Habitat types key navigation

You can use the 'key navigation' function to identify a specific habitat by answering a set of questions. Starting from first question to next questions you select one of the possible answers. Here are samples of possible answers:

• No ( 002 ) - Leading to question named '002'
• Yes [ G ] - Leading to another questions subset of level G
• No [ E6 ] - Links directly to factsheet for E6

Additionally the diagram may be used for reference.


Category : (A2 )Littoral sediment
Diagram :

Question a05 :   Hydrolittoral?

Sedimentary shores of non-tidal, reduced salinity waters which are below the mean water level and normally water-covered, but which are regularly or occasionally exposed by the action of wind (hydrolittoral zone in the Baltic) are separated (path = Yes) from littoral habitats below the high water mark in tidal water (path = No).

Answers: Yes [ A2.8 ] No ( a06 )

Question a06 :   Developed at seeps?

Littoral habitats characterised by the presence of gases or liquids bubbling or seeping through sediments are distinguished (path = Yes).

Answers: Yes [ A2.8 ] No ( a07 )

Question a07 :   Annual and opportunistic algae?

Areas which are characterised by pioneer or ephemeral red and green algae because of variations in salinity and/or siltation (path = Yes) are separated.

Answers: Yes [ A2.8 ] No ( a08 )

Question a08 :   With angiosperms?

Habitats dominated by aquatic (e.g. Zostera spp.) or terrestrial (e.g. Salicornia spp.) angiosperms, (path = Yes) are distinguished from those dominated by algae or animal communities.

Answers: Yes ( a09 ) No ( a10 )

Question a09 :   Dominant angiosperm species

Angiosperm-dominated habitats are differentiated between those whose dominant species are entirely aquatic but which can tolerate occasional emersion (e.g. Zostera spp., Ruppia spp., Posidonia), and those which are primarily terrestrial but can tolerate varying amounts of immersion (e.g. Salicornia spp., Spartina spp.).

Answers: aquatic [ A2.6 ] terrestrial [ A2.5 ]

Question a10 :   Substrate

Habitats are divided on the basis of the dominating particle size of the substrate. Gravel or coarse sand > 1 mm grain size (including shingle and mobile cobbles); fine sand or muddy sand <= 1 mm with <=30% silt (less than 0.063 mm grain size); mud >30% less than 0.063 mm grain size; combination of substrates – veneers or intimate mixtures of mobile substrates with different particle size; or biogenic structures on sediment (e.g. Sabellaria reefs and mussel beds). Note that mosaics of mobile and non-mobile substrates are considered as complex X31 comprising units from A2 and A1.

Answers: gravel or coarse sand [ A2.1 ] fine sand or muddy sand [ A2.2 ] mud [ A2.3 ] combination of substrates [ A2.4 ] biogenic [ A2.7 ]