Abstract: Tropical cyclones routinely cause catastrophic damage to coastal forest ecosystems. However, critical knowledge gaps persist regarding intra-typhoon spatial dynamics—particularly how damage gradients vary with proximity to both storm eyes and shorelines within individual typhoon events. This hinders mechanistic understanding of windthrow patterns essential for developing targeted coastal resilience strategies. This study pioneers a systematic investigation into the spatial vulnerability patterns of Casuarina equisetifolia coastal shelterbelts through novel dual-distance analysis from typhoon epicenters and coastlines. Our research involved examining the damage patterns and extent inflicted by super-strong Typhoon No. 5 “Doksuri” in 2023 on trees at the typhoon’s center and its sub-center. The results of this study were obtained through function fitting and ANOVA, mainly by dividing different gradients and investigating the condition of damaged trees. (1) Damage to C. equisetifolia was more severe in the typhoon’s sub-center than in the center, and it intensified with increasing distance from the coast; (2) The number of severely damaged trees and the total number of damaged trees under different gradients at both locations generally increased and then decreased with the increase in diameter class; (3) Gradient-dependent divergence emerged in severe damage (stem failure/uprooting), whereas no significant gradient-related differences were observed for minor damage. By establishing quantitative relationships between wind damage gradients and these critical geographical parameters, we aim to develop climate-resilient management strategies that address the escalating threats of intensified typhoons under climate change. Similar content being viewed by others

Key words: Coastal shelter forest, Typhoon, Doksuri, Casuarina equisetifolia