Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Coastal habitats across sea-to-inland gradient sustain endangered coastal plants and Hymenoptera in coastal dune ecosystems of Japan

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Biodiversity and Conservation Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Coastal sand dune ecosystems have been lost and increasingly fragmented due to human use and disaster prevention over the past few decades. Generally, habitat fragmentation and connectivity loss have led to the decline of species biodiversity. In coastal dune ecosystems, habitat loss across the coastal gradient may be a major driver of the decline in coastal species diversity and ecosystem functions. In this study, we assessed the species richness of coastal plants and hymenopteran insects in fragmented coastal dunes of Japan using six sites with and without back-dune habitats. We recorded plant species and their flowering status monthly from April to September 2018 and examined the effects of landscape factors on plant species richness. We also assessed the species richness of hymenopteran bees and wasps and compared their determinants with those of plants. In total, we identified 109 plant species, including 33 native coastal plants (10 of which are endangered) and 40 exotic plants. The number of native plant species was positively affected by the presence of back-dune habitat and sand dune size, while that of native coastal plant species was positively affected only by the presence of back-dune habitat. In contrast, the number of exotic plant species was dependent only on sand dune size. We recorded 58 hymenopteran species including 28 bee pollinators and 30 predatory wasp species. The number of hymenopteran species was positively related to the number of native plant species for both bees and wasps. In conclusion, habitat loss across the coastal gradients led to decreased species richness of native coastal plant species, resulting in reduced species richness of pollinator and predatory insect communities. Most of the coastal areas across sea-to-inland gradients have been lost due to recent disaster prevention activities. Our results highlight the urgent need for biodiversity conservation of endangered species in remnant coastal dune ecosystems.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Acosta A, Blasi C, Stanisci A (2000) Spatial connectivity and boundary patterns in coastal dune vegetation in the Circeo National Park, Central Italy. J Veg Sci 11:149–154

    Google Scholar 

  • Acosta A, Carranza ML, Izzi CF (2009) Are there habitats that contribute best to plant species diversity in coastal dunes? Biodivers Conserv 18:1087–1098

    Google Scholar 

  • Anderson MJ (2001) A new method for non-parametric multivariate analysis of variance. Aust Ecol 26:32–46

    Google Scholar 

  • Arkema KK, Guannel G, Verutes G, Wood SA, Guerry A, Ruckelshaus M, Kareiva P, Lacayo M, Silver JM (2013) Coastal habitats shield people and property from sea-level rise and storms. Nat Clim Chang 3:913–918

    Google Scholar 

  • Barbier EB, Hacker SD, Kennedy C, Koch EW, Stier AC, Silliman BR (2011) The value of estuarine and coastal ecosystem services. Ecol Monogr 81:169–193

    Google Scholar 

  • Batáry P, Báldi A, Sárospataki M, Kohler F, Verhulst J, Knop E, Herzog F, Kleijn D (2010) Effect of conservation management on bees and insect-pollinated grassland plant communities in three European countries. Agr Ecosyst Environ 136:35–39

    Google Scholar 

  • Baum KA, Coulson RN, Rubink WL, Bryant jr VM (2004) Pollen selection by feral honey bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae) colonies in a coastal prairie landscape. Environ Entomol 33:727–739

    Google Scholar 

  • Baum KA, Rubink WL, Pinto MA, Coulson RN (2005) Spatial and temporal distribution and nest site characteristics of feral honey bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae) colonies in a coastal prairie landscape. Environ Entomol 34:610–618

    Google Scholar 

  • Bird TLF, Dorman M, Ramot A, Bouskila A, Bar P, Groner E (2017) Shrub encroachment effects on habitat heterogeneity and beetle diversity in a Mediterranean coastal dune system. Land Degrad Dev 28:2553–2562

    Google Scholar 

  • Bishop MJ, Mayer-Pinto M, Airoldi L, Firth LB, Morris RL, Loke LHL, Hawkins SJ, Naylor LA, Colemanf RA, Chee SY, Dafforn KA (2017) Effects of ocean sprawl on ecological connectivity: impacts and solutions. J Exp Mar Biol Ecol 492:7–30

    Google Scholar 

  • Bosch J, Retana J, Cerdá X (1997) Flowering phenology, floral traits and pollinator composition in a herbaceous Mediterranean plant community. Oecologia 109:583–591

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Brown AC, McLachlan A (2002) Sandy shore ecosystems and the threats facing them: Some predictions for the year 2025. Environ Conserv 29:62–77

    Google Scholar 

  • Burnham KP, Anderson DR (2002) Model selection and multi model inference. Springer, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Calvão T, Pessoa MF, Lidon FC (2013) Impact of human activities on coastal vegetation: a review. Emir J Food Agric 25:926–944

    Google Scholar 

  • Carboni M, Carranza ML, Acosta A (2009) Assessing conservation status on coastal dunes: a multiscale approach. Landscape Urban Plan 91:17–25

    Google Scholar 

  • Ciccarelli D, Bacaro G (2016) Quantifying plant species diversity in coastal dunes: a piece of help from spatially constrained rarefaction. Folia Geobot 51:129–141

    Google Scholar 

  • Cousens RD, Cousens JM (2011) Invasion of the New Zealand coastline by European Sea-Rocket (Cakile maritima) and American Sea-Rocket (Cakile edentula). Invas Plant Sci Mana 4:260–263

    Google Scholar 

  • Cousens R, Ades P, Mesgaran M, Ohadi S (2013) Reassessment of the invasion history of two species of Cakile (Brassicaceae) in Australia. Cunninghamia 13:275–290

    Google Scholar 

  • Danielsen F, Sørensen MK, Olwig MF, Selvam V, Parish F, Burgess ND, Hiraishi T, Karunagaran VM, Rasmussen MS, Hansen LB, Quarto A, Suryadiputra N (2005) The Asian Tsunami: a protective role for coastal vegetation. Science 310:643

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Darling E, Samis KE, Eckert CG (2008) Increased seed dispersal potential towards geographic range limits in a Pacific coast dune plant. New Phytol 178:424–435

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Del Vecchio S, Acosta A, Stanisci A (2013) The impact of Acacia saligna invasion on Italian coastal dune EC habitats. CR Biol 336:364–369

    Google Scholar 

  • Del Vecchio S, Pizzo L, Buffa G (2015) The response of plant community diversity to alien invasion: evidence from a sand dune time series. Biodivers Conserv 24:371–392

    Google Scholar 

  • Doing H (1985) Coastal fore-dune zonation and succession in various parts of the world. Vegetation 61:65–75

    Google Scholar 

  • Duarte CM, Losada IJ, Hendriks IE, Mazarrasa I, Marbà N (2013) The role of coastal plant communities for climate change mitigation and adaptation. Nat Clim Change 3:961

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • EEC (2013) Interpretation Manual of European Union Habitats - EUR28. European Commission, DG-ENV. http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/legislation/habitatsdirective/docs/Int_Manual_EU28.pdf

  • Fantinato E, Del Vecchio S, Silan G, Buffa G (2018) Pollination networks along the sea-inland gradient reveal landscape patterns of keystone plant species. Sci Rep 8:15221

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Fantinato E (2019) The impact of (mass) tourism on coastal dune pollination networks. Biol Conserv 236:70–78

    Google Scholar 

  • Feagin RA, Figlus J, Zinnert JC, Sigren J, Martínez ML, Silva R, Smith WK, Cox D, Young DR, Carter G (2015) Going with the flow or against the grain? The promise of vegetation for protecting beaches, dunes, and barrier islands from erosion. Front Ecol Environ 13:203–210

    Google Scholar 

  • Fischer J, Lindenmayer DB, Manning AD (2006) Biodiversity, ecosystem function, and resilience: Ten guiding principles for commodity production landscapes. Front Ecol Environ 4:80–86

    Google Scholar 

  • Forrest JRK, Thorp RW, Kremen C, Williams NM (2015) Contrasting patterns in species and functional-trait diversity of bees in an agricultural landscape. J Appl Ecol 52:706–715

    Google Scholar 

  • García-Mora MR, Gallego-Fernández JB, García-Novo F (2000) Plant diversity as a suitable tool for coastal dune vulnerability assessment. J Coastal Res 16:990–995

    Google Scholar 

  • Gaston KJ (2009) Geographic range limits: achieving synthesis. Proc R Soc B: Biol Sci 276:1395–1406

    Google Scholar 

  • Gedan KB, Silliman BR, Bertness MD (2009) Centuries of human-driven change in salt marsh ecosystems. Annu Rev Mar Sci 1:117–141

    Google Scholar 

  • Gôukon K (2015) The critical condition of the Aculeata fauna at the coastal area mouth of Abukuma River. Nat Insects 50:4–9

    Google Scholar 

  • Gôukon K, Matsumoto H (2010) Coastal erosion and wildlife. Nat Insects 45:15–18

    Google Scholar 

  • Hayasaka D, Shimada N, Konno H, Sudayama H, Kawanishi M, Uchida T, Goka K (2012) Floristic variation of beach vegetation caused by the 2011 Tohoku-oki tsunami in northern Tohoku, Japan. Ecol Eng 44:227–232

    Google Scholar 

  • Heithaus ER (1979) Community structure of Neotropical flower visiting bees and wasps: diversity and phenology. Ecology 60:190–202

    Google Scholar 

  • Herrera J (1986) Flowering and fruiting phenology in the coastal shrublands of Doñana, south Spain. Vegetation 68:91–98

    Google Scholar 

  • Hiraiwa MK, Ushimaru A (2017) Low functional diversity promotes niche changes in natural island pollinator communities. Proc R Soc B-Biol Sci 284(1846):20162218

    Google Scholar 

  • Hisamatsu M (2011) Species composition of wild bees and their flower utilization in coastal sand dune vegetation at Ajigaura Beach, Ibaraki, central Japan. Jpn J Environ Entomol Zool 22:22–32. [In Japanese]

    Google Scholar 

  • Holzschuh A, Steffan-Dewenter I, Kleijn D, Tscharntke T (2007) Diversity of flower-visiting bees in cereal fields: effects of farming system, landscape composition and regional context. J Appl Ecol 44:41–49

    Google Scholar 

  • Howe MA, Knight GT, Clee C (2010) The importance of coastal sand dunes for terrestrial invertebrates in Wales and the UK, with particular reference to aculeate Hymenoptera (bees, wasps & ants). J Coast Conserv 14:91–102

    Google Scholar 

  • Ibaraki Nature Museum (2001) The second general research of the Ibaraki nature museum: nature in the prefectural central distinct including the Keisoku Mts. Lake Hinuma and the central coast. [In Japanese]

  • Inoue M, Endo T (2006) Spatiotemporal distribution and resource use of scoliid wasps (Hymenoptera) in coastal sand dunes. Entomol Sci 9:359–371

    Google Scholar 

  • Isaacs R, Tuell J, Fiedler A, Gardiner M, Landis D (2009) Maximizing arthropod-mediated ecosystem services in agricultural landscapes: the role of native plants. Front Ecol Environ 7:196–203

    Google Scholar 

  • Kawanishi M, Hayasaka D, Shimada N (2016) The species composition of buried seeds of seashore vegetation disturbed by the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami in Northern Tohoku, Japan. In: Urabe J, Nakashizuka T (eds) Ecological impacts of Tsunamis on coastal ecosystems. Springer, Tokyo

    Google Scholar 

  • Klein AM, Vaissière BE, Cane JH, Steffan-Dewenter I, Cunningham SA, Kremen C, Tscharntke T (2007) Importance of pollinators in changing landscapes for world crops. Proc R Soc B-Biol Sci 274:303–313

    Google Scholar 

  • Koyama A, Koyanagi TF, Akasaka M, Kusumoto Y, Hiradate S, Takada M, Okabe K (2018) Partitioning the plant diversity of semi-natural grasslands across Japan. Oryx 52:471–478

    Google Scholar 

  • Kuussaari M, Bommarco R, Heikkinen RK, Helm A, Krauss J, Lindborg R, Ockinger E, Pärtel M, Pino J, Rodà F, Stefanescu C, Teder T, Zobel M, Steffan-Dewenter I (2009) Extinction debt: A challenge for biodiversity conservation. Trends Ecol Evol 24:564–571

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Losey JE, Vaughan M (2006) The economic value of ecological services provided by insects. Bioscience 56:311–323

    Google Scholar 

  • Lotze HK, Lenihan HS, Bourque BJ et al (2006) Depletion, degradation, and recovery potential of estuaries and coastal seas. Science 312:1806–1809

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Malavasi M, Santoro R, Cutini M, Acosta ATR, Carranza ML (2013) What has happened to coastal dunes in the last half century? A multitemporal coastal landscape analysis in Central Italy. Landscape Urban Plan 119:54–63

    Google Scholar 

  • Malavasi M, Bartak V, Carranza ML, Simova P, Acosta ATR (2018) Landscape pattern and plant biodiversity in Mediterranean coastal dune ecosystems: do habitat loss and fragmentation really matter? J Biogeogr 45:1367–1377

    Google Scholar 

  • Maun MA, Boyd RS, Olson L (1990) The biological flora of coastal dunes and wetlands. 1. Cakile edentula. (Bigel.) Hook J Coastal Res 6:137–156

    Google Scholar 

  • McLachlan A (1991) Ecology of coastal dune fauna. J Arid Environ 21:229–243

    Google Scholar 

  • Ministry of the Environment (1998) The report of 5th national survey on the natural environment of Japan: Seashore survey. [In Japanese]

  • Murao R (2015) Records of Aculeata wasps and bees in the coast of northwestern part of Fukuoka Prefecture, Kyushu, Japan. Tsunekibachi 27:33–50. [In Japanese]

    Google Scholar 

  • Natural History Museum and Institute, Chiba (2003) Vegetation of Chiba. Chiba prefecture, Chiba, JP. [In Japanese]

  • Öckinger E, Smith HG (2007) Semi-natural grasslands as population sources for pollinating insects in agricultural landscapes. J Appl Ecol 44:50–59

    Google Scholar 

  • Ohashi H, Kadota Y, Murata J, Yonekura K, Kihara H (2015) Wild flowers of Japan, vol 1. Heibonsha, Tokyo. [In Japanese]

    Google Scholar 

  • Ohashi H, Kadota Y, Murata J, Yonekura K, Kihara H (2016a) Wild flowers of Japan, vol 2. Heibonsha, Tokyo. [In Japanese]

    Google Scholar 

  • Ohashi H, Kadota Y, Murata J, Yonekura K, Kihara H (2016b) Wild flowers of Japan, vol 3. Heibonsha, Tokyo. [In Japanese]

    Google Scholar 

  • Ohashi H, Kadota Y, Murata J, Yonekura K, Kihara H (2017a) Wild flowers of Japan, vol 4. Heibonsha, Tokyo. [In Japanese]

    Google Scholar 

  • Ohashi H, Kadota Y, Murata J, Yonekura K, Kihara H (2017b) Wild flowers of Japan, vol 5. Heibonsha, Tokyo. [In Japanese]

    Google Scholar 

  • Oka K, Yoshizawa S, Kobori H (2009) The emergence and establishment of seedlings of five coastal dune plants on the Enshu-nada, Shizuoka Prefecture, central Japan. Veg Sci 26:9–20. [In Japanese with English abstract]

    Google Scholar 

  • Pías B, Guitián P (2001) Flowering phenology and pollen-to-ovule ratio in coastal dune communities near Eurosiberian–Mediterranean border in the NW Iberian peninsula. Flora 196:475–482

    Google Scholar 

  • R Core Team (2018) R: a language and environment for statistical computing. R foundation for statistical computing, Vienna, Austria. https://www.R-project.org/

  • Rodríguez-Gallego C, Navarro T (2015) Vegetative and reproductive phenological patterns in coastal dunes in S Spain. Anales Jard Bot Madrid 72:e017

    Google Scholar 

  • Saleh F, Weinstein MP (2016) The role of nature-based infrastructure (NBI) in coastal resiliency planning: A literature review. J Environ Manage 183:1088–1098

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sawada Y (2014) The listing status to red lists and the problems to conservation of coastal sand dune plants in Japan. Landscape Ecol Manag 19:25–34 [in Japanese with English abstract]

    Google Scholar 

  • Schirmel J, Buchholz S (2011) Response of carabid beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) and spiders (Araneae) to coastal heathland succession. Biodivers Conserv 20:1469–1482

    Google Scholar 

  • Schoonees T, Gijón Mancheño A, Scheres B, Bouma TJ, Silva R, Schlurmann T, Schüttrumpf H (2019) Hard Structures for coastal protection, Towards greener designs. Estuar Coast 42:1709–1729

    Google Scholar 

  • Sexton JP, McIntyre PJ, Angert AL, Rice KJ (2009) Evolution and ecology of species range limits. Annu Rev Ecol Evol Syst 40:415–436

    Google Scholar 

  • Stanisci A, Acosta ATR, Di Iorio A, Vergalito M (2010) Leaf and root trait variability of alien and native species along Adriatic coastal dunes (Italy). Plant Biosyst 144:47–52

    Google Scholar 

  • Sutton-Grier AE, Wowk K, Bamford H (2015) Future of our coasts: The potential for natural and hybrid infrastructure to enhance the resilience of our coastal communities, economies and ecosystems. Environ Sci Policy 51:137–148

    Google Scholar 

  • Tadauchi O, Murao R (2014) An illustrated guide to Japanese bee. Bun-ichi Sogo Shuppan, Tokyo, pp. 480. [in Japanese with English abstract]

    Google Scholar 

  • Tatematsu S, Usui S, Kanai T, Tanaka Y, Hyakunari W, Kaneko S, Kanou K, Sano M (2014) Influence of artificial headlands on fish assemblage structure in the surf zone of a sandy beach, Kashimanada Coast, Ibaraki Prefecture, central Japan. Fish Sci 80:555–568

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Temmerman S, Meire P, Bouma TJ, Herman PMJ, Ysebaert T, De Vriend HJ (2013) Ecosystem-based coastal defence in the face of global change. Nature 504:79–83

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Terayama M, Suda H (2016) A guide to the aculeate wasps of Japan. Tokai Daigaku Shuppan-bu, Kanagawa. [in Japanese with English abstract]

    Google Scholar 

  • Wardhaugh CW (2015) How many species of arthropods visit flowers? Arthropod-Plant Interact 9:547–565

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We are grateful to Dr. Koyanagi, T. F. for her advice on GIS analysis. This work received financial support from the JSPS KAKENHI (19K12426) to AK and (17H07387) to TI.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, 1 Matsunosato, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8687, Japan

    Asuka Koyama

  2. National Museum of Nature and Science, 4-1-1Amakubo, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-0005, Japan

    Tatsuya Ide

Authors
  1. Asuka Koyama
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Tatsuya Ide
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

AK and TI conceived and designed methodology and conducted the surveys. AK analyzed the data. All authors contributed to the writing of the draft and gave final approval for publication.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Asuka Koyama.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Communicated by Nigel E. Stork.

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

This article belongs to the Topical Collection: Coastal and marine biodiversity.

Electronic supplementary material

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Koyama, A., Ide, T. Coastal habitats across sea-to-inland gradient sustain endangered coastal plants and Hymenoptera in coastal dune ecosystems of Japan. Biodivers Conserv 29, 4073–4090 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-020-02065-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-020-02065-8

Keywords

Search

Navigation