NS — Aree Costiere

Biodiversityv06.00 credits/per_km2

Responsible:Niccolò Calandri

NS — Coastal Areas

Overview

The NS — Coastal Areas sub-indicator measures habitat suitability for pollinators specialized in coastal environments. This group includes species adapted to specific littoral conditions, nesting in:

Sand dunes and back-dune environments
Cliffs and crumbly substrate escarpments
Beaches with stabilised sandy deposits
Coastal zones with halophilic and psammophilic vegetation

Specialized coastal species (e.g., Colletes halophilus, Andrena marginata) have precise ecological requirements related to salinity, wind exposure, and availability of specific coastal flora such as Aster tripolium and Eryngium maritimum. Loss of natural coastal habitats to urbanisation and beach tourism reduces these species' populations.

Weight in NS weighted average: 1.

Calculation Methodology

Calculated using the InVEST Pollinator Model. The coefficient reflects proximity and quality of coastal environments:

0.7–1.0 — High suitability (natural dunes, vegetated beaches, cliffs)
0.2–0.4 — Medium suitability (urbanised coastal areas with natural remnants)
0.0 — Unsuitable (inland areas without coastal influence)

Data Sources

Code	Name	Provider	Type	Coverage	Availability
`WRD_INVST_99`	InVEST Pollinator Model	Natural Capital Project	model	Global	Continuous

References

Lonsdorf, E. et al. (2009). Annals of Botany, 103(9), 1589-1600.
Baldock, K.C.R. et al. (2019). Nature Ecology & Evolution, 3, 363-373.

Data Sources & References

Sources

WRD_INVST_99

Methodology

NS sub-indicator for coastal areas. Each CLC class receives a coastal nesting suitability coefficient (0-1) based on the InVEST Pollinator model. Target species: Colletes halophilus, Andrena marginata (dunes, cliffs). Weight in NS weighted average: 1. Scale: 0-1.