Description of biotope or habitat type
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Phragmites australis swamp and reed beds
Physical habitat description
| Salinity | Low (<18ppt) |
|---|---|
| Wave exposure | Extremely sheltered |
| Tidal streams | Very weak (negligible) |
| Substratum | Mud; peat; sand |
| Zone | Infralittoral - upper |
| Depth Band | 0-5 m |
| Other Features |
Biotope origin
| Derived using data from | Various |
| Faunal group | Epifauna |
Download comparative physical and biological data. The comparative tables enable a rapid comparison of the species composition and principal physical characteristics between a given set of biotopes.
- Records used to define the biotope (core records)
- Other records assigned to this biotope, marked as 'certain'
- Other records assigned to this biotope, marked as 'uncertain'
- Predicted extent of the level 3 (for sublittoral rock & deep sea) or 4 (for sublittoral sediment) habitat
Point data based on records in the UK Marine Recorder Snapshot. Predicted habitat extent is from UKSeaMap.
Description
Permanently low salinity muds or peaty muddy sands with some gravel which supports Phragmites australis reed beds. These reed beds are often found in enclosed water bodies influenced by freshwater inflow and may have notable quantities of decaying reed material. The substratum may be mixtures of mud, peaty mud, sand and some gravel. Filamentous green algae and charophytes such as Lamprothamnium papulosum and Chara aspera may also be found in association with this biotope as well as a the freshwater quillwort Myriophyllum spp. The infaunal component of this biotope is poorly known. This biotope is further described as NVC type S4 (Rodwell 1995).
Situation
No situation data available.
Temporal variation
No temporal data available.
Characterising species
| Taxon | Typical abundance - SACFOR scale | % of core records where taxon was recorded |
|---|---|---|
| Chara aspera | Common | |
| Cladophora | ||
| Lamprothamnium papulosum | Common | |
| Myriophyllum | Occasional | |
| Phragmites | Super abundant | 81-100% |
| Rhizoclonium |
Similar biotopes or habitat types
Not applicable or unknown.
Classification history of this biotope or habitat type
| Classification version | Code | Habitat name |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 (15.03) | SS.SMp.Ang.NVC S4 | Phragmites australis swamp and reed beds |
| 2004 (04.05) | SS.SMp.Ang.NVC S4 | Phragmites australis swamp and reed beds |
| 1997 (97.06) | SS.IMU.Ang.NVC S4 | Phragmites australis swamp and reed beds |
| 1996 (6.95) | IMU.Phr | Phragmites australis swamp and reed beds |