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Concept: [Verrucaria maura] on very exposed to very sheltered upper littoral fringe rock in the eunishabitats vocabulary

Concept URI http://eunis.eea.europa.eu/eunishabitats/B3.1132
Preferred label [Verrucaria maura] on very exposed to very sheltered upper littoral fringe rock
Definition Upper littoral fringe bedrock, boulders and stable cobbles on very exposed to very sheltered shores which have a blanket covering of the black lichen [Verrucaria maura]. The winkle [Littorina saxatilis] is often present. Due to the nature of this biotope it is species poor, but occasionally a range of species may be present in low abundance. These species include the yellow lichen [Caloplaca marina] and the winkle [Melarhaphe neritoides], the barnacles [Chthamalus montagui] and [Semibalanus balanoides] or the ephemeral seaweeds [Porphyra umbilicalis] and [Enteromorpha] spp. can be present in low abundance (see Ver.B). If one or more of these species is present compare with Ver.B. On northern shores [Littorina saxatilis var. rudis] can dominate along with the occasional presence of the lichens [Verrucaria mucosa] and [Xanthoria parietina]. V. maura can be found overlying stable mud in N. Ireland sea loughs. Situation: The black lichen zone is normally found below the yellow and grey lichen zone (YG). In very sheltered areas there is not always a clear transition from one zone to the next and a mixed zone of YG and Ver.Ver is common. The wrack [Pelvetia canaliculata] can occur on these more sheltered shores. With increasing wave exposure the two lichen zones become wider and more distinct, and the Ver.Ver gives way to a lichen and barnacle dominated community (Ver.B) in the lower littoral fringe. Temporal variation: In areas with nitrate enrichment [V. maura] can be overgrown by the small green seaweed [Prasiola stipitata] (Pra) which reaches its maximum abundance during the winter months. It generally dies out during the summer in southern Britain, reverting the biotope to Ver.Ver.
Notation B3.1132
Status Valid
Status Modified 2014-01-31
Accepted Date 2014-01-31
Not Accepted Date
Has broader
Has exact match