Lichens or small green algae on supralittoral and littoral fringe rock
Quick facts
EUNIS habitat type | code B3.11 |
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Description (English)
Lichen communities typically form a distinct zone or band in a 'splash' zone on most rocky shores. This splash zone occurs above the main intertidal zone (i.e. that subject to regular covering by the tide) and blends into angiosperm-dominated communities of coastal (terrestrial) habitats at its upper limits. The width of the splash zone varies considerably, depending on the degree of exposure of the shore to wave action. On very exposed coasts the zone is very wide, extending 10s of meters up cliffs, whilst in very sheltered sites it may be only a metre or so high. Several biotopes have been identified. Yellow and grey lichens such as Xanthoria parietina, Caloplaca marina, Caloplaca thallincola or Ramalina sp. dominate the supralittoral rock (B3.111) with the distinctive black band of Verrucaria maura occurring below in the littoral fringe (B3.1131, B3.1132). Small green seaweeds can sometimes be found in this splash zone, where localised conditions allow growth in what would otherwise be inhospitable conditions for seaweeds. Such an example is the green seaweed Prasiola stipitata which occurs in areas of nitrate enrichment from nearby roosting seabirds (B3.112). The littoral fringe on soft rock can be characterised by the green seaweed Blidingia minima (B3.114) while steep and vertical rock influenced by freshwater in the littoral fringe can be dominated by the green seaweeds Ulothrix flacca, Urospora penicilliformis and Urospora wormskioldii (B3.115). The winkle Littorina saxatilis is one of the few 'marine' species found in this environment.
Situation: This habitat type is found in the littoral fringe and the supralittoral zone on all rocky shores if there is sufficient seawater spray to maintain a viable community.
Source: EUNIS habitat classification
Vegetation types
Relation to vegetation types (syntaxa)
Not availableSpecies mentioned in habitat description
Other classifications
Classification | Code | Habitat type name | Relationship type |
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Marine Habitat Classification Britain/Ireland 0405 | LR.FLR.Lic | Lichens or small green algae on supralittoral and littoral fringe rock | source |
CORINE Land Cover | 3.3.2. | Bare rock | n/a |
Barcelona Convention 199812 | I.4.1. | Biocenosis of supralittoral rock | same |
History
Classification | Code | Habitat type name | Relationship type |
---|---|---|---|
EUNIS Habitat Classification 200410 | B3.11 | Lichens or small green algae on supralittoral and littoral fringe rock | same |
EUNIS Habitat Classification 200308 | B3.11 | Lichens or small green algae on supralittoral rock | same |
EUNIS Habitat Classification 200202 | B3.11 | Lichens or algal crusts on supralittoral rocks | same |
EUNIS Habitat Classification 199910 | B3.11 | Lichens or algal crusts on supralittoral rocks | same |
EUNIS Habitat Classification 199811 | B3.11 | Lichens or algal crusts on supralittoral rocks | same |
EUNIS Habitat Classification 199712 | A1.11 | Lichen-encrusted supralittoral rocks | same |
MNCR BioMar 97.06 (Britain & Ireland) | LR.L | Lichens or algal crusts | same |
MNCR BioMar 96.7 (Britain & Ireland) | SUR.L | same |