Biodiversity & Conservation

Sensitivity

Laminaria saccharina and/or Saccorhiza polyschides on exposed infralittoral rock

IR.EIR.KFaR.LsacSac

Image Paul Brazier - Saccharina latissima and/or Saccorhiza polyschides on exposed infralittoral rock. Image width ca XX m.
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IR.EIR.KFaR.LsacSac 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	Very high	Low	Minor decline	High
Increase in suspended sediment	Low	Immediate	Not sensitive	No change	High
Decrease in suspended sediment	Tolerant*	Not relevant	Not sensitive*	No change	High
Desiccation	High	High	Moderate	Decline	Moderate
Increase in emergence regime	Intermediate	High	Low	Decline	Moderate
Decrease in emergence regime	Tolerant*	Not relevant	Not sensitive*	No change	Low
Increase in water flow rate	Tolerant*	Not relevant	Not sensitive*	No change	High
Decrease in water flow rate	Low	Immediate	Not sensitive	No change	High
Increase in temperature	Intermediate	Very high	Low	No change	Low
Decrease in temperature	Tolerant	Not relevant	Not sensitive	No change	Moderate
Increase in turbidity	Intermediate	High	Low	Minor decline	Moderate
Decrease in turbidity	Tolerant*	Not relevant	Not sensitive*	No change	Low
Increase in wave exposure	High	High	Moderate	Decline	Moderate
Decrease in wave exposure	High	High	Moderate	Rise	Moderate
Noise	Tolerant	Not relevant	Not sensitive	Not relevant	High
Visual Presence	Tolerant	Not relevant	Not sensitive	Not relevant	High
Abrasion & physical disturbance	Intermediate	Very high	Low	Minor decline	Moderate
Displacement	High	High	Moderate	Decline	Moderate

Chemical Factors

Click factor name to view rationale	Intolerance	Recoverability	Sensitivity	Species Richness	Evidence / Confidence
Synthetic compound contamination	Low	Very high	Very low	No change	Low
Heavy metal contamination	Low	Very high	Very low	No change	Low
Hydrocarbon contamination	Intermediate	Very high	Low	Minor decline	Low
Radionuclide contamination	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	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	Moderate
Decrease in salinity	Intermediate	High	Low	Minor decline	Low
Changes in oxygenation	Intermediate	High	Low	Minor decline	Low

Biological Factors

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

Species used to indicate biotope intolerance

Physical factors

	Saccharina latissima Key structural	Saccorhiza polyschides Key structural	Echinus esculentus Important functional	Lithophyllum incrustans Important functional
Substratum Loss	High	High	High	High
Smothering	High	Low	Intermediate	Low
Increase in suspended sediment	Low	Intermediate	Low	Low
Decrease in suspended sediment				Tolerant*
Desiccation	High	High	Intermediate	High
Increase in emergence regime	Intermediate	High	Low	High
Decrease in emergence regime				Tolerant
Increase in water flow rate	Low	Low	Low	Low
Decrease in water flow rate				Low
Increase in temperature	Intermediate	Intermediate	Intermediate	Tolerant
Decrease in temperature				Tolerant
Increase in turbidity	Low	Low	Low	Low
Decrease in turbidity				Tolerant*
Increase in wave exposure	High	Tolerant	Low	Tolerant
Decrease in wave exposure				Low
Noise	Tolerant	Tolerant	Tolerant	Tolerant
Visual Presence	Tolerant	Tolerant	Low	Tolerant
Abrasion & physical disturbance	Intermediate	Intermediate	Intermediate	Intermediate
Displacement	Intermediate	Low	Low	Low

Chemical factors

	Saccharina latissima Key structural	Saccorhiza polyschides Key structural	Echinus esculentus Important functional	Lithophyllum incrustans Important functional
Synthetic compound contamination	Low	Intermediate	High	High
Heavy metal contamination	Intermediate	Intermediate	High	Insufficient information
Hydrocarbon contamination	Low	Low	High	High
Radionuclide contamination	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	Insufficient information
Changes in nutrient levels	Intermediate	Low	Tolerant*	Low
Increase in salinity	High	High	Intermediate	Insufficient information
Decrease in salinity				Intermediate
Changes in oxygenation	Insufficient information	Low	Intermediate	Insufficient information

Biological factors

	Saccharina latissima Key structural	Saccorhiza polyschides Key structural	Echinus esculentus Important functional	Lithophyllum incrustans Important functional
Introduction of microbial pathogens/parasites	Intermediate	Insufficient information	Intermediate	Insufficient information
Introduction of non-native species	Insufficient information	Intermediate	Not relevant	Insufficient information
Extraction of this species	Intermediate	Intermediate	Intermediate	Not relevant
Extraction of other species	Insufficient information	Tolerant*	Intermediate	Intermediate

Species used to indicate biotope recoverability

Physical factors

	Saccharina latissima Key structural	Saccorhiza polyschides Key structural	Echinus esculentus Important functional	Lithophyllum incrustans Important functional
Substratum Loss	High	High	High	Low
Smothering	High	Immediate	High	Very high
Increase in suspended sediment	High	High	Very high	Very high
Decrease in suspended sediment				Not relevant
Desiccation	High	High	High	Low
Increase in emergence regime	High	High	Very high	Low
Decrease in emergence regime				Not relevant
Increase in water flow rate	High	High	Very high	Very high
Decrease in water flow rate				Very high
Increase in temperature	High	High	High	Not relevant
Decrease in temperature				Not relevant
Increase in turbidity	High	High	Very high	Very high
Decrease in turbidity				Not relevant
Increase in wave exposure	High	Not relevant	Very high	Not relevant
Decrease in wave exposure				Immediate
Noise	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant
Visual Presence	Not relevant	Not relevant	Immediate	Not relevant
Abrasion & physical disturbance	Very high	High	High	High
Displacement	High	Very high	Very high	Very high

Chemical factors

	Saccharina latissima Key structural	Saccorhiza polyschides Key structural	Echinus esculentus Important functional	Lithophyllum incrustans Important functional
Synthetic compound contamination	High	High	High	Low
Heavy metal contamination	High	High	High	Not relevant
Hydrocarbon contamination	High	High	High	High
Radionuclide contamination	Not relevant	Not relevant	Insufficient information	Not relevant
Changes in nutrient levels	High	High	Not relevant	High
Increase in salinity	High	High	High	Not relevant
Decrease in salinity				High
Changes in oxygenation	Not relevant	High	High	Not relevant

Biological factors

	Saccharina latissima Key structural	Saccorhiza polyschides Key structural	Echinus esculentus Important functional	Lithophyllum incrustans Important functional
Introduction of microbial pathogens/parasites	High	Not relevant	High	Not relevant
Introduction of non-native species	Not relevant	High	Not relevant	Not relevant
Extraction of this species	High	Very high	High	Not relevant
Extraction of other species	Not relevant	Not relevant	High	High

This review can be cited as follows:

Hiscock, K. 2002. Laminaria saccharina and/or Saccorhiza polyschides on exposed infralittoral rock. Marine Life Information Network: Biology and Sensitivity Key Information Sub-programme [on-line]. Plymouth: Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. [cited 23/05/2013]. Available from: <http://www.marlin.ac.uk/habitatsensitivity.php?habitatid=237&code=1997>

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Laminaria saccharina and/or Saccorhiza polyschides on exposed infralittoral rock

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IR.EIR.KFaR.LsacSac