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Concept: Mixed [Laminaria hyperborea] and [Laminaria ochroleuca] forest on exposed infralittoral rock in the eunishabitats vocabulary

Concept URI http://eunis.eea.europa.eu/eunishabitats/A3.1153
Preferred label Mixed [Laminaria hyperborea] and [Laminaria ochroleuca] forest on exposed infralittoral rock
Definition Mixed [Laminaria hyperborea] and [Laminaria ochroleuca] forests on upper infralittoral exposed rock with a dense community of foliose red seaweeds such as [Cryptopleura ramosa], and [Plocamium cartilagineum] as well as small filamentous red seaweeds including [Bonnemaisonia asparagoides, Heterosiphonia plumosa, Pterosiphonia parasitica] and [Brongniartella byssoides]. [L. hyperborea] has a rough stipe which allow dense assemblages of epiphytic red seaweeds to form including the foliose [Callophyllis laciniata], [Delesseria sanguinea] and [Hypoglossum hypoglossoides]. Unlike [L. hyperborea], however, [L. ochroleuca] has a smooth stipe and so it lacks dense assemblages of epiphytic seaweeds [L. ochroleuca] has a smooth stipe. Encrusting coralline algae often cover much of the rock surface along with a few brown seaweeds including [Dictyota dichotoma], [Dictyopteris polypodioides] and [Desmarestia aculeata] present as well. In mixed kelp forest [L. ochroleuca] may predominate with [L. hyperborea] more common at shallower depths. Whilst foliose red seaweeds dominate the upward-facing rock beneath the kelp canopy, much of the fauna is restricted to crevices or vertical faces, possibly due to grazing pressure. Echinoderms are often common in this biotope, in particular the sea urchin [Echinus esculentus] and the starfish [Asterias rubens] and [Marthasterias glacialis]. Verticals are colonised by anthozoans including the anthozoans [Corynactis viridis], [Caryophyllia smithii, Actinothoe sphyrodeta] and [Alcyonium digitatum], while the bryozoan [Membranipora membranacea] colonise the [Laminaria] sp. fronds. This biotope is restricted to the coast of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. [L. ochroleuca] occurs at low abundance in other kelp biotopes (sheltered through to exposed) from Dorset to Lundy Island. In such cases, records should be treated as regional variations of these biotopes. Records should only be assigned to the LhypR.Loch biotope when the canopy is dominated by [L. ochroleuca] alone, or (more usually) by a mixture of both [L. hyperborea] and [L. ochroleuca] (at similar abundance). Both this biotope and Lhyp.Loch are common on the Brittany and Normandy coasts. Situation: Since [L. ochroleuca] is less tolerant of wave action than [L. hyperborea] this biotope commonly occurs below exposed kelp forests (LhypR.Ft). On occasion it is found below [Alaria] [esculenta] in the sublittoral fringe (Ala.Myt or Ala.Ldig). At some sites a band of dense foliose seaweeds, with no kelp, occurs below the kelp forest (FoR or For.Dic) whilst at other sites [L. hyperborea] kelp park occurs below (LhypR.Pk).
Notation A3.1153
Status Valid
Status Modified 2014-01-31
Accepted Date 2014-01-31
Not Accepted Date
Has broader
Has exact match