Biodiversity & Conservation

Sensitivity

Ruppia maritima in reduced salinity infralittoral muddy sand

SS.SMp.SSgr.Rup

Image Anon. - Ruppia maritima in reduced salinity infralittoral muddy sand. Image width ca 40 cm.
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SS.SMp.SSgr.Rup 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	Intermediate	Very high	Low	Decline	Low
Increase in suspended sediment	Intermediate	Very high	Low	Minor decline	Very low
Decrease in suspended sediment	Tolerant*	Not relevant	Not sensitive*	No change	Very low
Desiccation	High	High	Moderate	Major decline	Moderate
Increase in emergence regime	Intermediate	Very high	Low	Minor decline	Moderate
Decrease in emergence regime	Tolerant*	Not relevant	Not sensitive*	No change	Low
Increase in water flow rate	High	Moderate	Moderate	Minor decline	Moderate
Decrease in water flow rate	Low	Very high	Very low	No change	Very low
Increase in temperature	Tolerant	Not relevant	Not sensitive	Minor decline	Moderate
Decrease in temperature	Tolerant	Not relevant	Not sensitive	Minor decline	Low
Increase in turbidity	High	Moderate	Moderate	Major decline	High
Decrease in turbidity	Tolerant*	Not relevant	Not sensitive*	No change	High
Increase in wave exposure	High	Moderate	Moderate	Major decline	Moderate
Decrease in wave exposure	Tolerant	Not relevant	Not sensitive	Not relevant	Low
Noise	Tolerant	Not relevant	Not sensitive	No change	High
Visual Presence	Tolerant	Not relevant	Not sensitive	No change	High
Abrasion & physical disturbance	Intermediate	Very high	Low	No change	Low
Displacement	Intermediate	Very high	Low	Major decline	Low

Chemical Factors

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

Biological Factors

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

Species used to indicate biotope intolerance

Physical factors

	Hydrobia ulvae Important functional	Cerastoderma glaucum Important other	Arenicola marina Important other	Pomatoschistus minutus Important other
Substratum Loss	High	High	High	Low
Smothering	Intermediate	High	Tolerant	Intermediate
Increase in suspended sediment	Tolerant	Tolerant	Low	Tolerant
Decrease in suspended sediment
Desiccation	Low	High	Not relevant	Low
Increase in emergence regime	Low	High	Intermediate	Tolerant
Decrease in emergence regime
Increase in water flow rate	Intermediate	Intermediate	Intermediate	Low
Decrease in water flow rate
Increase in temperature	Intermediate	Low	Intermediate	Intermediate
Decrease in temperature
Increase in turbidity	Tolerant	Low	Low	Low
Decrease in turbidity
Increase in wave exposure	High	High	Intermediate	Tolerant
Decrease in wave exposure
Noise	Tolerant	Insufficient information	Tolerant	Insufficient information
Visual Presence	Tolerant	Insufficient information	Tolerant	Low
Abrasion & physical disturbance	Low	Intermediate	Intermediate	Not relevant
Displacement	Tolerant	Tolerant	Low	Low

Chemical factors

	Hydrobia ulvae Important functional	Cerastoderma glaucum Important other	Arenicola marina Important other	Pomatoschistus minutus Important other
Synthetic compound contamination	Low	Insufficient information	High	Intermediate
Heavy metal contamination	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	Low	High
Hydrocarbon contamination	Intermediate	Insufficient information	Intermediate	Intermediate
Radionuclide contamination	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	Intermediate
Changes in nutrient levels	Low	Intermediate	Intermediate	Tolerant
Increase in salinity	Tolerant	Low	Low	Low
Decrease in salinity
Changes in oxygenation	Intermediate	High	Low	Low

Biological factors

	Hydrobia ulvae Important functional	Cerastoderma glaucum Important other	Arenicola marina Important other	Pomatoschistus minutus Important other
Introduction of microbial pathogens/parasites	High	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	Low
Introduction of non-native species	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	Tolerant
Extraction of this species	Not relevant	Insufficient information	Intermediate	Low
Extraction of other species	Tolerant	Insufficient information	Intermediate	Low

Species used to indicate biotope recoverability

Physical factors

	Hydrobia ulvae Important functional	Cerastoderma glaucum Important other	Arenicola marina Important other	Pomatoschistus minutus Important other
Substratum Loss	High	Low	High	High
Smothering	Very high	Low	Not relevant	High
Increase in suspended sediment	Not relevant	Not relevant	Immediate	Not relevant
Decrease in suspended sediment
Desiccation	Immediate	Low	Not relevant	High
Increase in emergence regime	Immediate	Low	Very high	Not relevant
Decrease in emergence regime
Increase in water flow rate	Very high	Low	Very high	Very high
Decrease in water flow rate
Increase in temperature	Immediate	High	Very high	High
Decrease in temperature
Increase in turbidity	Not relevant	High	Immediate	High
Decrease in turbidity
Increase in wave exposure	High	Low	Very high	Not relevant
Decrease in wave exposure
Noise	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant	Insufficient information
Visual Presence	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant	High
Abrasion & physical disturbance	Very high	Moderate	Very high	Not relevant
Displacement	Not relevant	Very high	Immediate	High

Chemical factors

	Hydrobia ulvae Important functional	Cerastoderma glaucum Important other	Arenicola marina Important other	Pomatoschistus minutus Important other
Synthetic compound contamination	Immediate	Insufficient information	High	High
Heavy metal contamination	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	Very high	High
Hydrocarbon contamination	Very high	Insufficient information	High	High
Radionuclide contamination	Insufficient information	Not relevant	Not relevant	High
Changes in nutrient levels	Immediate	Low	High	Not relevant
Increase in salinity	Not relevant	High	Immediate	High
Decrease in salinity
Changes in oxygenation	Very high	Low	Immediate	High

Biological factors

	Hydrobia ulvae Important functional	Cerastoderma glaucum Important other	Arenicola marina Important other	Pomatoschistus minutus Important other
Introduction of microbial pathogens/parasites	High	Not relevant	Not relevant	High
Introduction of non-native species	Insufficient information	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant
Extraction of this species	Not relevant	Not relevant	Very high	High
Extraction of other species	Not relevant	Not relevant	Very high	Very high

This review can be cited as follows:

Tyler-Walters, H. 2001. Ruppia maritima in reduced salinity infralittoral muddy 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=266&code=2004>

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Ruppia maritima in reduced salinity infralittoral muddy sand

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SS.SMp.SSgr.Rup