| Invasive plants impact coastal dune ecosystems worldwide, stabilizing dune habitat and reducing the dynamics associated with an early successional state. Manual removal, herbicidal spray, and burning are employed to remove invasive plants from dune habitats. Pernicious infestations may require mechanical contouring to remove dead vegetation and extensive root systems. We assessed the effectiveness of coastal dune contouring in central California by monitoring the nesting response of western snowy plovers (Charadrius nivosus nivosus), which rely on early successional dune habitat. Two sections of beach were mechanically contoured in 2014 and 2015, opening 30.5 hectares of previously marginal habitat for nesting snowy plovers. We used a before-after-control-impact (BACI) design to investigate changes in vegetation cover, nest distribution, nest density, and viewshed at two contoured sites, two sites adjacent to the contoured sites, and a control site. Nest distribution clearly shifted from adjacent sites into newly contoured sites, and nest densities overall increased at contoured sites. Vegetation cover increased and viewshed significantly decreased following contouring, further indicating that vegetation cover was increasing in years post-contouring. Beach contouring effectively creates early successional habitat that persists for at least two to three years. However, maintenance through contouring is likely required at five-year intervals. |