Damage to Coastal Vegetation Due to the 2011 Tsunami in Northeast Japan and Subsequent Restoration Process: Analyses Using Remotely Sensed Data

Abstract

This study used remote sensing data and field research to analyze the damage to vegetation caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake and subsequent huge tsunami that struck the coast of eastern Tohoku on March 11, 2011. The damage sustained by four basic types of vegetation: coastal cliff, sandy beach, coastal forest, and marsh, is analyzed and compared based on both field research and remote sensing. The results show that plants along rocky coasts survived relatively intact, but coastal forests and other vegetation on sandy beaches and other low-lying coasts were severely damaged. In many cases the combination of land subsidence and the force of the tsunami completely stripped away the physical substrate or left the area inundated after the wave had retreated. Continuous monitoring using field work and remote sensing is required for creating balanced regional recovery strategies that provide for economic and social recovery as well as restoration of vegetation, biodiversity and vital ecosystem services.