Biodiversity & Conservation

Sensitivity

Importance

Hediste diversicolor and Macoma balthica in sandy mud shores

LS.LMu.MEst.HedMac

Image Roger Covey - Upper shore mud with Hediste holes and tracks. Image with ca XX cm.
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LS.LMu.MEst.HedMac 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	Low	Very high	Very low	Minor decline	Moderate
Increase in suspended sediment	Tolerant*	Not relevant	Not sensitive*	Minor decline	Low
Decrease in suspended sediment	Low	Very high	Very low	No change	Low
Desiccation	Low	Very high	Very low	No change	Low
Increase in emergence regime	Low	Very high	Very low	No change	Low
Decrease in emergence regime	Tolerant	Not relevant	Not sensitive	No change	Low
Increase in water flow rate	Intermediate	High	Low	Decline	Moderate
Decrease in water flow rate	Tolerant	Not relevant	Not sensitive	No change	High
Increase in temperature	Low	Very high	Very low	Minor decline	Very low
Decrease in temperature	Tolerant	Not relevant	Not sensitive	Minor decline	Moderate
Increase in turbidity	Low	Very high	Very low	Minor decline	Low
Decrease in turbidity	Tolerant	Not relevant	Not sensitive	No change	Low
Increase in wave exposure	Intermediate	High	Low	Decline	Low
Decrease in wave exposure	Tolerant	Not relevant	Not sensitive	No change	High
Noise	Tolerant	Not relevant	Not sensitive	No change	Low
Visual Presence	Tolerant	Not relevant	Not sensitive	No change	Low
Abrasion & physical disturbance	Intermediate	High	Low	No change	Low
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	High
Heavy metal contamination	High	High	Moderate	Decline	High
Hydrocarbon contamination	High	High	Moderate	Major decline	High
Radionuclide contamination	Insufficient information	Not relevant	Insufficient information	Insufficient Information	Not relevant
Changes in nutrient levels	Intermediate	High	Low	Decline	Moderate
Increase in salinity	Tolerant	Not relevant	Not sensitive	No change	High
Decrease in salinity	Low	Very high	Very low	Minor decline	High
Changes in oxygenation	Low	Very high	Very low	Minor decline	High

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	Insufficient information	Not relevant	Insufficient information	Insufficient Information	Not relevant
Extraction of this species	Intermediate	High	Low	Minor decline	Very low
Extraction of other species	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant

Species used to indicate biotope intolerance

Physical factors

	Hediste diversicolor Important characterizing	Macoma balthica Important characterizing	Aphelochaeta marioni Important other	Cerastoderma edule Important other
Substratum Loss	High	High	High	High
Smothering	Low	Tolerant	Low	Intermediate
Increase in suspended sediment	Tolerant*	Tolerant*	Tolerant*	Low
Decrease in suspended sediment		Low	Low
Desiccation	Low	Tolerant	Not relevant	Intermediate
Increase in emergence regime	Low	Low	Intermediate	Intermediate
Decrease in emergence regime		Tolerant	Tolerant
Increase in water flow rate	Intermediate	Intermediate	Intermediate	Intermediate
Decrease in water flow rate		Tolerant	Tolerant*
Increase in temperature	Intermediate	Low	Low	Intermediate
Decrease in temperature		Tolerant	Low
Increase in turbidity	Tolerant	Low	Low	Tolerant
Decrease in turbidity		Tolerant	Tolerant
Increase in wave exposure	Intermediate	Intermediate	High	Intermediate
Decrease in wave exposure		Tolerant	Tolerant
Noise	Tolerant*	Tolerant	Tolerant	Tolerant
Visual Presence	Tolerant	Tolerant	Low	Tolerant
Abrasion & physical disturbance	Intermediate	Intermediate	Intermediate	Intermediate
Displacement	Intermediate	Intermediate	Tolerant	Low

Chemical factors

	Hediste diversicolor Important characterizing	Macoma balthica Important characterizing	Aphelochaeta marioni Important other	Cerastoderma edule Important other
Synthetic compound contamination	High	High	High	Intermediate
Heavy metal contamination	Intermediate	High	Low	Intermediate
Hydrocarbon contamination	Intermediate	High	Tolerant*	Intermediate
Radionuclide contamination	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	Insufficient information
Changes in nutrient levels	Tolerant*	Tolerant*	Intermediate	Intermediate
Increase in salinity	Low	Low	Tolerant	Low
Decrease in salinity		Low	Tolerant
Changes in oxygenation	Intermediate	Low	Low	High

Biological factors

	Hediste diversicolor Important characterizing	Macoma balthica Important characterizing	Aphelochaeta marioni Important other	Cerastoderma edule Important other
Introduction of microbial pathogens/parasites	Insufficient information	Intermediate	Low	Intermediate
Introduction of non-native species	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	Insufficient information
Extraction of this species	Intermediate	Not relevant	Not relevant	Intermediate
Extraction of other species	Intermediate	Intermediate	Intermediate	High

Species used to indicate biotope recoverability

Physical factors

	Hediste diversicolor Important characterizing	Macoma balthica Important characterizing	Aphelochaeta marioni Important other	Cerastoderma edule Important other
Substratum Loss	High	High	High	High
Smothering	Immediate	Not relevant	Immediate	High
Increase in suspended sediment	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant	Immediate
Decrease in suspended sediment		Very high	Immediate
Desiccation	High	Not relevant	Not relevant	High
Increase in emergence regime	High	Very high	High	High
Decrease in emergence regime		Not relevant	Not relevant
Increase in water flow rate	High	High	High	High
Decrease in water flow rate		Not relevant	Not relevant
Increase in temperature	High	Very high	Very high	High
Decrease in temperature		Not relevant	Very high
Increase in turbidity	Immediate	Very high	Very high	Not relevant
Decrease in turbidity		Not relevant	Not relevant
Increase in wave exposure	High	High	High	High
Decrease in wave exposure		Not relevant	Not relevant
Noise	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant
Visual Presence	Not relevant	Not relevant	Immediate	Not relevant
Abrasion & physical disturbance	High	High	High	High
Displacement	Immediate	High	Not relevant	High

Chemical factors

	Hediste diversicolor Important characterizing	Macoma balthica Important characterizing	Aphelochaeta marioni Important other	Cerastoderma edule Important other
Synthetic compound contamination	Moderate	High	High	High
Heavy metal contamination	Moderate	High	Very high	High
Hydrocarbon contamination	High	High	Not relevant	High
Radionuclide contamination	Insufficient information	Not relevant	Not relevant	Insufficient information
Changes in nutrient levels	High	Not relevant	High	High
Increase in salinity	High	Very high	Not relevant	Very high
Decrease in salinity		Very high	Not relevant
Changes in oxygenation	High	Very high	Very high	High

Biological factors

	Hediste diversicolor Important characterizing	Macoma balthica Important characterizing	Aphelochaeta marioni Important other	Cerastoderma edule Important other
Introduction of microbial pathogens/parasites	Insufficient information	High	Very high	High
Introduction of non-native species	Insufficient information	Not relevant	Not relevant	Insufficient information
Extraction of this species	High	Not relevant	Not relevant	High
Extraction of other species	High	High	High	High

This review can be cited as follows:

Rayment, W.J. 2001. Hediste diversicolor and Macoma balthica in sandy mud shores. Marine Life Information Network: Biology and Sensitivity Key Information Sub-programme [on-line]. Plymouth: Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. [cited 20/05/2013]. Available from: <http://www.marlin.ac.uk/habitatsensitivity.php?habitatid=209&code=2004>

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Hediste diversicolor and Macoma balthica in sandy mud shores

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LS.LMu.MEst.HedMac