Biodiversity & Conservation

Sensitivity

Mytilus edulis beds with hydroids and ascidians on tide-swept moderately exposed circalittoral rock

CR.MCR.M.MytHAs

Image Anon. - Mytilus edulis beds with hydroids and ascidians on tide-swept moderately exposed circalittoral rock. Image width ca 1m in foreground.
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CR.MCR.M.MytHAs 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	Intermediate	High	Low	Minor decline	Moderate
Increase in suspended sediment	Low	Immediate	Not sensitive	No change	Moderate
Decrease in suspended sediment	Low	Immediate	Not sensitive	No change	Low
Desiccation	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant	High
Increase in emergence regime	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant	High
Decrease in emergence regime	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant	High
Increase in water flow rate	Low	Immediate	Not sensitive	No change	Low
Decrease in water flow rate	Intermediate	High	Low	Minor decline	Very low
Increase in temperature	Low	Very high	Very low	No change	Low
Decrease in temperature	Low	Very high	Very low	No change	Low
Increase in turbidity	Tolerant	Not relevant	Not sensitive	No change	Moderate
Decrease in turbidity	Tolerant	Not relevant	Not sensitive	No change	Moderate
Increase in wave exposure	Intermediate	High	Low	Minor decline	Low
Decrease in wave exposure	Intermediate	High	Low	Minor decline	Very low
Noise	Tolerant	Not relevant	Not sensitive	No change	High
Visual Presence	Tolerant	Not relevant	Not sensitive	No change	High
Abrasion & physical disturbance	Intermediate	High	Low	Minor decline	Low
Displacement	Intermediate	High	Low	Decline	Low

Chemical Factors

Click factor name to view rationale	Intolerance	Recoverability	Sensitivity	Species Richness	Evidence / Confidence
Synthetic compound contamination	Intermediate	High	Low	Minor decline	Moderate
Heavy metal contamination	Intermediate	High	Low	Decline	Moderate
Hydrocarbon contamination	Intermediate	High	Low	Decline	Moderate
Radionuclide contamination	Insufficient information	Not relevant	Insufficient information	Insufficient Information	Not relevant
Changes in nutrient levels	Tolerant*	Not relevant	Not sensitive*	No change	Low
Increase in salinity	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant
Decrease in salinity	Intermediate	High	Low	Decline	Moderate
Changes in oxygenation	Intermediate	Very high	Low	Minor decline	Moderate

Biological Factors

Click factor name to view rationale	Intolerance	Recoverability	Sensitivity	Species Richness	Evidence / Confidence
Introduction of microbial pathogens/parasites	Intermediate	High	Low		Low
Introduction of non-native species	Intermediate	High	Low	No change	Very low
Extraction of this species	Intermediate	High	Low	Major decline	Moderate
Extraction of other species	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant

Species used to indicate biotope intolerance

Physical factors

	Mytilus edulis Key structural	Asterias rubens Important functional	Balanus crenatus Important other	Alcyonium digitatum Important other	Urticina felina Important other
Substratum Loss	High	High	High	High	High
Smothering	Intermediate	Low	High	Intermediate	Low
Increase in suspended sediment	Low	Low	Low	Low	Low
Decrease in suspended sediment	Low				Tolerant*
Desiccation	Low	High	High	Not relevant	Intermediate
Increase in emergence regime	Low	Tolerant	High	Not relevant	Intermediate
Decrease in emergence regime	Low				Tolerant*
Increase in water flow rate	Low	Intermediate	Low	Tolerant*	Tolerant
Decrease in water flow rate	Low			Intermediate	Intermediate
Increase in temperature	Low	High	High	Low	Intermediate
Decrease in temperature	Low	Low		Low	Intermediate
Increase in turbidity	Tolerant	Low	Low	Low	Tolerant
Decrease in turbidity	Tolerant				Tolerant
Increase in wave exposure	Intermediate	Intermediate	Low	Tolerant	Tolerant
Decrease in wave exposure	Intermediate	Low		Intermediate	Intermediate
Noise	Tolerant*	Tolerant	Tolerant	Tolerant	Tolerant
Visual Presence	Tolerant*	Tolerant	Tolerant	Tolerant	Tolerant
Abrasion & physical disturbance	Intermediate	Intermediate	Intermediate	Intermediate	Intermediate
Displacement	Intermediate	Low	High	High	Low

Chemical factors

	Mytilus edulis Key structural	Asterias rubens Important functional	Balanus crenatus Important other	Alcyonium digitatum Important other	Urticina felina Important other
Synthetic compound contamination	Intermediate	Intermediate	High	Intermediate	Intermediate
Heavy metal contamination	Intermediate	Intermediate	Intermediate	Insufficient information	Insufficient information
Hydrocarbon contamination	Intermediate	High	Low	Low	Low
Radionuclide contamination	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	Insufficient information
Changes in nutrient levels	Intermediate	Low	Intermediate	Low	Insufficient information
Increase in salinity	Low	High	Low	Intermediate	Not relevant
Decrease in salinity	Low				Low
Changes in oxygenation	Low	High	High	High	Intermediate

Biological factors

	Mytilus edulis Key structural	Asterias rubens Important functional	Balanus crenatus Important other	Alcyonium digitatum Important other	Urticina felina Important other
Introduction of microbial pathogens/parasites	Intermediate	Intermediate	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	Insufficient information
Introduction of non-native species	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	Insufficient information
Extraction of this species	Intermediate	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant	High
Extraction of other species	Low	Low	Not relevant	Intermediate	Tolerant

Species used to indicate biotope recoverability

Physical factors

	Mytilus edulis Key structural	Asterias rubens Important functional	Balanus crenatus Important other	Alcyonium digitatum Important other	Urticina felina Important other
Substratum Loss	High	High	High	High	Moderate
Smothering	High	Very high	High	High	Very high
Increase in suspended sediment	Immediate	High	High	Very high	Very high
Decrease in suspended sediment	Immediate				Not relevant
Desiccation	Immediate	High	High	Not relevant	Moderate
Increase in emergence regime	Very high	Not relevant	High	Not relevant	Moderate
Decrease in emergence regime	Very high				Not relevant
Increase in water flow rate	Very high	High	Very high	Not relevant	Not relevant
Decrease in water flow rate	Very high			High	Moderate
Increase in temperature	Very high	High	High	High	High
Decrease in temperature	Very high	High		High	High
Increase in turbidity	Not relevant	Very high	Very high	Very high	Not relevant
Decrease in turbidity	Not relevant				Not relevant
Increase in wave exposure	High	High	Very high	Not relevant	Not relevant
Decrease in wave exposure	High	High		High	High
Noise	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant
Visual Presence	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant
Abrasion & physical disturbance	High	High	High	High	Moderate
Displacement	High	Immediate	High	High	Immediate

Chemical factors

	Mytilus edulis Key structural	Asterias rubens Important functional	Balanus crenatus Important other	Alcyonium digitatum Important other	Urticina felina Important other
Synthetic compound contamination	High	High	High	High	Moderate
Heavy metal contamination	High	High	High	Insufficient information	Insufficient information
Hydrocarbon contamination	High	High	High	High	Very high
Radionuclide contamination	Not relevant	Insufficient information	Not relevant	Insufficient information	Insufficient information
Changes in nutrient levels	High	High	High	High	Insufficient information
Increase in salinity	Very high	High	Very high	High	Not relevant
Decrease in salinity	Very high				Very high
Changes in oxygenation	Very high	High	High	High	High

Biological factors

	Mytilus edulis Key structural	Asterias rubens Important functional	Balanus crenatus Important other	Alcyonium digitatum Important other	Urticina felina Important other
Introduction of microbial pathogens/parasites	High	High	Not relevant	Insufficient information	Insufficient information
Introduction of non-native species	Not relevant	Insufficient information	Not relevant	Insufficient information	Insufficient information
Extraction of this species	High	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant	Moderate
Extraction of other species	Very high	High	Not relevant	High	Not relevant

This review can be cited as follows:

Tyler-Walters, H. 2001. Mytilus edulis beds with hydroids and ascidians on tide-swept moderately exposed circalittoral rock. Marine Life Information Network: Biology and Sensitivity Key Information Sub-programme [on-line]. Plymouth: Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. [cited 20/06/2013]. Available from: <http://www.marlin.ac.uk/habitatsensitivity.php?habitatid=208&code=1997>

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Mytilus edulis beds with hydroids and ascidians on tide-swept moderately exposed circalittoral rock

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CR.MCR.M.MytHAs