Biodiversity & Conservation

Sensitivity

Importance

Echinocardium cordatum and Ensis spp. in lower shore or shallow sublittoral muddy fine sand.

SS.IMS.FaMS.EcorEns

Image Anon. - Echinocardium cordatum dug out of sand. Image width ca XX cm.
Image copyright information

SS.IMS.FaMS.EcorEns recorded () and expected () distribution in Britain and Ireland (see below)

Habitat sensitivity

Physical Factors

Click factor name to view rationale	Intolerance	Recoverability	Sensitivity	Species Richness	Evidence / Confidence
Substratum Loss	High	Moderate	Moderate	Major decline	High
Smothering	Tolerant	Not relevant	Not sensitive	Not relevant	Moderate
Increase in suspended sediment	Low	High	Low	No change	Low
Decrease in suspended sediment
Desiccation	Low	High	Low	No change	Moderate
Increase in emergence regime	Intermediate	High	Low	No change	Moderate
Decrease in emergence regime
Increase in water flow rate	High	High	Moderate	Decline	Low
Decrease in water flow rate
Increase in temperature	Intermediate	High	Low	Decline	Low
Decrease in temperature
Increase in turbidity	Low	Very high	Very low	No change	High
Decrease in turbidity
Increase in wave exposure	Intermediate	High	Low	Decline	Moderate
Decrease in wave exposure
Noise	Tolerant	Not relevant	Not sensitive	No change	High
Visual Presence	Tolerant	Not relevant	Not sensitive	Not relevant	Not relevant
Abrasion & physical disturbance	High	Moderate	Moderate	Decline	Moderate
Displacement	Intermediate	High	Low	No change	Moderate

Chemical Factors

Click factor name to view rationale	Intolerance	Recoverability	Sensitivity	Species Richness	Evidence / Confidence
Synthetic compound contamination	High	High	Moderate	Decline	Moderate
Heavy metal contamination	Intermediate	High	Low	Minor decline	Moderate
Hydrocarbon contamination	High	Moderate	Moderate	Major decline	High
Radionuclide contamination	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	Insufficient Information	Not relevant
Changes in nutrient levels	Intermediate	High	Low	Major decline	High
Increase in salinity	Intermediate	High	Low	Decline	Moderate
Decrease in salinity
Changes in oxygenation	High	High	Moderate	Major decline	Moderate

Biological Factors

Click factor name to view rationale	Intolerance	Recoverability	Sensitivity	Species Richness	Evidence / Confidence
Introduction of microbial pathogens/parasites	Low	High	Low		Moderate
Introduction of non-native species	Low	High	Low	No change	Moderate
Extraction of this species	Intermediate	High	Low	Decline	Moderate
Extraction of other species	Low	High	Low	No change	Low

Species used to indicate biotope intolerance

Physical factors

	Echinocardium cordatum Key functional	Liocarcinus depurator Important characterizing
Substratum Loss	High	Intermediate
Smothering	Tolerant	Tolerant
Increase in suspended sediment	Low	Tolerant
Decrease in suspended sediment
Desiccation	Low	Not relevant
Increase in emergence regime	Low	Not relevant
Decrease in emergence regime
Increase in water flow rate	Intermediate	Intermediate
Decrease in water flow rate
Increase in temperature	Intermediate	Intermediate
Decrease in temperature
Increase in turbidity	Low	Tolerant
Decrease in turbidity
Increase in wave exposure	Intermediate	Intermediate
Decrease in wave exposure
Noise	Tolerant	Tolerant
Visual Presence	Not relevant	Tolerant
Abrasion & physical disturbance	High	High
Displacement	Low	Tolerant

Chemical factors

	Echinocardium cordatum Key functional	Liocarcinus depurator Important characterizing
Synthetic compound contamination	High	Insufficient information
Heavy metal contamination	Intermediate	Intermediate
Hydrocarbon contamination	High	Insufficient information
Radionuclide contamination	Insufficient information	Insufficient information
Changes in nutrient levels	High	Insufficient information
Increase in salinity	Intermediate	Intermediate
Decrease in salinity
Changes in oxygenation	High	High

Biological factors

	Echinocardium cordatum Key functional	Liocarcinus depurator Important characterizing
Introduction of microbial pathogens/parasites	Low	Intermediate
Introduction of non-native species	Not relevant	Tolerant
Extraction of this species	Intermediate	Intermediate
Extraction of other species	Intermediate	Tolerant

Species used to indicate biotope recoverability

Physical factors

	Echinocardium cordatum Key functional	Liocarcinus depurator Important characterizing
Substratum Loss	High	High
Smothering	Not relevant	Not relevant
Increase in suspended sediment	High	Not relevant
Decrease in suspended sediment
Desiccation	High	Not relevant
Increase in emergence regime	High	Not relevant
Decrease in emergence regime
Increase in water flow rate	High	High
Decrease in water flow rate
Increase in temperature	High	High
Decrease in temperature
Increase in turbidity	High	Not relevant
Decrease in turbidity
Increase in wave exposure	High	Very high
Decrease in wave exposure
Noise	Not relevant	Not relevant
Visual Presence	Not relevant	Not relevant
Abrasion & physical disturbance	High	High
Displacement	High	Not relevant

Chemical factors

	Echinocardium cordatum Key functional	Liocarcinus depurator Important characterizing
Synthetic compound contamination	High	Not relevant
Heavy metal contamination	High	High
Hydrocarbon contamination	High	Insufficient information
Radionuclide contamination	Insufficient information	Insufficient information
Changes in nutrient levels	High	Insufficient information
Increase in salinity	High	High
Decrease in salinity
Changes in oxygenation	High	High

Biological factors

	Echinocardium cordatum Key functional	Liocarcinus depurator Important characterizing
Introduction of microbial pathogens/parasites	High	High
Introduction of non-native species	Not relevant	Not relevant
Extraction of this species	High	High
Extraction of other species	High	Not relevant

This review can be cited as follows:

Hill, J.M. 2007. Echinocardium cordatum and Ensis spp. in lower shore or shallow sublittoral muddy fine sand.. Marine Life Information Network: Biology and Sensitivity Key Information Sub-programme [on-line]. Plymouth: Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. [cited 25/05/2013]. Available from: <http://www.marlin.ac.uk/habitatsensitivity.php?habitatid=124&code=1997>

for
Echinocardium cordatum and Ensis spp. in lower shore or shallow sublittoral muddy fine sand.

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SS.IMS.FaMS.EcorEns