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Concept: [Fucus vesiculosus] on full salinity moderately exposed to sheltered mid eulittoral rock in the eunishabitats vocabulary

Concept URI http://eunis.eea.europa.eu/eunishabitats/A1.3131
Preferred label [Fucus vesiculosus] on full salinity moderately exposed to sheltered mid eulittoral rock
Definition Moderately exposed to sheltered mid eulittoral bedrock and large boulders characterised by a dense canopy of the wrack [Fucus vesiculosus] (Abundant to Superabundant). Beneath the seaweed canopy the rock surface has a sparse covering of the barnacle [Semibalanus balanoides] and the limpet [Patella vulgata]. The mussel [Mytilus edulis] is confined to pits and crevices. A variety of winkles including [Littorina littorea, Littorina saxatilis] and the whelk [Nucella lapillus] are found beneath the seaweeds, whilst [Littorina obtusata/mariae] graze on the fucoid fronds. The calcareous tube-forming polychaete [Spirorbis spirorbis] may also occur epiphytically on the fronds. In areas of localised shelter the wrack [Ascophyllum nodosum] may occur, though never at high abundance. Damp cracks and crevices often contain patches of the red seaweed [Mastocarpus stellatus] and even the wrack [Fucus serratus] may be present. The crab [Carcinus maenas] may be present in pools or among the boulders. Situation: This biotope usually occurs between the wrack [Fucus spiralis] (Fspi) and the [F. serratus] (Fserr) zones; both of these fucoids may be present in this biotope, though never at high abundance (typically less than Frequent). In some sheltered areas [F. vesiculosus] forms a narrow zone above the [A. nodosum] zone (Asc). Where freshwater runoff occurs on more gradually sloping shores [F. vesiculosus] may be replaced by the wrack [Fucus ceranoides] (Fcer). Temporal variation: On some shores, particularly those which are moderately exposed to wave action, temporal fluctuations in the abundance of limpets, barnacles and fucoid seaweeds may occur. As a result, over a number of years, a single shore may cycle between the barnacle-[P. vulgata] dominated biotope (Sem.FvesR), through this mosaic (FvesB) to a [F. vesiculosus]-dominated biotope (Fves).
Notation A1.3131
Status Valid
Status Modified 2014-01-31
Accepted Date 2014-01-31
Not Accepted Date
Has broader
Has exact match