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| Basic Information | Biotope classification | Ecology | Habitat preferences and distribution | Species composition | Sensitivity | Importance |
Faunal and algal crusts, Echinus esculentus, sparse Alcyonium digitatum and grazing-tolerant fauna on moderately exposed circalittoral rock
CR.MCR.EcCr.FaAlCr.Pom
Image David Connor - Faunal and algal crusts, Echinus esculentus, sparse Alcyonium digitatum, Abietinaria abietina and other grazing-tolerant fauna on moderately exposed circalittoral rock. Image width ca 1m.
Image copyright information
CR.MCR.EcCr.FaAlCr.Pom 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 | Low |
| Smothering | Intermediate | High | Low | Minor decline | Low |
| Increase in suspended sediment | Low | Very high | Very low | No change | Low |
| Decrease in suspended sediment | Tolerant | Not relevant | Not sensitive | Not relevant | Not relevant |
| Desiccation | Not relevant | Not relevant | Not relevant | Not relevant | Not relevant |
| Increase in emergence regime | Not relevant | Not relevant | Not relevant | Not relevant | Not relevant |
| Decrease in emergence regime | Not relevant | Not relevant | Not relevant | Not relevant | Not relevant |
| Increase in water flow rate | High | High | Moderate | Minor decline | Low |
| Decrease in water flow rate | Not relevant | Not relevant | Not relevant | Not relevant | Not relevant |
| Increase in temperature | Intermediate | High | Low | Minor decline | Low |
| Decrease in temperature | Low | Very high | Very low | No change | Low |
| Increase in turbidity | Tolerant | Not relevant | Not sensitive | Not relevant | Not relevant |
| Decrease in turbidity | Tolerant | Not relevant | Not sensitive | Rise | Very low |
| Increase in wave exposure | Intermediate | High | Low | Minor decline | Low |
| Decrease in wave exposure | Tolerant | Not relevant | Not sensitive | Minor decline | Low |
| Noise | Tolerant | Not relevant | Not sensitive | No change | High |
| Visual Presence | Tolerant | Not relevant | Not sensitive | No change | High |
| Abrasion & physical disturbance | High | Very high | Low | Rise | Low |
| Displacement | High | Very high | Low | Minor decline | Not relevant |
Chemical Factors
| Click factor name to view rationale | Intolerance | Recoverability | Sensitivity | Species Richness | Evidence / Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Synthetic compound contamination | High | High | Moderate | Major decline | Very low |
| Heavy metal contamination | High | High | Moderate | Rise | Low |
| Hydrocarbon contamination | Intermediate | High | Low | Decline | Low |
| Radionuclide contamination | Insufficient information | Not relevant | Insufficient information | Insufficient Information | Not relevant |
| Changes in nutrient levels | High | High | Moderate | Decline | Low |
| Increase in salinity | Not relevant | Not relevant | Not relevant | Not relevant | Not relevant |
| Decrease in salinity | High | High | Moderate | Decline | Low |
| Changes in oxygenation | High | High | Moderate | Decline | Low |
Biological Factors
| Click factor name to view rationale | Intolerance | Recoverability | Sensitivity | Species Richness | Evidence / Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Introduction of microbial pathogens/parasites | High | High | Moderate | Very low | |
| Introduction of non-native species | Insufficient information | None | Insufficient information | Insufficient Information | Not relevant |
| Extraction of this species | Intermediate | High | Low | Rise | Low |
| Extraction of other species | Not relevant | Not relevant | Not relevant | Not relevant | Not relevant |
Species used to indicate biotope intolerance
Physical factors
| Echinus esculentus Key functional | Alcyonium digitatum Important characterizing | Lithophyllum incrustans Important other | Pomatoceros triqueter Important other | |
| Substratum Loss | High | High | High | High |
| Smothering | Intermediate | Intermediate | Low | High |
| Increase in suspended sediment | Low | Low | Low | Low |
| Decrease in suspended sediment | Tolerant* | Low | ||
| Desiccation | Intermediate | Not relevant | High | Intermediate |
| Increase in emergence regime | Low | Not relevant | High | Intermediate |
| Decrease in emergence regime | Tolerant | Tolerant* | ||
| Increase in water flow rate | Low | Tolerant* | Low | Tolerant* |
| Decrease in water flow rate | Intermediate | Low | Tolerant | |
| Increase in temperature | Intermediate | Low | Tolerant | Tolerant* |
| Decrease in temperature | Low | Tolerant | Intermediate | |
| Increase in turbidity | Low | Low | Low | Tolerant |
| Decrease in turbidity | Tolerant* | Tolerant | ||
| Increase in wave exposure | Low | Tolerant | Tolerant | Low |
| Decrease in wave exposure | Intermediate | Low | Tolerant | |
| Noise | Tolerant | Tolerant | Tolerant | Tolerant |
| Visual Presence | Low | Tolerant | Tolerant | Tolerant |
| Abrasion & physical disturbance | Intermediate | Intermediate | Intermediate | Intermediate |
| Displacement | Low | High | Low | Low |
Chemical factors
| Echinus esculentus Key functional | Alcyonium digitatum Important characterizing | Lithophyllum incrustans Important other | Pomatoceros triqueter Important other |
|
| Synthetic compound contamination | High | Intermediate | High | Insufficient information |
| Heavy metal contamination | High | Insufficient information | Insufficient information | Insufficient information |
| Hydrocarbon contamination | High | Low | High | Insufficient information |
| Radionuclide contamination | Insufficient information | Insufficient information | Insufficient information | Insufficient information |
| Changes in nutrient levels | Tolerant* | Low | Low | Insufficient information |
| Increase in salinity | Intermediate | Intermediate | Insufficient information | Tolerant |
| Decrease in salinity | Intermediate | High | ||
| Changes in oxygenation | Intermediate | High | Insufficient information | Insufficient information |
Biological factors
| Echinus esculentus Key functional | Alcyonium digitatum Important characterizing | Lithophyllum incrustans Important other | Pomatoceros triqueter Important other |
|
| Introduction of microbial pathogens/parasites | Intermediate | Insufficient information | Insufficient information | Insufficient information |
| Introduction of non-native species | Not relevant | Insufficient information | Insufficient information | Tolerant |
| Extraction of this species | Intermediate | Not relevant | Not relevant | Not relevant |
| Extraction of other species | Intermediate | Intermediate | Intermediate | Not relevant |
Species used to indicate biotope recoverability
Physical factors
| Echinus esculentus Key functional | Alcyonium digitatum Important characterizing | Lithophyllum incrustans Important other | Pomatoceros triqueter Important other | |
| Substratum Loss | High | High | Low | High |
| Smothering | High | High | Very high | High |
| Increase in suspended sediment | Very high | Very high | Very high | High |
| Decrease in suspended sediment | Not relevant | High | ||
| Desiccation | High | Not relevant | Low | High |
| Increase in emergence regime | Very high | Not relevant | Low | High |
| Decrease in emergence regime | Not relevant | Not relevant | ||
| Increase in water flow rate | Very high | Not relevant | Very high | Not relevant |
| Decrease in water flow rate | High | Very high | Not relevant | |
| Increase in temperature | High | High | Not relevant | Not relevant |
| Decrease in temperature | High | Not relevant | High | |
| Increase in turbidity | Very high | Very high | Very high | Not relevant |
| Decrease in turbidity | Not relevant | Not relevant | ||
| Increase in wave exposure | Very high | Not relevant | Not relevant | High |
| Decrease in wave exposure | High | Immediate | Not relevant | |
| Noise | Not relevant | Not relevant | Not relevant | Not relevant |
| Visual Presence | Immediate | Not relevant | Not relevant | Not relevant |
| Abrasion & physical disturbance | High | High | High | High |
| Displacement | Very high | High | Very high | High |
Chemical factors
| Echinus esculentus Key functional | Alcyonium digitatum Important characterizing | Lithophyllum incrustans Important other | Pomatoceros triqueter Important other |
|
| Synthetic compound contamination | High | High | Low | Not relevant |
| Heavy metal contamination | High | Insufficient information | Not relevant | Not relevant |
| Hydrocarbon contamination | High | High | High | Not relevant |
| Radionuclide contamination | Insufficient information | Insufficient information | Not relevant | Not relevant |
| Changes in nutrient levels | Not relevant | High | High | Not relevant |
| Increase in salinity | High | High | Not relevant | Not relevant |
| Decrease in salinity | High | High | ||
| Changes in oxygenation | High | High | Not relevant | Not relevant |
Biological factors
| Echinus esculentus Key functional | Alcyonium digitatum Important characterizing | Lithophyllum incrustans Important other | Pomatoceros triqueter Important other |
|
| Introduction of microbial pathogens/parasites | High | Insufficient information | Not relevant | Not relevant |
| Introduction of non-native species | Not relevant | Insufficient information | Not relevant | Not relevant |
| Extraction of this species | High | Not relevant | Not relevant | Not relevant |
| Extraction of other species | High | High | High | Not relevant |
This review can be cited as follows:
Tyler-Walters, H. 2002. Faunal and algal crusts, Echinus esculentus, sparse Alcyonium digitatum and grazing-tolerant fauna on 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 21/05/2013]. Available from: <http://www.marlin.ac.uk/habitatsensitivity.php?habitatid=337&code=2004>
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