Biodiversity & Conservation

Sensitivity

Zostera noltii beds in upper to mid shore muddy sand

LS.LMS.ZOS.Znol

Image Mark Davies - A bed of Zostera noltii with Hydrobia ulvae visible on the mud surface. Image width ca 40 cm.
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LS.LMS.ZOS.Znol 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	Low	High	Major decline	High
Smothering	High	Low	High	Major decline	Moderate
Increase in suspended sediment	Intermediate	Moderate	Moderate	Minor decline	High
Decrease in suspended sediment
Desiccation	Intermediate	Moderate	Moderate	Minor decline	Moderate
Increase in emergence regime	Intermediate	Moderate	Moderate	Minor decline	Low
Decrease in emergence regime	Intermediate	Moderate	Moderate	Minor decline	Moderate
Increase in water flow rate	Intermediate	Moderate	Moderate	Minor decline	Low
Decrease in water flow rate	Intermediate	Moderate	Moderate	Minor decline	Moderate
Increase in temperature	Low	Very high	Very low	No change	Moderate
Decrease in temperature	Low	Very high	Very low	No change	Moderate
Increase in turbidity	Intermediate	Moderate	Moderate	Minor decline	Moderate
Decrease in turbidity	Tolerant*	High	Not sensitive*	No change	Low
Increase in wave exposure	High	Very low / none	Very High	Major decline	Low
Decrease in wave exposure	Low	High	Low	Rise	Low
Noise	Tolerant	Not relevant	Not sensitive	Not relevant	Moderate
Visual Presence	Tolerant	Not relevant	Not sensitive	Not relevant	Moderate
Abrasion & physical disturbance	Intermediate	Moderate	Moderate	Minor decline	Moderate
Displacement	High	Very low / none	Very High	Major decline	Moderate

Chemical Factors

Click factor name to view rationale	Intolerance	Recoverability	Sensitivity	Species Richness	Evidence / Confidence
Synthetic compound contamination	Intermediate	Moderate	Moderate	Minor decline	Low
Heavy metal contamination	Intermediate	High	Low	Minor decline	Moderate
Hydrocarbon contamination	Intermediate	Moderate	Moderate	Minor decline	Moderate
Radionuclide contamination	Insufficient information	Not relevant	Insufficient information	Insufficient Information	Not relevant
Changes in nutrient levels	High	Very low / none	Very High	Major decline	High
Increase in salinity	Low	Very high	Very low	No change	Moderate
Decrease in salinity
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	Intermediate	Moderate	Moderate		High
Introduction of non-native species	Intermediate	Low	High	Minor decline	Low
Extraction of this species	High	Very low / none	Very High	Minor decline	Moderate
Extraction of other species	High	Very low / none	Very High	Major decline	High

Species used to indicate biotope intolerance

Physical factors

	Zostera noltii Key structural	Hydrobia ulvae Important functional	Littorina littorea Important functional	Cerastoderma edule Important other	Arenicola marina Important other
Substratum Loss	High	High	High	High	High
Smothering	High	Intermediate	High	Intermediate	Tolerant
Increase in suspended sediment	Intermediate	Tolerant	Intermediate	Low	Low
Decrease in suspended sediment
Desiccation	Low	Low	Low	Intermediate	Not relevant
Increase in emergence regime	Intermediate	Low	Low	Intermediate	Intermediate
Decrease in emergence regime
Increase in water flow rate	Intermediate	Intermediate	Intermediate	Intermediate	Intermediate
Decrease in water flow rate
Increase in temperature	Tolerant	Intermediate	Low	Intermediate	Intermediate
Decrease in temperature
Increase in turbidity	Intermediate	Tolerant	Low	Tolerant	Low
Decrease in turbidity
Increase in wave exposure	High	High	Intermediate	Intermediate	Intermediate
Decrease in wave exposure
Noise	Tolerant	Tolerant	Tolerant	Tolerant	Tolerant
Visual Presence	Tolerant	Tolerant	Tolerant	Tolerant	Tolerant
Abrasion & physical disturbance	Intermediate	Low	Intermediate	Intermediate	Intermediate
Displacement	Intermediate	Tolerant	Tolerant	Low	Low

Chemical factors

	Zostera noltii Key structural	Hydrobia ulvae Important functional	Littorina littorea Important functional	Cerastoderma edule Important other	Arenicola marina Important other
Synthetic compound contamination	Intermediate	Low	Low	Intermediate	High
Heavy metal contamination	Low	Insufficient information	Intermediate	Intermediate	Low
Hydrocarbon contamination	High	Intermediate	High	Intermediate	Intermediate
Radionuclide contamination	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	Insufficient information
Changes in nutrient levels	Intermediate	Low	Tolerant	Intermediate	Intermediate
Increase in salinity	Low	Tolerant	Tolerant	Low	Low
Decrease in salinity
Changes in oxygenation	Low	Intermediate	Low	High	Low

Biological factors

	Zostera noltii Key structural	Hydrobia ulvae Important functional	Littorina littorea Important functional	Cerastoderma edule Important other	Arenicola marina Important other
Introduction of microbial pathogens/parasites	Intermediate	High	Insufficient information	Intermediate	Insufficient information
Introduction of non-native species	Intermediate	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	Insufficient information
Extraction of this species	Intermediate	Not relevant	Intermediate	Intermediate	Intermediate
Extraction of other species	High	Tolerant	Tolerant	High	Intermediate

Species used to indicate biotope recoverability

Physical factors

	Zostera noltii Key structural	Hydrobia ulvae Important functional	Littorina littorea Important functional	Cerastoderma edule Important other	Arenicola marina Important other
Substratum Loss	Low	High	High	High	High
Smothering	Low	Very high	High	High	Not relevant
Increase in suspended sediment	High	Not relevant	High	Immediate	Immediate
Decrease in suspended sediment
Desiccation	Very high	Immediate	Immediate	High	Not relevant
Increase in emergence regime	High	Immediate	Immediate	High	Very high
Decrease in emergence regime
Increase in water flow rate	High	Very high	High	High	Very high
Decrease in water flow rate
Increase in temperature	Not relevant	Immediate	Immediate	High	Very high
Decrease in temperature
Increase in turbidity	High	Not relevant	Very high	Not relevant	Immediate
Decrease in turbidity
Increase in wave exposure	Low	High	High	High	Very high
Decrease in wave exposure
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	Very high	High	High	Very high
Displacement	High	Not relevant	Not relevant	High	Immediate

Chemical factors

	Zostera noltii Key structural	Hydrobia ulvae Important functional	Littorina littorea Important functional	Cerastoderma edule Important other	Arenicola marina Important other
Synthetic compound contamination	High	Immediate	Very high	High	High
Heavy metal contamination	Very high	Insufficient information	High	High	Very high
Hydrocarbon contamination	High	Very high	High	High	High
Radionuclide contamination	Not relevant	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	Not relevant
Changes in nutrient levels	High	Immediate	Not relevant	High	High
Increase in salinity	Very high	Not relevant	Not relevant	Very high	Immediate
Decrease in salinity
Changes in oxygenation	Very high	Very high	Very high	High	Immediate

Biological factors

	Zostera noltii Key structural	Hydrobia ulvae Important functional	Littorina littorea Important functional	Cerastoderma edule Important other	Arenicola marina Important other
Introduction of microbial pathogens/parasites	Very high	High	Insufficient information	High	Not relevant
Introduction of non-native species	Low	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	Not relevant
Extraction of this species	High	Not relevant	High	High	Very high
Extraction of other species	Low	Not relevant	Not relevant	High	Very high

This review can be cited as follows:

Tyler-Walters, H. & Wilding, C.M. 2008. Zostera noltii beds in upper to mid shore muddy sand. 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=318&code=1997>

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Zostera noltii beds in upper to mid shore muddy sand

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LS.LMS.ZOS.Znol