Biodiversity & Conservation

Sensitivity

Importance

Macoma balthica and Abra alba in infralittoral muddy sand or mud

SS.SMu.ISaMu.NhomMac

<i>%Macoma balthica%</i> and <i>%Abra alba%</i> in infralittoral muddy sand or mud

SS.SMu.ISaMu.NhomMac 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	High	Moderate	Major decline	High
Smothering	Tolerant	Not relevant	Not sensitive	Not relevant	Low
Increase in suspended sediment	Tolerant*	Not relevant	Not sensitive*	Rise	Moderate
Decrease in suspended sediment	Low	Very high	Very low	No change	Moderate
Desiccation	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant
Increase in emergence regime	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant
Decrease in emergence regime	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant
Increase in water flow rate	High	High	Moderate	Decline	Moderate
Decrease in water flow rate	Low	Very high	Very low	Decline	Moderate
Increase in temperature	Low	Immediate	Not sensitive	No change	Moderate
Decrease in temperature	Intermediate	High	Low	Decline	Moderate
Increase in turbidity	Low	Very high	Very low	No change	Low
Decrease in turbidity	Tolerant	Not relevant	Not sensitive	No change	Moderate
Increase in wave exposure	Intermediate	High	Low	Decline	Moderate
Decrease in wave exposure	Tolerant	Not relevant	Not sensitive	No change	Low
Noise	Tolerant	Not relevant	Not sensitive	Not relevant	Moderate
Visual Presence	Tolerant	Not relevant	Not sensitive	Not relevant	Low
Abrasion & physical disturbance	Intermediate	High	Low	Decline	Moderate
Displacement	Intermediate	Immediate	Very low	Minor decline	Low

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	Decline	Moderate
Hydrocarbon contamination	High	High	Moderate	Major decline	High
Radionuclide contamination	Insufficient information	Not relevant	Insufficient information	Not relevant	Not relevant
Changes in nutrient levels	Tolerant*	Not relevant	Not sensitive*	No change	Moderate
Increase in salinity	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant
Decrease in salinity	Low	Very high	Very low	Minor decline	Low
Changes in oxygenation	Low	High	Low	Decline	High

Biological Factors

Click factor name to view rationale	Intolerance	Recoverability	Sensitivity	Species Richness	Evidence / Confidence
Introduction of microbial pathogens/parasites	Intermediate	Insufficient information	High		Low
Introduction of non-native species	Insufficient information	Not relevant	Insufficient information	Not relevant	Not relevant
Extraction of this species	Intermediate	High	Low	Decline	Low
Extraction of other species	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant

Species used to indicate biotope intolerance

Physical factors

	Macoma balthica Key functional	Abra alba Key functional	Fabulina fabula Important functional	Echinocardium cordatum Important functional	Nephtys hombergii Important characterizing	Crangon crangon Important other
Substratum Loss	High	High	High	High	Intermediate	High
Smothering	Tolerant	Low	Low	Tolerant	Tolerant	Intermediate
Increase in suspended sediment	Tolerant*	Tolerant*	Tolerant*	Low	Tolerant	Tolerant
Decrease in suspended sediment	Low	Low	Low		Not relevant	Tolerant
Desiccation	Tolerant	Low	Low	Low	Not relevant	High
Increase in emergence regime	Low	Intermediate	Intermediate	Low	Not relevant	Not relevant
Decrease in emergence regime	Tolerant	Tolerant	Tolerant		Low	Not relevant
Increase in water flow rate	Intermediate	Low	Intermediate	Intermediate	Low	Low
Decrease in water flow rate	Tolerant	Low	Intermediate		Tolerant	Tolerant
Increase in temperature	Low	Low	Low	Intermediate	Tolerant	Tolerant
Decrease in temperature	Tolerant	Intermediate	Low		Tolerant	Tolerant
Increase in turbidity	Low	Low	Low	Low	Not relevant	Tolerant*
Decrease in turbidity	Tolerant	Tolerant	Tolerant*		Not relevant	Tolerant
Increase in wave exposure	Intermediate	Intermediate	Intermediate	Intermediate	Intermediate	Tolerant
Decrease in wave exposure	Tolerant	Tolerant	Low		Tolerant	Tolerant
Noise	Tolerant	Tolerant	Tolerant	Tolerant	Tolerant	Tolerant
Visual Presence	Tolerant	Not relevant	Tolerant	Not relevant	Tolerant	Low
Abrasion & physical disturbance	Intermediate	Intermediate	Intermediate	High	Intermediate	Low
Displacement	Intermediate	Intermediate	Intermediate	Low	Tolerant	Tolerant

Chemical factors

	Macoma balthica Key functional	Abra alba Key functional	Fabulina fabula Important functional	Echinocardium cordatum Important functional	Nephtys hombergii Important characterizing	Crangon crangon Important other
Synthetic compound contamination	High	High	High	High	Intermediate	Intermediate
Heavy metal contamination	High	Intermediate	Intermediate	Intermediate	Intermediate	Intermediate
Hydrocarbon contamination	High	Low	Intermediate	High	High	High
Radionuclide contamination	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	Insufficient information
Changes in nutrient levels	Tolerant*	Tolerant*	Intermediate	High	Low	Intermediate
Increase in salinity	Low	Not relevant	Tolerant	Intermediate	Low	Tolerant
Decrease in salinity	Low	Intermediate	Intermediate		Low	Low
Changes in oxygenation	Low	Tolerant	Intermediate	High	Tolerant	Low

Biological factors

	Macoma balthica Key functional	Abra alba Key functional	Fabulina fabula Important functional	Echinocardium cordatum Important functional	Nephtys hombergii Important characterizing	Crangon crangon Important other
Introduction of microbial pathogens/parasites	Intermediate	Insufficient information	Intermediate	Low	Insufficient information	Low
Introduction of non-native species	Insufficient information	Not relevant	Tolerant	Not relevant	Tolerant	Insufficient information
Extraction of this species	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant	Intermediate	Intermediate	Intermediate
Extraction of other species	Intermediate	Intermediate	Insufficient information	Intermediate	High	Tolerant*

Species used to indicate biotope recoverability

Physical factors

	Macoma balthica Key functional	Abra alba Key functional	Fabulina fabula Important functional	Echinocardium cordatum Important functional	Nephtys hombergii Important characterizing	Crangon crangon Important other
Substratum Loss	High	High	High	High	Very high	Very high
Smothering	Not relevant	Immediate	Immediate	Not relevant	Not relevant	Very high
Increase in suspended sediment	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant	High	Not relevant	Not relevant
Decrease in suspended sediment	Very high	Immediate	Very high		Not relevant	Not relevant
Desiccation	Not relevant	Immediate	Very high	High	Not relevant	Very high
Increase in emergence regime	Very high	Very high	High	High	Not relevant	Not relevant
Decrease in emergence regime	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant		Very high	Not relevant
Increase in water flow rate	High	Very high	High	High	Very high	Immediate
Decrease in water flow rate	Not relevant	Very high	High		Not relevant	Not relevant
Increase in temperature	Very high	Very high	Very high	High	Not relevant	Not relevant
Decrease in temperature	Not relevant	Very high	Very high		Not relevant	Not relevant
Increase in turbidity	Very high	Very high	Very high	High	Not relevant	Not relevant
Decrease in turbidity	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant		Not relevant	Not relevant
Increase in wave exposure	High	Very high	High	High	Very high	Not relevant
Decrease in wave exposure	Not relevant	Not relevant	Very high		Not relevant	Not relevant
Noise	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant
Visual Presence	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant	Immediate
Abrasion & physical disturbance	High	Very high	High	High	Very high	Very high
Displacement	High	Immediate	High	High	Immediate	Not relevant

Chemical factors

	Macoma balthica Key functional	Abra alba Key functional	Fabulina fabula Important functional	Echinocardium cordatum Important functional	Nephtys hombergii Important characterizing	Crangon crangon Important other
Synthetic compound contamination	High	High	High	High	High	Very high
Heavy metal contamination	High	High	High	High	High	Very high
Hydrocarbon contamination	High	Very high	Moderate	High	High	Very high
Radionuclide contamination	Not relevant	Not relevant	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	Not relevant	Not relevant
Changes in nutrient levels	Not relevant	Not relevant	High	High	Very high	Very high
Increase in salinity	Very high	Not relevant	Not relevant	High	Very high	Not relevant
Decrease in salinity	Very high	Very high	High		Very high	Very high
Changes in oxygenation	Very high	Not relevant	High	High	Not relevant	Very high

Biological factors

	Macoma balthica Key functional	Abra alba Key functional	Fabulina fabula Important functional	Echinocardium cordatum Important functional	Nephtys hombergii Important characterizing	Crangon crangon Important other
Introduction of microbial pathogens/parasites	High	Not relevant	High	High	Not relevant	Very high
Introduction of non-native species	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant	Insufficient information
Extraction of this species	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant	High	Very high	Very high
Extraction of other species	High	Very high	Insufficient information	High	Very high	Not relevant

This review can be cited as follows:

Budd, G.C. 2007. Macoma balthica and Abra alba in infralittoral muddy sand or mud. Marine Life Information Network: Biology and Sensitivity Key Information Sub-programme [on-line]. Plymouth: Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. [cited 22/05/2013]. Available from: <http://www.marlin.ac.uk/habitatsensitivity.php?habitatid=173&code=2004>

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Macoma balthica and Abra alba in infralittoral muddy sand or mud

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SS.SMu.ISaMu.NhomMac