Littoral coarse sediment
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English name
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Littoral coarse sediment
|
|
|
EUNIS habitat type code
|
A2.1
|
Level
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3
|
|
Edition
|
EUNIS Habitat Classification 2012 - a revision of the habitat classification descriptions.
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Description ( English )
Littoral coarse sediments include shores of mobile pebbles, cobbles and gravel, sometimes with varying amounts of coarse sand. The sediment is highly mobile and subject to high degrees of drying between tides. As a result, few species are able to survive in this environment. Beaches of mobile cobbles and pebbles tend to be devoid of macroinfauna, while gravelly shores may support limited numbers of crustaceans, such as [Pectenogammarus planicrurus].
Situation: Littoral coarse sediments are found along relatively exposed open shores, where wave action prevents finer sediments from settling. Coarse sediments may also be present on the upper parts of shores where there are more stable, sandy biotopes on the lower and mid shore.
Temporal variation: The sediment particle size structure may vary seasonally, with relatively finer sediments able to settle during calmer conditions in summer. Where the sediment grain size is very large (at the interface between sediment and boulder shores), cobbles may be mobile during exposed winter conditions, but stable enough during summer months to support limited juvenile rocky shore epifauna (e.g. juvenile barnacles).
Source
Connor, D.W., Allen, J.H., Golding, N., Howell, K.L., Lieberknecht, L.M., Northen, K.O. & Reker, J.B. [edited ETC/BD] (2004)
External links
Relationships with other classifications
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Classification
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Code
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Title
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Relation type
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EUNIS Habitat Classification 200410
|
A2.1
|
Littoral coarse sediment
|
same
|
|
EUNIS Habitat Classification 200308
|
A2.1
|
Littoral coarse sediment
|
same
|
|
EUNIS Habitat Classification 200202
|
A2.1
|
Littoral gravels and coarse sands
|
same
|
|
EUNIS Habitat Classification 199910
|
A2.1
|
Littoral gravels and coarse sands
|
same
|
|
EUNIS Habitat Classification 199811
|
A2.1
|
Littoral gravels and coarse sands
|
same
|
|
EUNIS Habitat Classification 199712
|
A2.1
|
Littoral shingle, gravel and sand
|
same
|
|
Palaearctic Habitat Classification 200112
|
11.28
|
Pebbly shore littoral communities
|
narrower
|
|
Palaearctic Habitat Classification 200112
|
17.1
|
Unvegetated shingle beaches
|
overlap
|
|
Palaearctic Habitat Classification 199905
|
11.28
|
Pebbly shore littoral communities
|
not defined
|
|
Palaearctic Habitat Classification 199905
|
16.1
|
Sand beaches
|
wider
|
|
Palaearctic Habitat Classification 199905
|
17.1
|
Unvegetated shingle beaches
|
wider
|
|
Palaearctic Habitat Classification 1997
|
11.28
|
Pebbly shore littoral communities
|
not defined
|
|
Palaearctic Habitat Classification 1997
|
16.1
|
Sand beaches
|
wider
|
|
Palaearctic Habitat Classification 1997
|
17.1
|
Unvegetated shingle beaches
|
wider
|
|
Palaearctic Habitat Classification 1996
|
16.1
|
|
wider
|
|
Palaearctic Habitat Classification 1996
|
17.1
|
|
wider
|
|
Palaearctic Habitat Classification 1996
|
11.28
|
|
not defined
|
|
Palaearctic Habitat Classification 1993
|
16.1
|
|
wider
|
|
Palaearctic Habitat Classification 1993
|
17.1
|
|
wider
|
|
Palaearctic Habitat Classification 1993
|
11.28
|
|
not defined
|
|
CORINE Biotopes Classification 1991
|
16.1
|
|
wider
|
|
CORINE Biotopes Classification 1991
|
17.1
|
|
wider
|
|
CORINE Biotopes Classification 1989
|
16.1
|
|
wider
|
|
CORINE Biotopes Classification 1989
|
17.1
|
|
wider
|
|
CORINE Land Cover
|
4.2.3.
|
Intertidal flats
|
n/a
|
|
Marine Habitat Classification Britain/Ireland 0405
|
LS.LCS
|
Littoral coarse sediment
|
same
|
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MNCR BioMar 97.06 (Britain & Ireland)
|
LGS
|
Littoral gravels and sands
|
same
|
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MNCR BioMar 96.7 (Britain & Ireland)
|
LGS
|
|
same
|
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Barcelona Convention 199812
|
II.3.
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(MEDIOLITTORAL) STONES AND PEBBLES
|
same
|
|
Ramsar Wetland Types
|
E
|
Sand, shingle or pebble shores
|
wider
|
|
Phase 1 habitat classification (UK) 1993
|
H11
|
Intertidal: mud/sand
|
overlap
|
|
Phase 1 habitat classification (UK) 1993
|
H12
|
Intertidal: shingle/cobbles
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overlap
|
|
|
A
|
Marine habitats
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Ancestor
|
|
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A2
|
Littoral sediment
|
Parent
|
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