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Concept: Mixed kelps with scour-tolerant and opportunistic foliose red seaweeds on scoured or sand-covered infralittoral rock in the eunishabitats vocabulary

Concept URI http://eunis.eea.europa.eu/eunishabitats/A3.125
Preferred label Mixed kelps with scour-tolerant and opportunistic foliose red seaweeds on scoured or sand-covered infralittoral rock
Definition Bedrock and boulders, often in tide-swept areas, that are subject to scouring or periodic burial by sand, characterised by a canopy of mixed kelps such as [Laminaria saccharina], [Laminaria hyperborea] and [Saccorhiza polyschides] and the brown seaweed [Desmarestia aculeata]; there may also be an understorey of foliose seaweeds that can withstand scour such as [Plocamium cartilagineum, Chondrus crispus, Dilsea carnosa], [Callophyllis laciniata] as well as the filamentous [Heterosiphonia plumosa] and the foliose brown seaweed [Dictyota dichotoma]. The perennial red seaweed [Brongniartella byssoides] re-grows in the summer months. The [L. hyperborea] stipes often support a growth of epiphytes, such as [Delesseria sanguinea], [Phycodrys rubens] and [Cryptopleura ramosa]. The scour can reduce the rock surface to bare coralline crusts at times; sponge crusts and the colonial ascidian [Botryllus schlosseri] can also grow on the stipes and holdfasts. The faunal diversity on the rock is usually low and restricted to robust, low-profile animals such as the tube-building polychaete [Pomatoceros triqueter], the barnacle [Balanus crenatus], encrusting bryozoans such as [Membranipora membranacea], the anthozoan [Urticina felina], the starfish [Asterias rubens] and the urchin [Echinus esculentus]. Deeper sites support more hydroids and bryozoans, particularly [Bugula] spp. Where this biotope occurs in very shallow water [Laminaria digitata] may be found in combination with the other kelp species. Other species present only in shallow water include the red algae [Corallina officinalis] and the sand-binding alga [Rhodothamniella floridula]. Situation: This biotope often occurs below a [L. hyperborea] forest (LhypR.Ft, Lhyp.Ft or LhypT.Ft), close to a rock-sediment boundary. It is also found on low-lying rock outcrops surrounded by sand or mixed sediment and nearby biotopes on mixed substrata may include EphR, ProtAhn or in very shallow water LsacChoR. A [Flustra foliacea] community (FluCoAs) often dominates deeper sand-scoured circalittoral rock. Temporal variation: During late autumn and winter seaweeds are sparse, leaving predominantly kelp and encrusting coralline algae. This is due in part to periods of intense scouring during stormy months, which may strip off all but the most tenacious seaweeds. In addition there will be the natural die back of many of the seaweeds such as [B. byssoides] and [C. ciliata] during the winter months which become conspicuous again during the summer months.
Notation A3.125
Status Valid
Status Modified 2014-01-31
Accepted Date 2014-01-31
Not Accepted Date
Has broader
Has exact match