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In
There
are a further 12 Annex I habitats that occur in coastal SACs but they are not
purely coastal. Click here for a list of
these.
Detailed
descriptions of all Annex I habitats can be found on the website of the UK
Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC), here.
A
general description and classification of Irish habitat types, and their
relationship to Annex I habitats, can be found in the Heritage
Council publication A
Guide to Habitats in Ireland.
For habitats in the marine and coastal this can be accessed by clicking
the following links:
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Code |
Habitat Name |
Code |
Habitat Name |
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1110 |
Sandbanks which are
slightly covered by sea water all the time |
1160 |
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1130 |
1170 |
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1140 |
8330 |
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1150 |
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These consist of sandy sediments that are permanently covered by shallow sea
water, typically at depths of less than 20m.
Sandbanks are distinct elongated, rounded or irregular ‘mound’ shapes of
sandy sediment. The animal and plant
communities associated with this habitat are determined primarily by sediment
type, but also by factors such as wave exposure, depth, turbidity and salinity
of the surrounding water. They are
typically colonised by burrowing fauna, e.g. bivalve molluscs, worms and
crustaceans. On the surface of the
sandbank shrimps, gastropod molluscs, crabs and fish occur. Sandbanks are often important nursery areas
for fish, and, due to the presence of sand-eels, they act as feeding grounds
for seabirds and sea-duck. Sandbanks are
frequently associated with other marine Annex I habitats; for example they may
be a component habitats of Estuaries
and Large shallow inlets and bays.
To date just one SAC has been designated due to the presence of Sandbanks –
Long Bank (Co. Wexford). Sandbanks is
one of the qualifying habitats in the Lower Shannon SAC.
This
habitat encompasses the downstream part of a river valley where the river
enters the sea and is subject to the tide.
Freshwater and seawater mix together and the decrease in current results
in the deposition of fine sediments – often forming extensive intertidal sand
and mudflats. Benthic algae and
invertebrates flourish and provide a rich food source for wading birds. Many estuaries are also designated as SPAs
under the Birds Directive.
This
habitat type can be divided into three broad categories - clean sands, muddy
sands and muds. In practice there is a
continuous gradation between them. The
plant and animal communities present vary according to the type of sediment,
its stability and the salinity of the water.
They usually have no vascular plants but may have rich communities of
blue algae, diatoms, eelgrass and invertebrates. As with estuaries, they are of particular
importance as feeding areas for wildfowl and waders and are often also designated
as SPAs.
Examples
of intertidal mud/sandflat SACs include Malahide Estuary,
This priority habitat category encompasses
areas of shallow, coastal salt water that are wholly or partially separated
from the sea by sandbanks, shingle or, less frequently, rocks. The water in lagoons can vary in salinity
from hypersaline (i.e. more salty than seawater as a result of evaporation) to
brackish (owing to dilution of seawater by freshwater). Water levels in coastal lagoons may also vary
considerably. The plant and animal
communities of lagoons vary according to the physical characteristics and
salinity regime of a particular lagoon.
The vegetation may include beds of eelgrass, tasselweed, and pondweeds,
or stoneworts. In more rocky lagoons,
communities of brown (wracks and kelps), red and green algae are also
found. The fauna is often characterised
by mysid shrimps and other small crustaceans, worms that burrow into the
sediment, gastropod molluscs, and some fish species. For further information on coastal lagoons in
Cross
Lough (Mayo), Dunbeacon Shingle (
Large
shallow inlets and bays are large indentations of the coast, predominantly under
the influence of salt water but generally more sheltered from wave action than
the open coast. They are relatively
shallow; with water less than 30m over most of the area.
They
are effectively habitat complexes that comprise an interdependent mosaic of
subtidal and intertidal habitats, many of which are also Annex I habitats (e.g.
reefs,
sandbanks
and mudflats). Consequently, they contain a great diversity
of sediments (from mud to sands to rock) and substrates with highly diverse
animal and plant communities. The issue
of site size is also important, as larger sites tend to encompass the greatest
variety of constituent habitats and have the greatest potential for maintenance
of ecosystem integrity.
Some of
the largest and best-known bays along the south-west, west and north-west
coasts are designated SACs. These
include
Reefs
rise from the seabed and are either rocky marine habitats (i.e. rock, boulders
and cobbles) which support animal and plant communities or biogenic reefs
(where the structure is created by the animals themselves, e.g. cold-water
coral reefs). Reefs are generally
subtidal but may extend as an unbroken transition into the intertidal
zone. Intertidal areas are only included
within this Annex I type where they are connected to subtidal reefs.
Rocky
reefs are extremely variable, both in form (rock walls to horizontal ledges,
bed rock, boulder fields, and cobbles) and in the communities they
support. Their communities are
characterised by attached algae (where there is sufficient light) and
invertebrates, usually associated with a range of mobile invertebrates and
fish. The specific communities that
occur are determined by a number of factors, for example, rock type and
topography, wave and tidal exposure, turbidity and salinity. On intertidal reefs a strong vertical
zonation is apparent, lichens occur at the top of the shore, grading into
communities characterised by barnacles, mussels or species of fucoid (wrack)
seaweeds.
The
main species which form biogenic reefs in Irish waters are blue mussels (Mytilus edulis), horse mussels (Modiolus modiolus), ross worms (Sabellaria spp.), and cold-water
corals such as (Lophelia
pertusa).
Important
examples of SACs designated for reef habitats include Wicklow Reef, Kilkee Reef
(Clare), Kerry Head Shoal (Kerry), Carnsore Point (Wexford) and the
To date, none of the Special Areas of Conservation
designated by
This Annex I habitat category includes submerged sea caves and partially
submerged caves which are only exposed to the sea at high tide. They are typically associated with the Annex I habitat Reefs. The animal and plant communities in sea caves
vary considerably depending on the structure and extent of the cave, their degree
of submergence and exposure to sand scour and wave-surge. Intertidal and shallow subtidal caves are
often subject to conditions of strong wave surge and have floors of coarse
sediment, cobbles and boulders. They are
generally characterised by communities of mussels, barnacles, and encrusting
animal species (e.g. sponges). In deeper
water, caves are subject to less water movement and silt may accumulate on the
cave floor. Such caves may provide
shelter for crabs, lobsters and fish such as gobies.
Good
examples of this habitat can be found in the following SACs – Lough Hyne Nature
Reserve (
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Code |
Habitat Name |
Code |
Habitat Name |
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1210 |
2110 |
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1220 |
2120 |
Shifting dunes along the
shoreline with Ammophila arenaria
(white dunes) |
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1230 |
2130 |
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1310 |
2140 |
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1320 |
2150 |
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1330 |
2170 |
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1410 |
2190 |
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1420 |
21A0 |
This
habitat type occurs on deposits of small shingle lying at or above mean
high-water spring tides. These shingle deposits
occur as fringing beaches that are subject to periodic displacement or
overtopping by high tides and storms.
The sparse cover of distinctive vegetation is composed of annual or
short-lived perennial species.
Plant
species are also tolerant of saltwater inundation, as the beaches are often
over-topped by the tide or subject to spray from waves breaking over the beach,
e.g. Cakile maritima.
The
SACs at
This
habitat consists of coastal areas where shingle (cobbles and pebbles) has
accumulated to form elevated ridges or banks above the high tide mark. These areas provide a substrate for perennial
vegetation, including Sea Sandwort, Sea Beet, Rock Samphire and Sea
Mayweed. The rare perennial plant
Sea-kale (Crambe maritima) can also
be found on shingle. The strandline is
excluded from this habitat as it is considered to be a separate habitat (Annual
vegetation of drift lines).
Examples
of SACs with this habitat include Cross Lough (Mayo), Tramore Dunes and
Backstrand (Waterford), Lady’s Island Lake (Wexford), Dunbeacon Shingle (Cork)
and Reen Point Shingle (Cork).
This
category of habitats encompasses a complex range of cliff micro-habitats
depending upon geology, geomorphology and the degree of exposure. It includes cliff crevices, ledges and slopes
and extends to cliff tops with heaths, grasslands and scrub.
Examples
of SACs with this habitat include Slieve League (Donegal),
This
pioneer saltmarsh vegetation colonises intertidal mud and sandflats in areas
protected from strong wave action. It is
an important precursor to the development of more stable saltmarsh vegetation
(e.g. habitat codes 1320, 1330,
1410
and 1420). Salt marshes usually comprise the upper,
vegetated portions of intertidal mudflats, lying approximately between mean
high water neap tides and mean high water spring tides. They are usually associated with estuaries
and coastal lagoons. This particular
salt marsh habitat is composed predominantly of glassworts Salicornia spp. with some grass and seablite species. For further information on saltmarshes in
Examples
of SACs with this habitat include Lackan Saltmarsh and Kilcummin Head (Mayo),
River Barrow and River Nore (Waterford/Wexford),
This
salt marsh habitat refers to the perennial pioneer grasslands of coastal salt
muds, formed by cord-grasses Spartina
or similar grasses. Spartina is an alien
species to
Examples
of SACs with this habitat include Lough Swilly (Donegal),
This salt
marsh habitat forms in sheltered areas within estuaries, e.g. behind sand spits and in shallow protected bays, where tidal
inundation still occurs but with decreasing frequency and duration. A wide range of community types are found and
the saltmarshes can cover large areas, especially where there has been little
or no enclosure on the landward side.
Important plant species include Common saltmarsh-grass (Puccinellia maritima), Sea purslane (Halimione pedunculata) and sea aster (Aster tripolium). For further information on saltmarshes in
Examples
of SACs with this habitat include Lackan Saltmarsh and Kilcummin Head (Mayo),
Bellacragher Saltmarsh (Mayo), Streedagh Point Dunes (
This
salt marsh habitat occurs in the uppermost levels of saltmarshes. It is subject to less frequent and less
prolonged innundation by the sea.
Vegetation is typically dominated by rushes and sedges, e.g. Juncus maritimus, J. gerardii and Carex extensa. For further information on saltmarshes in
Examples
of SACs with this habitat include Bellacragher Saltmarsh (Mayo), The Murrough
Wetlands (Wicklow), Lacken Saltmarsh and Kilcummin Head (Mayo), and Sheephaven
(Donegal).
This
salt-tolerant scrubby vegetation, which is not common in
This
habitat represents the early stage in sand dune development. Small mounds of sand (generally < 1 m in
height) build up on the upper seashore, between the high tide mark and marram
dunes, where wind-blown sand is impeded around plants on the drift-line (e.g.
Sand Couch and Lyme-grass). The sand
mounds are largely unvegetated but may support salt-tolerant plants such as Sea
Rocket, Saltwort and Sea Sandwort.
This
habitat type rarely occurs in isolation, because it may initiate dune
succession, and it is invariably one of several Annex I habitat types to be
found on a dune system. In many cases
Embryonic shifting dunes will either be displaced by "white
dunes" as the dunes develop or will be washed away by
storms. Creation of new dune habitat is
often dependent upon the survival of this habitat type.
This
habitat is present in many of the major dune systems that area designated as
SACs, e.g. Cahore Polders and Dunes (Wexford), Tramore Dunes and Backstrand
(Waterford), Kilkeran lake and Castlefreke Dunes (Cork), Lough Nagreaney Dunes
(Donegal) and Kilpatrick Sandhills (Wexford).
This
habitat represents the second stage in sand dune development – after embryonic
dunes. They are partially
stabilised hills or ridges of sand that occur along the seaward edge of the
main sand dune system. Vegetation cover
is incomplete and loose sand at the surface is subject to wind-blow. Tussocks of the familiar dune-building
species Marram (Ammophila arenaria) are commonly interspersed with
species such as Sand Sedge, Sea Spurge and Sea-Holly.
Good
examples of white dunes are present in SACs at North
This priority habitat is the final stage in
the formation of sand dunes. The Ammophila dunes are succeeded by the fixed dune
stage. Fixed dunes are stabilised ridges
or hills of sand with a more or less complete cover of vegetation. Plant species composition is highly variable and
the vegetation is usually characterised by herb-rich grassland or heath
communities with extensive cover of mosses and lichens. 'Grey dunes' are so-called because of the
abundance of grey-coloured lichens in the vegetation. Fixed dunes also include consolidated and
flattened dune areas that can occur behind the main dune ridges. These areas are frequently used for
agriculture, and grassland communities may contain 'agricultural' species such
as Perennial Rye-grass, White Clover, Daisy and Dandelion.
Grey
dunes invariably occur in many of the SACs that contain embryonic
dunes and white dunes.
This priority habitat represents the later,
more mature, stages of sand dune succession. Exposure to rainfall over long
periods results in leaching of the surface layers, causing a loss of calcium
carbonate and increased soil acidity.
The dunes become colonised by heath species such as crowberry (Empetrum nigrum) and ling heather (Calluna vulgaris).
Just
five SACs are designated due to the presence of this priority habitat, all in
County Donegal; Lough Nagreaney Dunes, Slieve Tooey/Tormore Island/Loughros Beg
Bay, Tranarossan and Melmore Lough, West of Ardara/Maas Road and Gweedore Bay
and Islands.
This priority habitat, which occurs on
mature, stable dunes where the initial calcium carbonate content of the dune
sand is low, is similar in composition to Decalcified fixed dunes
with Empetrum nigrum. At most sites at which it occurs, it forms a
mosaic with other Annex I habitat types.
It can be difficult to distinguish between these two Annex I habitat
types, as the vegetation forms a continuous spectrum of variation within
complex habitat mosaics. The most
characteristic community is dune heath, with ling heather Calluna vulgaris found in combination with sand sedge Carex arenaria.
Atlantic
decalcified fixed dunes is more widespread than Decalcified fixed dunes
with Empetrum nigrum (which is
restricted to the north-west coast) as it tolerates drier and warmer
conditions. This is reflected in the
distribution of designated SACs that include this habitat; e.g.
Mweelrea/Sheeffry/Erriff Complex (Mayo), Buckroney-Brittas Dunes and Fen
(Wicklow), Ballyteigue Burrow (Wexford), Clonakilty Bay (Cork) and Lough
Nagreaney Dunes (Donegal).
This
habitat comprises dunes or parts of dunes where creeping willow (Salix repens ssp. Argentea) is dominant, forming prominent, low scrubby growth. Creeping willow grows predominantly in and
around dune slacks, though on
some sites it may spread up the drier ridges.
This habitat often occurs alongside Humid dune slacks and
the boundaries between the two are often diffuse and difficult to define on the
ground.
Good
examples of this habitat are present in SACs at Horn Head and Ringclevan
(Donegal), Castlemaine Harbour (Kerry), Gweedore Bay and Islands (Donegal),
Mweelrea/Sheeffry/Erriff Complex (Mayo) and Raven Point Nature Reserve
(Wexford).
Dune
slacks are low-lying areas within dune systems that are occasionally flooded
and where nutrient levels are low. The
range of communities found is considerable and depends on the structure of the
dune system, the successional stage of the dune slack and variations in the
extent and duration of flooding of the dune surface. Creeping willow is often found in dune slack
vegetation, although it is not dominant; as it is in Dunes with Salix repens ssp. Argentea. Dune slacks are often rich in plant species,
particularly rare and local species, e.g. the Annex II species Petalwort (Petalophyllum ralfsii).
Good examples
of this habitat are present in SACs at Ballyness Bay (Donegal), Akeragh, Banna
and Barrow Harbour (Kerry), Ballysadare Bay (Sligo), Buckroney-Brittas Dunes
and Fen (Wicklow) and North Dublin Bay.
This priority habitat consists of coastal
grassy plains that are formed of wind-blown calcareous sands. The plains are usually almost level, however,
they may also have an undulating or hillocky surface, and can even occur on
hills. They develop in places with a
cool, moist and windy climate. In
Ireland, they are limited to the west coast from Galway Bay to Malin Head, in
Donegal. Machair vegetation is often
species-rich and features elements of sand dune communities and calcareous
grassland.
Machair
areas were often widely cultivated in the past but now many support extensive
grazing regimes and may be used for amenity (sports pitches, camp sites,
caravan parks) or development. The sandy
substrate tends to be unstable and may be disturbed by winter gales, especially
if grazing is heavy. Machairs often
support large breeding bird populations and is particularly important for
waders and corncrake.
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Code |
Habitat Name |
Code |
Habitat Name |
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Northern Atlantic
wet heaths with Erica tetralix |
Lowland hay
meadows |
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European dry
heaths |
Blanket bog |
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Alpine and Boreal
heaths |
Calcareous rocky
slopes with chasmophytic vegetation |
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Juniperus communis formations on heaths or calcareous
grasslands |
Siliceous rocky
slopes with chasmophytic vegetation |
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Semi-natural dry
grasslands and scrubland facies on calcareous substrates |
Limestone
pavements* |
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Molinia meadows on calcareous, peaty or clavey-silt-laden
soils |
Old sessile oak
woods with Ilex and Blechnum in British Isles |
Descriptions
of all of these habitats can be seen on the JNCC Annex I habitat accounts site,
here.
JNCC
Habitats Pages - http://www.jncc.gov.uk/ProtectedSites/SACselection/SAC_habitats.asp
HC
Habitats Book - http://heritagecouncil.ie/publications/habitats/
Coastland
Habitats - http://www.heritagecouncil.ie/publications/habitats/11.html
Marine
Subtidal Habitats- http://www.heritagecouncil.ie/publications/habitats/13.html
Marine
Intertidal Habitats - http://www.heritagecouncil.ie/publications/habitats/12.html
Marine
Water Body Habitats - http://www.heritagecouncil.ie/publications/habitats/14.html
Peatlands
- http://www.heritagecouncil.ie/publications/habitats/7.html
Heath
and Dense Bracken - http://www.heritagecouncil.ie/publications/habitats/7.html
Grassland
and Marsh - http://www.heritagecouncil.ie/publications/habitats/5.html
Woodland
and Scrub - http://www.heritagecouncil.ie/publications/habitats/8.html
Exposed
Rock/Disturbed Ground - http://www.heritagecouncil.ie/publications/habitats/9.html
Curtis,
T.G.F. and Sheehy Skeffington, M. (1998) - http://www.ria.ie/publications/journals/procbi/1998/PB98I2/PDF/98208BI.pdf
UK Habitat Action Plans - http://www.ukbap.org.uk/habitats.aspx
Link between general habitats and
Anex I habitats in Ireland - http://www.heritagecouncil.ie/publications/habitats/app1.html
Heritage Council Study of Impacts
on Designated Conservation Areas - http://heritagecouncil.ie/publications/coastalrep/index.htm
Bassett,
J. A. 1983 Report on the Conservation of Irish Coastal Sites. Machair in
Ireland. Unpublished Report. Wildlife Service. Dublin.
Bassett,
J.A. and Curtis, T.G.F. (1985). The
nature and occurrence of sand-dune machair in Ireland. Proceedings
of the Royal Irish Academy, 85B
(1): 1-20.
Curtis,
T.G.F. (1991). A site inventory of the
sandy coasts of Ireland. In: Quigley, M.B. (ed) A Guide to the Sand Dunes
of Ireland. 3rd Congress of the European
Union for Dune Conservation and Coastal Management, Galway.
Curtis,
T.G.F. (2003). Saltmarshes. In: Otte, M.L. (ed.) Wetlands
of Ireland - Distribution, Ecology, Uses and Economic
Curtis,
T.G.F. and Sheehy Skeffington, M. (1998).
The Salt Marshes of Ireland: An inventory and account of their
geographical variation. Biology and Environment: Proc. R. Ir. Acad.,
98B (2): 87-104. http://www.ria.ie/publications/journals/procbi/1998/PB98I2/PDF/98208BI.pdf
European
Commission (1999). Interpretation Manual
of European Habitats. EUR 15/2. DG Environment, European Commission.
Healy,
B. 1994 Lagoons and other enclosed brackish waters in the Republic of Ireland.
Dept. Zoology. UCD
Healy,
B. (2003). Coastal Lagoons. In: Otte, M.L. (ed.) Wetlands
of Ireland - Distribution, Ecology, Uses and Economic
McCorry,
M, Curtis, T.G.F. and Otte, M.L. (2003).
Spartina in Ireland. In: Otte, M.L. (ed.) Wetlands
of Ireland - Distribution, Ecology, Uses and Economic
Moore,
D. and Wilson, F. (1999). The National
Shingle Beach Survey of Ireland.
Unpublished Report, NPWS, Dublin.
Neff,
J. (1998). Irish Coastal Habitats: A
Study of Impacts on Designated Conservation Areas. The Heritage Council, Kilkenny. http://heritagecouncil.ie/publications/coastalrep/index.htm
Otte,
M.L. (2003). Wetlands of Ireland -
Distribution, Ecology, Uses and Economic
Quigley,
M.B. (1991) A Guide to the Sand Dunes of Ireland. 3rd Congress of the European Union for Dune
Conservation and Coastal Management, Galway.
