Biodiversity & Conservation

Sensitivity

Laminaria saccharina, Chorda filum and filamentous red seaweeds on sheltered infralittoral sediment

SS.IMX.KSwMx.LsacX

Image Anon. - Saccharina latissima, Chorda filum and filamentous red seaweeds on sheltered infralittoral sediment. Image width ca 50 cm in foreground.
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SS.IMX.KSwMx.LsacX 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	Moderate
Smothering	Intermediate	High	Low	Minor decline	Moderate
Increase in suspended sediment	Low	Immediate	Not sensitive	No change	Moderate
Decrease in suspended sediment	Tolerant*	Not relevant	Not sensitive*	No change	Moderate
Desiccation	Intermediate	High	Low	Minor decline	Low
Increase in emergence regime	Intermediate	High	Low	Decline	Moderate
Decrease in emergence regime	Tolerant*	Not relevant	Not sensitive*	Rise	High
Increase in water flow rate	Intermediate	Very high	Low	No change	High
Decrease in water flow rate	Intermediate	Very high	Low	Minor decline	Moderate
Increase in temperature	Low	High	Low	Minor decline	Moderate
Decrease in temperature	Low	High	Low	Minor decline	Moderate
Increase in turbidity	Intermediate	High	Low	No change	Moderate
Decrease in turbidity	Tolerant*	Not relevant	Not sensitive*	Not relevant	Moderate
Increase in wave exposure	Intermediate	High	Low	Decline	Moderate
Decrease in wave exposure	Intermediate	Very high	Low	Minor decline	Moderate
Noise	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant	No change	High
Visual Presence	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant	No change	High
Abrasion & physical disturbance	Intermediate	High	Low	Decline	Moderate
Displacement	Intermediate	Very high	Low	Minor decline	Moderate

Chemical Factors

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

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	High	Moderate	Moderate	Major decline	Moderate
Extraction of this species	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant
Extraction of other species	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant

Species used to indicate biotope intolerance

Physical factors

	Chorda filum Important characterizing	Saccharina latissima Important characterizing	Asterias rubens Important functional	Arenicola marina Important other
Substratum Loss	High	High	High	High
Smothering	Intermediate	High	Low	Tolerant
Increase in suspended sediment	Tolerant	Low	Low	Low
Decrease in suspended sediment	Tolerant
Desiccation	High	High	High	Not relevant
Increase in emergence regime	High	Intermediate	Tolerant	Intermediate
Decrease in emergence regime	Tolerant*
Increase in water flow rate	Intermediate	Low	Intermediate	Intermediate
Decrease in water flow rate	High
Increase in temperature	Low	Intermediate	High	Intermediate
Decrease in temperature	Low		Low
Increase in turbidity	Low	Low	Low	Low
Decrease in turbidity	Tolerant*
Increase in wave exposure	High	High	Intermediate	Intermediate
Decrease in wave exposure	Not relevant		Low
Noise	Tolerant	Tolerant	Tolerant	Tolerant
Visual Presence	Tolerant	Tolerant	Tolerant	Tolerant
Abrasion & physical disturbance	Intermediate	Intermediate	Intermediate	Intermediate
Displacement	High	Intermediate	Low	Low

Chemical factors

	Chorda filum Important characterizing	Saccharina latissima Important characterizing	Asterias rubens Important functional	Arenicola marina Important other
Synthetic compound contamination	Insufficient information	Low	Intermediate	High
Heavy metal contamination	Insufficient information	Intermediate	Intermediate	Low
Hydrocarbon contamination	Insufficient information	Low	High	Intermediate
Radionuclide contamination	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	Insufficient information
Changes in nutrient levels	Intermediate	Intermediate	Low	Intermediate
Increase in salinity	Not relevant	High	High	Low
Decrease in salinity	Low
Changes in oxygenation	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	High	Low

Biological factors

	Chorda filum Important characterizing	Saccharina latissima Important characterizing	Asterias rubens Important functional	Arenicola marina Important other
Introduction of microbial pathogens/parasites	Insufficient information	Intermediate	Intermediate	Insufficient information
Introduction of non-native species	Intermediate	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	Insufficient information
Extraction of this species	Intermediate	Intermediate	Not relevant	Intermediate
Extraction of other species	Insufficient information	Insufficient information	Low	Intermediate

Species used to indicate biotope recoverability

Physical factors

	Chorda filum Important characterizing	Saccharina latissima Important characterizing	Asterias rubens Important functional	Arenicola marina Important other
Substratum Loss	High	High	High	High
Smothering	High	High	Very high	Not relevant
Increase in suspended sediment	Not relevant	High	High	Immediate
Decrease in suspended sediment	Not relevant
Desiccation	High	High	High	Not relevant
Increase in emergence regime	High	High	Not relevant	Very 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	High	High	High	Very high
Decrease in temperature	High		High
Increase in turbidity	Immediate	High	Very high	Immediate
Decrease in turbidity	Not relevant
Increase in wave exposure	High	High	High	Very high
Decrease in wave exposure	Not relevant		High
Noise	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant
Visual Presence	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant	Not relevant
Abrasion & physical disturbance	High	Very high	High	Very high
Displacement	High	High	Immediate	Immediate

Chemical factors

	Chorda filum Important characterizing	Saccharina latissima Important characterizing	Asterias rubens Important functional	Arenicola marina Important other
Synthetic compound contamination	Not relevant	High	High	High
Heavy metal contamination	Not relevant	High	High	Very high
Hydrocarbon contamination	Not relevant	High	High	High
Radionuclide contamination	Not relevant	Not relevant	Insufficient information	Not relevant
Changes in nutrient levels	High	High	High	High
Increase in salinity	Not relevant	High	High	Immediate
Decrease in salinity	High
Changes in oxygenation	Not relevant	Not relevant	High	Immediate

Biological factors

	Chorda filum Important characterizing	Saccharina latissima Important characterizing	Asterias rubens Important functional	Arenicola marina Important other
Introduction of microbial pathogens/parasites	Not relevant	High	High	Not relevant
Introduction of non-native species	High	Not relevant	Insufficient information	Not relevant
Extraction of this species	High	High	Not relevant	Very high
Extraction of other species	Not relevant	Not relevant	High	Very high

This review can be cited as follows:

Hiscock, K. 2001. Laminaria saccharina, Chorda filum and filamentous red seaweeds on sheltered infralittoral sediment. Marine Life Information Network: Biology and Sensitivity Key Information Sub-programme [on-line]. Plymouth: Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. [cited 20/06/2013]. Available from: <http://www.marlin.ac.uk/habitatsensitivity.php?habitatid=58&code=1997>

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Laminaria saccharina, Chorda filum and filamentous red seaweeds on sheltered infralittoral sediment

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SS.IMX.KSwMx.LsacX