Littoral rock and other hard substrata
Description (English)
Littoral rock includes habitats of bedrock, boulders and cobbles which occur in the intertidal zone (the area of the shore between high and low tides) and the splash zone. The upper limit is marked by the top of the lichen zone and the lower limit by the top of the laminarian kelp zone. There are many physical variables affecting rocky shore communities - wave exposure, salinity, temperature and the diurnal emersion and immersion of the shore. Wave exposure is most commonly used to characterise littoral rock, from 'extremely exposed' on the open coast to 'extremely sheltered' in enclosed inlets. Exposed shores tend to support faunal-dominated communities of barnacles and mussels and some robust seaweeds. Sheltered shores are most notable for their dense cover of fucoid seaweeds, with distinctive zones occurring down the shore. In between these extremes of wave exposure, on moderately exposed shores, mosaics of seaweeds and barnacles are more typical.
Source: EUNIS habitat classification
Quick facts
| EUNIS habitat type | code A1 |
|---|
Vegetation types
Relation to vegetation types (syntaxa)
Not availableSpecies mentioned in habitat description
Other classifications
| Classification | Code | Habitat type name | Relationship type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palaearctic Habitat Classification 200112 | 11.291 | Mediolittoral fringe rocks | narrower |
| Palaearctic Habitat Classification 200112 | 11.293 | Upper mediolittoral rocks | narrower |
| Palaearctic Habitat Classification 200112 | 11.292 | Lower mediolittoral rocks | narrower |
| Palaearctic Habitat Classification 200112 | 11.29 | Rocky shore littoral communities | narrower |
| CORINE Land Cover | 4.2.3. | Intertidal flats | n/a |
| CORINE Land Cover | 3.3.2. | Bare rock | n/a |
| Marine Habitat Classification Britain/Ireland 0405 | LR | Littoral rock (and other hard substrata) | same |
| Barcelona Convention 199812 | II.4. | (MEDIOLITTORAL) HARD BEDS AND ROCKS | same |
| Ramsar Wetland Types | D | Rocky marine shores | wider |
| Phase 1 habitat classification (UK) 1993 | H13 | Intertidal: boulders/rocks | overlap |
| Phase 1 habitat classification (UK) 1993 | H1 | Intertidal | wider |
| Phase 1 habitat classification (UK) 1993 | H12 | Intertidal: shingle/cobbles | overlap |
| Phase 1 habitat classification (UK) 1993 | H | Coastlands | wider |
| Biodiversity Broad Habitat Classification (UK) | 20 | Littoral rock | narrower |
| Biodiversity Action Plan Priority Habitats (UK) | 35 | Littoral and sublittoral chalk | overlap |
History
| Classification | Code | Habitat type name | Relationship type |
|---|---|---|---|
| EUNIS Habitat Classification 200410 | A1 | Littoral rock and other hard substrata | same |
| EUNIS Habitat Classification 200308 | A1 | Littoral rock and other hard substrata | same |
| EUNIS Habitat Classification 200202 | A1 | Littoral rock and other hard substrata | same |
| EUNIS Habitat Classification 199910 | A1 | Littoral rock and other hard substrata | same |
| EUNIS Habitat Classification 199811 | A1 | Littoral rock and other hard substrata | same |
| EUNIS Habitat Classification 199712 | A1 | Littoral rock | same |
| Palaearctic Habitat Classification 199905 | 11.29 | Rocky shore littoral communities | narrower |
| Palaearctic Habitat Classification 199905 | 11.291 | Mediolittoral fringe rocks | narrower |
| Palaearctic Habitat Classification 199905 | 11.293 | Upper mediolittoral rocks | narrower |
| Palaearctic Habitat Classification 199905 | 11.292 | Lower mediolittoral rocks | narrower |
| Palaearctic Habitat Classification 1997 | 11.29 | Rocky shore littoral communities | narrower |
| Palaearctic Habitat Classification 1997 | 11.291 | Mediolittoral fringe rocks | narrower |
| Palaearctic Habitat Classification 1997 | 11.293 | Upper mediolittoral rocks | narrower |
| Palaearctic Habitat Classification 1997 | 11.292 | Lower mediolittoral rocks | narrower |
| Palaearctic Habitat Classification 1996 | 11.291 | narrower | |
| Palaearctic Habitat Classification 1996 | 11.293 | narrower | |
| Palaearctic Habitat Classification 1996 | 11.29 | narrower | |
| Palaearctic Habitat Classification 1996 | 11.292 | narrower | |
| MNCR BioMar 97.06 (Britain & Ireland) | LR | Littoral rock (and other hard substrata) | same |
