Biodiversity & Conservation

Sensitivity

Underboulder communities

LR.MLR.BF.Fser.Bo

Image Keith Hiscock - Underboulder community dominated by sponges from a rock pool habitat. Wembury, South Devon. Image width ca 1 m.
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LR.MLR.BF.Fser.Bo 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	High	High	Moderate	Decline	Low
Increase in suspended sediment	Intermediate	High	Low	Minor decline	Low
Decrease in suspended sediment	Tolerant*	Not relevant	Not sensitive*	No change	Low
Desiccation	High	High	Moderate	Major decline	Low
Increase in emergence regime	Intermediate	High	Low	Decline	Low
Decrease in emergence regime	Tolerant	Not relevant	Not sensitive	No change	Very low
Increase in water flow rate	Tolerant*	Not relevant	Not sensitive*	No change	Low
Decrease in water flow rate	Intermediate	High	Low	Decline	Low
Increase in temperature	Low	High	Low	Minor decline	Low
Decrease in temperature	Low	High	Low	Minor decline	Low
Increase in turbidity	Tolerant	Not relevant	Not sensitive	No change	Moderate
Decrease in turbidity	Tolerant	Not relevant	Not sensitive	No change	Moderate
Increase in wave exposure	Intermediate	High	Low	Decline	Low
Decrease in wave exposure	Intermediate	High	Low	Decline	Low
Noise	Tolerant	Not relevant	Not sensitive	Not relevant	Moderate
Visual Presence	Tolerant	Not relevant	Not sensitive	Not relevant	Moderate
Abrasion & physical disturbance	High	High	Moderate	Decline	Moderate
Displacement	High	High	Moderate	Major decline	Moderate

Chemical Factors

Click factor name to view rationale	Intolerance	Recoverability	Sensitivity	Species Richness	Evidence / Confidence
Synthetic compound contamination	Intermediate	High	Low	Decline	Low
Heavy metal contamination	Insufficient information	Not relevant	Insufficient information	Insufficient Information	Not relevant
Hydrocarbon contamination	Intermediate	High	Low	Decline	Moderate
Radionuclide contamination	Insufficient information	Not relevant	Insufficient information	Insufficient Information	Not relevant
Changes in nutrient levels	Tolerant	Not relevant	Not sensitive	No change	Low
Increase in salinity	Tolerant	Not relevant	Not sensitive	No change	Low
Decrease in salinity	Intermediate	High	Low	Decline	Low
Changes in oxygenation	Intermediate	High	Low	Minor decline	Very low

Biological Factors

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

Species used to indicate biotope intolerance

Physical factors

	Pisidia longicornis Important other	Umbonula littoralis Important other	Botryllus schlosseri Important structural	Balanus crenatus Important other
Substratum Loss	Intermediate	High	High	High
Smothering	Low	Intermediate	High	High
Increase in suspended sediment	Tolerant	Intermediate	High	Low
Decrease in suspended sediment	Tolerant
Desiccation	High	Intermediate	Intermediate	High
Increase in emergence regime	Low	Intermediate	Intermediate	High
Decrease in emergence regime	Tolerant*
Increase in water flow rate	Low	Intermediate	Intermediate	Low
Decrease in water flow rate	Intermediate
Increase in temperature	Tolerant	Low	Low	High
Decrease in temperature	Intermediate
Increase in turbidity	Low	Low	Low	Low
Decrease in turbidity	Tolerant
Increase in wave exposure	Intermediate	Intermediate	Intermediate	Low
Decrease in wave exposure	Intermediate
Noise	Tolerant	Tolerant	Tolerant	Tolerant
Visual Presence	Low	Tolerant	Tolerant	Tolerant
Abrasion & physical disturbance	High	Intermediate	Intermediate	Intermediate
Displacement	Low	High	High	High

Chemical factors

	Pisidia longicornis Important other	Umbonula littoralis Important other	Botryllus schlosseri Important structural	Balanus crenatus Important other
Synthetic compound contamination	Intermediate	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	High
Heavy metal contamination	Intermediate	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	Intermediate
Hydrocarbon contamination	Intermediate	Intermediate	Insufficient information	Low
Radionuclide contamination	Tolerant	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	Insufficient information
Changes in nutrient levels	Tolerant	Insufficient information	Low	Intermediate
Increase in salinity	Intermediate	High	Intermediate	Low
Decrease in salinity	High
Changes in oxygenation	Intermediate	Low	Intermediate	High

Biological factors

	Pisidia longicornis Important other	Umbonula littoralis Important other	Botryllus schlosseri Important structural	Balanus crenatus Important other
Introduction of microbial pathogens/parasites	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	Insufficient information
Introduction of non-native species	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	Tolerant*	Insufficient information
Extraction of this species	High	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant
Extraction of other species	Insufficient information	High	High	Not relevant

Species used to indicate biotope recoverability

Physical factors

	Pisidia longicornis Important other	Umbonula littoralis Important other	Botryllus schlosseri Important structural	Balanus crenatus Important other
Substratum Loss	High	High	High	High
Smothering	High	High	High	High
Increase in suspended sediment	Not relevant	High	High	High
Decrease in suspended sediment	Not relevant
Desiccation	High	High	High	High
Increase in emergence regime	Very high	High	High	High
Decrease in emergence regime	Not relevant
Increase in water flow rate	High	High	High	Very high
Decrease in water flow rate	High
Increase in temperature	Not relevant	High	Very high	High
Decrease in temperature	High
Increase in turbidity	High	High	Immediate	Very high
Decrease in turbidity	Not relevant
Increase in wave exposure	High	High	Moderate	Very high
Decrease in wave exposure	High
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	Moderate	High

Chemical factors

	Pisidia longicornis Important other	Umbonula littoralis Important other	Botryllus schlosseri Important structural	Balanus crenatus Important other
Synthetic compound contamination	High	Not relevant	Not relevant	High
Heavy metal contamination	High	Not relevant	Not relevant	High
Hydrocarbon contamination	High	High	Not relevant	High
Radionuclide contamination	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant
Changes in nutrient levels	Not relevant	Not relevant	High	High
Increase in salinity	High	High	High	Very high
Decrease in salinity	High
Changes in oxygenation	High	High	High	High

Biological factors

	Pisidia longicornis Important other	Umbonula littoralis Important other	Botryllus schlosseri Important structural	Balanus crenatus Important other
Introduction of microbial pathogens/parasites	Insufficient information	Not relevant	High	Not relevant
Introduction of non-native species	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant
Extraction of this species	High	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant
Extraction of other species	Not relevant	High	Moderate	Not relevant

This review can be cited as follows:

Hiscock, K. 2005. Underboulder communities. 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=371&code=2004>

for
Underboulder communities

for
LR.MLR.BF.Fser.Bo