Condition of UK Coastal Habitats
The condition of UK coastal habitats has been assessed using
Common Standards Monitoring Guidance for
Coastal Habitats. This involves making an assessment of
individual sites using a series of habitat characteristics or attributes and
standardised condition categories.
Sites are judged to be in favourable condition when the
objectives for the habitat are being met. Sites with habitat that
is in an unsatisfactory state are classed as in
unfavourable condition. Where this is the case, a judgement is
made as to whether the habitat is: (i) recovering – moving towards
the desired state; (ii) declining – moving away from the desired
state; or (iii) no-change – neither improving nor declining. Sites
are classed as destroyed (partially or completely) when the
habitat is no longer present and there is no prospect of being able
to restore it.
Condition on designated sites
The tables below summarise information on the
condition of coastal habitats at a UK-level as reported in
2006-07.
On sites designated as SSSI/ASSIs, the
condition of the majority of the three main coastal habitat types
was either favourable or unfavourable recovering. Nevertheless, a
sizeable percentage of each was unfavourable and did not show signs
of recovery. The condition of these habitats on SACs was generally
poorer and the majority of saltmarsh was in unfavourable condition
with no signs of recovery.
Information from SACs on coastal habitats
recognised under the EU Habitats Directive showed that the
condition of these types varied greatly. Although in some cases
most of the habitat was in favourable or unfavourable recovering
condition, for others a large part was unfavourable with no signs
of recovery.
Since 2006-07 the condition of some coastal
habitats has improved (e.g. see The
State of the Natural Environment 2008).
Tables of condition of UK coastal habitats
Click on the habitat links in the table for details – based on
data from the Common Standards Monitoring for Designated Sites:
First Six Year Report (2006) and the 2nd UK Report on Implementation of the Habitats
Directive (2007)
Sites designated as SSSI/ASSIs
Sites designated as Special Areas of Conservation
(SAC)
Sites designated as Special Areas of Conservation (SAC)
– broken down into EU Habitats Directive Annex I types
|
|
Favourable
|
Unfavourable
recovering
|
Unfavourable not
recovering
|
|
Dune habitats
|
|
|
|
|
H2160 Dunes with
Hippophaë rhamnoides
|
100%
|
–
|
–
|
|
H2140 Decalcified
fixed dunes with Empetrum nigrum
|
86%
|
–
|
14%
|
|
H2120 Shifting
dunes along the shoreline with Ammophila arenaria ('white
dunes')
|
61%
|
19%
|
20%
|
|
H2110 Embryonic
shifting dunes
|
49%
|
39%
|
12%
|
|
H2130 Fixed dunes
with herbaceous vegetation ('grey dunes')
|
31%
|
17%
|
53%
|
|
H2190 Humid dune
slacks
|
27%
|
26%
|
47%
|
|
H2250 Coastal
dunes with Juniperus spp.
|
15%
|
–
|
85%
|
|
H2170 Dunes with
Salix repens ssp. argentea (Salicion
arenariae)
|
1%
|
35%
|
64%
|
|
H2150 Atlantic
decalcified fixed dunes (Calluno-Ulicetea)
|
–
|
8%
|
92%
|
|
Saltmarsh habitats
|
|
|
|
|
H1420
Mediterranean and thermo-Atlantic halophilous scrubs
(Sarcocornetea fruticosi)
|
85%
|
–
|
15%
|
|
H1310Salicornia
and other annuals colonising mud and sand
|
70%
|
3%
|
27%
|
|
H1330 Atlantic
salt meadows (Glauco-Puccinellietalia maritimae)
|
40%
|
10%
|
50%
|
|
H1320
Spartina swards (Spartinion maritimae)
|
–
|
–
|
100%
|
|
Cliff habitats
|
|
|
|
|
H1230 Vegetated
sea cliffs of the Atlantic and Baltic coasts
|
50%
|
39%
|
11%
|
|
Machair
|
|
|
|
|
H21A0
Machairs
|
30%
|
–
|
70%
|
|
Shingle habitats
|
|
|
|
|
H1210 Annual
vegetation of drift lines
|
24%
|
1%
|
75%
|
|
H1220 Perennial
vegetation of stony banks
|
24%
|
68%
|
8%
|
[all tables created May 2010]