Red List habitat classification > RLC - Freshwater habitats > RLC3.5d Unvegetated or sparsely vegetated shore with mobile sediments in montane and alpine regions

Unvegetated or sparsely vegetated shore with mobile sediments in montane and alpine regions

Quick facts

Red List habitat type	code RLC3.5d
Threat status
Europe	Vulnerable
EU	Vulnerable
Relation to	Annex I habitat types (EU Habitats Directive) Resolution 4 habitat type (Bern Convention)
Source	European Red List habitat factsheet
	European Red List of habitats reports
	European Red List of habitats (Excel table)

Summary

The habitat includes the bed and banks of rivers and streams from alpine to mountain (and partially sub-montane) belts and of the northern boreal area. The habitat is highly dynamic because it is characterized by periodical floods and frequent and considerable variation of speed and intensity of the water current, which however remains always rather high. The sediment of the habitat includes mainly gravel deposits and banks of alluvial material, characteristically poor in organic materials and nutrients. The vegetation types occupying these gravel deposits include pioneer vegetation and subsequent early stages in the colonization sequence, with plants specialised to survive in this habitat, having narrow leaves and elastic stems adapted to or tolerant of submersion and rapid changes of the water current: for example Myricaria germanica, and species of Epilobium Salix, Agrostis, Elimus, Poa. An important feature is that the vegetation stays in its pioneer stage and is ephemeral but eventual succession leads to willow scrub.

Indicators of good quality:

Natural hydrological cycle of spates
Suitable geological substrate which is easily erodible
High water velocity
Pioneer vegetation with absence or sporadic abundance of nitrophilous species
No high abundance of exotic invasive species
No negative anthropogenic influence (gravel extraction, regulation of the water regime, construction of artificial banks)

Characteristic species

Characteristic species:

Vascular plants: Agrostis gigantea, Arabis alpina, Astragalus alpinus, Calamagrostis pseudophragmites, C. stricta, Cerastium alpinum, Chaerophyllum hirsutum,, Chondrilla chondrilloides,Deschampsia alpina, D. cespitosa,Epilobium roseum, E. fleischeri, E. dodoneii, E. latifolium, Equisetum variegatum, Erigeron acer ssp. angulosus,Festuca vivipara, Gnaphalium uliginosum, Hieracium staticifolium, Hippophae rhamnoides, Luzula spicata, Lotus corniculatus, Myricaria germanica,Myosoton aquaticum, Myosotis scorpiodes, Oenanthe crocata, Ptychotis saxifraga, Petasites hybridus, P. kablikianus, Poa trivialis, Poa palustris, Ranunculus repens, Rumex scutatus, Stellaria nemorum, Saxifraga aizoides, Scrophularia canina, Trifolium saxatile, Usually only juveniles or small shrubs of Salix daphnoides, S. elaeagnos, S. lapponum, S. hastata, S. glauca, S. myrsinifolia, S. phylicifolia, S. purpurea, Elymus fibrosus, Elymus transbaicalensis, Elymus kronokensis subsp. subalpinus, Cotoneaster cinnabarinus, Papaver lapponicum, P. dahlianum.

Bryophytes: Brachytecium rivulare, Bryum intermedium, B. klinggraeffii, Ceratodon purpureus, Dichodontium pellucidum, Hygrohypnum luridum, H. ochraceum, Hypnum lindbergii, Pohlia drummondii, P. fillum, Polytrichum juniperinum, Pseudoleskea incurvata, Racomitrum canescens s.l., Tortella inclinata, T. tortuosa.

Lichens: Rhizocarpon spp. (yellow lichens on rocks)

Macroinvertebrates: Larval stages of Odonata, Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera characterize the benthic communities of riverbeds while nymph and adult stages of the same species can be found on the river banks. Other characteristic species are Ancylus fluviatilis, Pisidium casertanum, Unio crassus, Crenobia alpina, Hyles hippophaes, Proserpinus proserpina.

Vertebrates: Castor fiber, Arvicola sapidus, Myotis blythii, Locustella fluviatilis, Sterna hirundo, Riparia riparia, Burhinus oedicnemus, Coracias garrulous, Anthus campestris, Milvus migrans. Ardeids, breeding passerine and migrating waders can also occur.

For full habitat description, please download the habitat factsheet.

Threat status

Synthesis of Red List assessment

This habitat type is relatively wide distributed in Europe but, during the last centuries, it has undergone a relatively high reduction in quantity (34-36% in the last 50 years) due to the rapidly increasing urbanization and development of agriculture and industrial activities after the Second World War. The habitat is therefore assessed as Vulnerable according to criterion A1.

EU
Red List Category	Red List Criteria
Vulnerable	A1

Europe
Red List Category	Red List Criteria
Vulnerable	A1

Confidence in the assessment

medium

Red List of habitat categories and criteria descriptions

European Red List of Habitats categories

Based on Scientific Foundations for an IUCN Red List of Ecosystems

European Red List of Habitats criteria

Reduction in quantity (area of distribution)	A	A1 Present decline (over last 50 years) A2a Future decline (over the next 50 years) A2b Future/present decline (over a 50-year period inclunding present and future) A3 Historic decline
Restricted geographic distribution	B	B1 Restricted Extent of Occurrence (EOO) B2 Restricted Area of Occupancy (AOO) B3 Present at few locations
Reduction in abiotic quality	C	C/D1 Reduction in quality over the last 50 years C/D2 Reduction in quality in the future or in a period including present and future C/D3 Historic reduction in quality
Reduction in biotic quality	D
Quantitative analysis of probability of collapse	E

From Scientific Foundations for an IUCN Red List of Ecosystems

Pressures and threats

Mining, extraction of materials and energy production

Mining and quarrying
Sand and gravel extraction

Pollution

Pollution to surface waters (limnic, terrestrial, marine & brackish)
Pollution to groundwater (point sources and diffuse sources)

Invasive, other problematic species and genes

Invasive non-native species

Natural System modifications

Human induced changes in hydraulic conditions

Climate change

Changes in abiotic conditions
Droughts and less precipitations
Flooding and rising precipitations
Changes in biotic conditions
Habitat shifting and alteration

Habitat restoration potential

The capacity of this habitat to recover differs according to the type of damage that the habitat has undergone. If, as is most frequent, the damage influences the hydrology and morphology of the stream or its basin, the recovery time can be very long or even unattainable and restoration always requires intervention. If the damage is from water pollution, the habitat can be restored in a relatively short time (10 years, or even less) but anyway through intervention and the complete removal of the causes of pollution.

Trends in extent
Average current trend in quantity
Decreasing	Decreasing
EU28	EU28+

Trends in quality
Average current trend in quality
Decreasing	Decreasing
EU28	EU28+

Conservation and management needs

Regulations enacted to limit sediment extraction and water pollution are now common in most European countries. However the expansion of urban areas and anthropogenic activities makes it difficult to reach the right compromise between habitat conservation and the satisfaction of human needs (exploitation of water resources and protection of populated areas). Nevertheless specific measures aimed to limit the habitat erosion and invasion of exotic plants should be adopted in all European countries, especially those where urban and industrial areas are now rapidly developing after difficult political and economic historical periods (e.g. Balkan countries).

List of conservation and management needs

Measures related to wetland, freshwater and coastal habitats

Restoring/Improving water quality
Restoring/Improving the hydrological regime
Managing water abstraction

Measures related to spatial planning

Establish protected areas/sites
Manage landscape features

Measures related to urban areas, industry, energy and transport

Other measures
Urban and industrial waste management

Distribution

For each habitat a distribution map was produced from a wide variety of sources indicating known and potential occurrences of the habitat in 10x10 km grids within Europe. Occurrences in grid cells were given in two classes: actual distribution from relatively reliable sources (surveys, expert knowledge), and potential distribution based on models or less reliable indicators. Please download the fact sheet to see the map.

Geographic occurrence and trends

EU28	Present or presence uncertain	Current area of habitat (Km²)	Recent trend in quantity (last 50 years)	Recent trend in quality (last 50 years)
Austria	Present	103	Decreasing	Decreasing
Bulgaria	Present	Unknown	Decreasing	Decreasing
Finland mainland	Present	02-Oct	Stable	Stable
Aland Islands	Present	02-Oct	Stable	Stable
France mainland	Present	90	Decreasing	Decreasing
Corsica	Present	90	Decreasing	Decreasing
Germany	Present	1	Decreasing	Decreasing
Italy mainland	Present	263	Decreasing	Decreasing
Romania	Present	3	Decreasing	Decreasing
Slovakia	Present	0.75	Decreasing	Decreasing
Slovenia	Present	86	Decreasing	Decreasing
Spain mainland	Present	0.73	Decreasing	Decreasing
Poland	Present	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Sweden	Present	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
United Kingdom	Uncertain	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Northern Island	Uncertain	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown

EU28 +	Present or presence uncertain	Current area of habitat (Km²)	Recent trend in quantity (last 50 years)	Recent trend in quality (last 50 years)
Bosnia and Herzegovina	Present	3	Decreasing	Decreasing
Switzerland	Present	135	Decreasing	Decreasing
Albania	Present	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Iceland	Present	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Kosovo	Present	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Former Yugoslavian Republic of Macedonia (FYROM)	Present	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Montenegro	Present	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Norway Mainland	Present	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Svalbard	Present	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Jan Mayen	Present	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Serbia	Present	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown

Extent of Occurrence, Area of Occupancy and habitat area

	Extent of Occurrence (EOO) (Km²)	Area of Occupancy (AOO)	Current estimated Total Area	Comment
EU28	7647600	2796	549-557	AOO/EOO incl. potential
EU28+	6125		687-695	AOO/EOO incl. potential

AOO = the area occupied by a habitat measured in number of 10x10 km grid cells.
EOO = the area (km2) of the envelope around all occurrences of a habitat (calculated by a minimum convex polygon).

Characteristic species

Not available

Legal status

Relation to other habitat types mentioned in legal instruments

Legal text	Annex	Name in legal text	Code in legal text	Habitat type relationship	More information
Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora - consolidated version 01/01/2007	Annex I: natural habitat types of community interest whose conservation requires the designation of special areas of conservation	Alpine rivers and the herbaceous vegetation along their banks	3220	Overlap	http://ec.europa.eu/environm...rective/index_en.htm
Convention on the conservation of European wildlife and natural habitats	Revised Annex I of Resolution 4 (1996) of the Bern Convention on endangered natural habitats types using the EUNIS habitat classification (year of revision 2010)	Periodically inundated shores with pioneer and ephemeral vegetation	C3.5	Overlap	https://wcd.coe.int/ViewDoc....ckColorLogged=FDC864 Resolution No. 4 (1996) of the Bern Convention lists endangered natural habitats requiring specific conservation measures [and the designation of Areas of Special Conservation Interest (ASCIs) forming the Emerald network]
Convention on the conservation of European wildlife and natural habitats	Revised Annex I of Resolution 4 (1996) of the Bern Convention on endangered natural habitats types using the EUNIS habitat classification (year of revision 2010)	Unvegetated or sparsely vegetated shores with soft or mobile sediments	C3.6	Overlap	https://wcd.coe.int/ViewDoc....ckColorLogged=FDC864 Resolution No. 4 (1996) of the Bern Convention lists endangered natural habitats requiring specific conservation measures [and the designation of Areas of Special Conservation Interest (ASCIs) forming the Emerald network]
Convention on the conservation of European wildlife and natural habitats	Revised Annex I of Resolution 4 (1996) of the Bern Convention on endangered natural habitats types using the EUNIS habitat classification (year of revision 2010)	Unvegetated or sparsely vegetated shores with non-mobile substrates	C3.7	Overlap	https://wcd.coe.int/ViewDoc....ckColorLogged=FDC864 Resolution No. 4 (1996) of the Bern Convention lists endangered natural habitats requiring specific conservation measures [and the designation of Areas of Special Conservation Interest (ASCIs) forming the Emerald network]

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Unvegetated or sparsely vegetated shore with mobile sediments in montane and alpine regions

Quick facts

Summary

Threat status

Synthesis of Red List assessment

Confidence in the assessment

European Red List of Habitats categories

European Red List of Habitats criteria

Pressures and threats

Habitat restoration potential

Trends in extent

Average current trend in quantity

Trends in quality

Average current trend in quality

Conservation and management needs

List of conservation and management needs

Distribution

Geographic occurrence and trends

Extent of Occurrence, Area of Occupancy and habitat area

Characteristic species

Legal status

Relation to other habitat types mentioned in legal instruments

Vegetation types

Relation to vegetation types (syntaxa)

Other classifications