EUNIS habitat classification DORIAN MOSS & CYNTHIA DAVIES CENTRE FOR ECOLOGY AND HYDROLOGY MONKS WOOD, UK EUROPEAN ENVIRONMENT AGENCY - EUROPEAN TOPIC CENTRE ON NATURE PROTECTION AND BIODIVERSITY CEH Monks Wood has been contracted to develop the classification by the EEA (through the European Topic Centre on Nature Protection & Biodiversity, formerly ETC/Nature Conservation) since 1996. We have worked with a small multi-national team of experts covering different ecosystem expertise and biogeographic regions of Europe. The classification has been exposed to review first by invitation (in 1998) and since late 1999 through a website.

Aims of EUNIS EUROPEAN NATURE INFORMATION SYSTEM to facilitate use of data by promoting harmonisation of terminology and definitions to be a reservoir of information on environmentally important matters in Europe, e.g. In support of the Topic Centre’s work on Natura 2000 These are the overall aims of EUNIS, which contains three modules: species nomenclature and attributes habitat classification common database of designated areas These are being made available through the EC Clearing House Mechanism (reached through http://nature.eionet.eu.int/): the species module has been completed (May 2001) and plans are being developed to include the habitats module.

EUNIS EUNIS consists of a central unit integrating data models on species, habitats and sites; several secondary databases which are managed by different partners; and an increasing number of satellite databases 3 modules: species, habitats and sites These are the overall aims of EUNIS, which contains three modules: species nomenclature and attributes habitat classification common database of designated areas These are being made available through the EC Clearing House Mechanism (reached through http://nature.eionet.eu.int/): the species module has been completed (May 2001) and plans are being developed to include the habitats module.

EUNIS Species: focus on Annex II – nomenclature, distribution, status Habitats: a European standard for habitat nomenclature; need distribution data Sites: manage the common database on designated areas

Aims of the habitat classification: to provide a common, comprehensive framework and common language to obtain an overview of habitat distribution at European level to provide broad categories for assessment of state and trends of nature in a European context to allow evaluation and monitoring of habitat units and mapping of units at a regional level

Relationships between classifications CORINE/PALAEARCTIC EU -> Palaearctic realm mainly terrestrial comprehensive and detailed non-legislative 1986-1999 ... HELCOM Baltic Sea marine and coastal mainly abiotic Helsinki Convention 1998 BioMar British and Irish seas marine comprehensive non-legislative 1996-1997 BARCELONA Mediterranean Sea marine comprehensive Barcelona Convention 1998 EUNIS pan-European marine & terrestrial comprehensive to level 3/4 non-legislative links to other classifications 1996-2001 EUROPEAN VEGETATION SURVEY Crosswalk to Syntaxa OSPAR/ICES NE Atlantic marine started 1999 It is particularly important to adopt an inclusive approach to other initiatives, so that they can use and add to EUNIS rather than independently develop their own classifications. Where other classifications already exist, we make sure that EUNIS can accommodate them through database links. Note that the Habitats Directive Annex I and Emerald Annex I are not classifications as such, but lists of habitat types designated under the EU Habitats and Species Directive and the Council of Europe Bern Convention respectively. EMERALD Annex I pan-European marine & terrestrial varying levels Bern Convention from Palaearctic, 1995 Habitats Directive Annex I EU marine & terrestrial varying levels EU Habitats Directive 1992 (from CORINE, 1989) CORINE Land Cover pan-European marine & terrestrial 3 levels, 44 classes land cover mapping 1986-1994

EUNIS Habitat Classification (November 1999) MARINE HABITATS B COASTAL HABITATS C INLAND SURFACE WATER HABITATS D MIRE, BOG AND FEN HABITATS E GRASSLAND AND TALL FORB HABITATS F HEATHLAND, SCRUB AND TUNDRA HABITATS G WOODLAND AND FOREST HABITATS AND OTHER WOODED LAND H INLAND UNVEGETATED OR SPARSELY VEGETATED HABITATS I REGULARLY OR RECENTLY CULTIVATED AGRICULTURAL, HORTICULTURAL AND DOMESTIC HABITATS J CONSTRUCTED, INDUSTRIAL AND OTHER ARTIFICIAL HABITATS The 10 EUNIS habitat types identified at level 1

EUNIS Habitat Classification: extract from criteria for level 1 Yes No dry or seasonally wet aquatic or waterlogged Humidity (5) Constructed or extremely artificial or regularly tilled habitat? (1) A MARINE HABITATS Marine? (6) Regularly tilled? (13) Subterranean? (2) Dominated by trees (3) Semi-natural aquatic fauna or flora? (15) C INLAND SURFACE WATER HABITATS Start here Marine? (16) Open water? (7)

Draft EUNIS Habitat Classification: criteria for marine habitats to Level 2 bed A MARINE HABITATS Stratum (17) Substrate (19) A1 Littoral rock and other hard substrata A3 Sublittoral rock and other hard substrata A2 Littoral sediments A4 Sublittoral sediments A8 Ice-associated marine habitats (21) Shelf? (20) mobile hard / non-mobile substrates non-mobile mobile sediments No ice-associated Yes Permanently water-covered? (18) A5 Deep-sea bed A6 Isolated ‘oceanic’ features: seamounts, ridges….. A7 Pelagic water column water column Isolated area of significant elevation? (22) No 17. The criterion distinguishes between strata: the sea bed (non-tidal, inter-tidal and sub-tidal); the water column (in shallow or deep sea, or enclosed coastal waters); and ice or ice-associated marine habitats. 18. …..

Draft EUNIS Habitat Classification: criteria for littoral rock and other hard substrata to Level 3 No Yes Reduced salinity, and non-tidal but exposed by wind action? (a1) A1.4 Rock habitats exposed by action of wind (e.g. hydrolittoral) Cave / overhang? (a2) Standing water left when tide recedes or from splash / spray? (a3) Exposure? (a4) A1.1 Littoral rock very exposed to wave action A1.2 Littoral rock moderately exposed to wave action A1.3 Littoral rock sheltered from wave action A1.6 Littoral rock caves and overhangs A1.5 Rockpools very exposed moderately exposed sheltered

Habitat classification website: developed at http://mrw. wallonie Contents of the website More information on the EUNIS Habitat classification Main entries of the list of habitat types Key for identification Criteria for identification of habitats (box by box and page by page mode) Gallery of criteria diagrams Habitat search tool Glossary of terms Download Key List of habitat types EUNIS links with Habitats Directive Annex I EUNIS links with Bern Convention habitats EUNIS links with the Palaearctic habitat classification EUNIS links with CORINE Land Cover Using the web site

EUNIS and WFD WFD system B descriptors are similar to EUNIS criteria EUNIS criteria for marine habitats to level 3 are physical The WFD typology could benefit from the experience in establishing EUNIS EUNIS could benefit by adapting to meet the needs of WFD WFD system B descriptors are similar to EUNIS criteria EUNIS criteria for marine habitats to level 3 are physical The WFD typology could benefit from the experience in establishing EUNIS EUNIS could benefit by adapting to meet the needs of WFD There is a The use of descriptors is aimed at structuring water bodies according to their physico-chemical environment. This is the same aim as the structuring/classification in the EUNIS system according to the listed criteria. It is obvious that there is a strong link between the EUNIS habitat classification and the WFD typology (see below).   The WFD typology could benefit from the methodology of the EUNIS habitat classification system by applying the same concept and methodological approach for the typology of water bodies. The EUNIS habitat classification could benefit from the water body typology of the WFD by adapting the EUNIS system to modifications for the purpose of the WFD.

EUNIS criteria Criteria for distinguishing EUNIS marine habitat types at level 2 ·         Stratum (bed, water column, ice) ·         Exposure to air (i.e. intertidal / subtidal) ·         On or beyond shelf?  Elevated features? (beyond shelf) ·         Substratum type Level 3: A7 (Pelagic water column) ·         Interface or water body? ·         Mixing characteristics ·         Freshwater influence / reduced salinity ·         Residence time ·         Gradient