System (CSES) technique was developed using fuzzy logic methodology to evaluate the adverse effects of changes to a coastal environment. The CSES can be used not only for landscape preservation and protection, but also as scientific tool for envisaged coastal management and future development based upon plans by an evidence-based approach. This chapter presents a detailed field guide that includes the steps to follow in making a coastal scenery assessment, as well as, key definitions and examples of all parameters required to use the CSES. The Photo-atlas representing all parameters helps in attributing them to the correct grade.

Appendix: Photo Atlas

	1 Cliff height ( H )
	1: Absent (< 5 m)
	2: 5 m ≤ H < 30 m
	3: 30 m ≤ H < 60 m
	4: 60 m ≤ H < 90 m
	5: H ≥ 90 m
	2 Cliff slope
	1: < 45°
	2: 45°–60°
	3: 60°–75°
	4: 75°–85°
	5: Circa vertical

	3 Cliff special features
	1: Absent
	2: 1 special feature (e.g. rock fall)
	3: 2 special features (e.g. banding and terracing)
	4: 3 special features (e.g. banding, jutting cliff, rock fall)
	5: Many >3 special features (e.g., irregular profile, notch, banding, folding)

	4 Beach type
	1: Absent
	2: Mud
	3: Cobble/boulder
	4: Pebble/gravel
	5: Sand
	5 Beach face width ( W )
	1: Absent
	2: < 5 m or > 100 m
	3: 5 m ≤ W < 25 m
	4: 25 m ≤ W < 50 m
	5: 50 m ≤ W ≤ 100 m

	6 Beach face colour
	1: Absent
	2: Dark
	3: Dark tan
	4: Light tan/bleached
	5: White/gold

	7 Rocky shore slope
	1: Absent
	2: < 5°
	3: 5°–10°
	4: 10°–20°
	5: > 20°

	8 Rocky shore extent
	1: Absent
	2: < 5 m
	3: 5 m – 10 m
	4: 10 m – 20 m
	5: > 20 m

	9 Rocky shore roughness
	1: Absent
	2: Distintly jagged
	3: Deeply pitted and/or irregular (uneven)
	4: Shallow pitted
	5: Smooth

	10 Dunes
	1: Absent
	2: Remnants
	3: Fore-dune
	4: Secondary ridge
	5: Several
	11 Valley
	1: Absent
	2: Dry
	3: Stream (< 1 m)
	4: Stream (1 m – 4 m)
	5: > 4 m

	12 Skyline landforms
	1: Not visible
	2: Flat
	3: Undulating
	4: Highly undulating
	5: Mountainous

	13 Tide
	1: Macro (> 4 m)
	3: Meso (2 m – 4 m)
	5: Micro (< 2 m)

	14 Coastal landscape feature
	1: None
	2: 1 Feature (e.g. blowhole)
	3: 2 Features (stack and shoals)
	4: 3 Features (e.g., caves, pinnacles, emayment)
	5: > 3 Features (e.g. irregular headlands, stacks, islands, shoals)

	15 Vista
	1: Open on one side
	2: Open on two sides
	4: Open on three sides
	5: Open on four sides

	16 Water colour
	1: Muddy brown/grey
	2: Milky blue/green; opaque
	3: Green/grey blue
	4: Clear blue/dark blue
	5: Very clear turquoise

	17 Natural vegetation cover
	1: Bare (< 10% vegetation only)
	2: Scrub/Garigue/grass (marram/gorse/ferns, bramble/meadow, etc.)
	3: Wetlands/meadow
	4: Coppice, Maquis (mature trees bushes)
	5: Varity of mature trees/mature natural cover

	18 Vegetation debris
	1: Continuous >50 cm high
	2: Full strand line
	3: Single accumulation
	4: Few scattered items
	5: None

	19 Noise disturbance
	1: Intolerable (e.g. loud music from speakers)
	2: Tolerable (e.g. Crowded but no speakers)
	4: Little (e.g. not crowded and without speakers; small communication lines)
	5: None (e.g. few or scattered people without radios, etc.)

	20 Litter
	1: Continuous accumulations
	2: Full strand line
	3: Single accumulation
	4: Few scattered items
	5: Virtually absent

	21 Sewage discharge
	1: Sewage evident
	3: Some evidence
	5: No evidence of sewage

	22 Non built environment
	1: None
	3: Hedgerow/terracing/monoculture
	5: Field mixed cultivation +/− trees/natural

	23 Built environment
	1: Heavy industry
	2: Heavy tourism and/or urban
	3: Light tourism and/or urban and/or sensitive industry
	4: Sensitive tourism and/or urban
	5: Historic and/or none

	24 Access
	1: No buffer zone/heavy traffic
	2: Buffer zone/light traffic
	4: Parking lot visible from coastal area
	5: Parking lot not visible from coastal area

	25 Skyline
	1: Very unattractive
	2: Unattractive
	3: Sensitively designed
	4: Very Sentitively designed
	5: Natural/historic features

	26 Utilities
	1: > 3 Utilities (e.g. slipway, handrails, electricity poles, sewage outfall)
	2: 3 Utilities (e.g. groins, electricity poles, railway)
	3: 2 Utilities (e.g. groin, lifeguard tower)
	4: 1 Utility (e.g. tetrapods)
	5: None