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Quantifying the entrapment effect of anthropogenic beach litter on sand‐dwelling beetles according to the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive

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Abstract

Background

Declining biodiversity of marine ecosystems is impairing the functionality of seas and shore and their capability to provide ecological services and recover from perturbations due to human pressure. The European Union issued the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD), providing criteria and methods to analyse the dominant pressures on marine and coastal environments. Anthropogenic litter is among the main sources of impact on coastal habitats. On the other hand, sand-dwelling beetles are among the most sensitive taxa to habitat disturbance.

Aims

Applying MSFD criteria and metrics for community analyses, we studied the impact of anthropogenic litter on sand-dwelling beetle, focusing our attention on beach litter traps (BLTs): discarded containers that act as traps. Our aims were to identify and quantify period, beach zone and beetle taxa affected by entrapment effect.

Methods

Three monthly surveys were carried out along the Ionian coast (Southern Italy) over the spring season, recording material, shape and position of buried and not buried BLTs along dune habitats and identifying entrapped beetle species.

Results

The highest density of containers was observed on hind dunes (13 items/100 m2), with glass bottles as the most frequent container (41%), entrapping more than 50% of individuals. Buried and not buried BLTs acted as traps, with no difference in trapping frequency regarding their material type and shape. A total of 2811 individuals were analysed, identifying 14 families and 18 species: Anthicus fenestratus (Anthicidae), Scarites buparius (Carabidae) and Pachychila frioli (Tenebrionidae) were the most affected species.

Discussion

The entrapment effect interests a large set of species, from detritivorous to carnivorous and saprophagous beetles, possibly altering the sand-dwelling beetle community.

Implications for insect conservation

Our results represent a starting point to define and compare the magnitude of entrapment effect on arthropods. Besides, they could be useful to devise proper management strategies to reduce BLT effect on sand beetle community.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to Agostino Brusco, Director of the Wildlife Regional Reserve “Lago di Tarsia e Foce del Crati”, for funding provided by P.O. Calabria FESR/FSE 2014/2020 – Action 6.5.A.1 – Sub-Action 2 (Calabria Region Decree 1087/2018, Department of Environment and Territory). A special thank is given to the Director (Agostino Brusco) and staff (mainly Roberto Marchianò) of the above-mentioned Wildlife Regional Reserves, for providing personnel, equipment and means available for the purpose of this study. We would like to thank two anonymous reviewers and Editors (David Bilton and Jorge León-Cortés) for providing useful comments and suggestions. Finally, we would also like to sincerely thank the specialists who kindly helped us in identification: Paolo Audisio (Silphidae), Enzo Colonnelli (Curculionidae), Augusto De Giovanni (Anthicidae), Simone Fattorini (Tenebrionidae), Gianluca Nardi (Anthicidae, Dermestidae).

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  1. Federico Romiti

    Present address: Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Lazio e della Toscana “M. Aleandri”, Via Appia Nuova 1411, 00178, Rome, Italy

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dipartimento di Scienze, Università Roma Tre, Viale G. Marconi 446, 00146, Rome, Italy

    Federico Romiti, Edoardo Pietrangeli & Giuseppe M. Carpaneto

  2. Torre Flavia LTER (Long Term Ecological Research) Station, Città Metropolitana di Roma Capitale, Servizio Aree protette – parchi regionali, Viale G. Ribotta, 41, 00144, Rome, Italy

    Corrado Battisti

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Romiti, F., Pietrangeli, E., Battisti, C. et al. Quantifying the entrapment effect of anthropogenic beach litter on sand‐dwelling beetles according to the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive. J Insect Conserv 25, 441–452 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10841-021-00312-z

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