Saltmarsh Management Manual
 
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Surveying & Monitoring
  
Indicators for Policy Response & Action
  

 

Common standards monitoring (cont)

Attributes and targets

For saltmarsh habitats, five mandatory attributes have been defined (see table below). The targets are for guidance only and should be interpreted in terms of local knowledge of the site, its history and its surroundings. When a target is not applicable to a particluar site it should be excluded, but a record of why the decision was taken should be made (JNCC, 2004).

List of mandatory attributes and associated favourable condition targets for saltmarsh

Attribute

Target (examples)

Habitat extent
(including the effects of sea level change)

No decrease in extent from established baseline (subject to natural change)

Physical structure

(creeks and pans)

No further anthropogenic alteration of creek patterns or loss of pans compared to an established baseline

Vegetation structure

(zonation and sward structure)

Site specific targets should be set according to conservation objectives or the management plan

Maintain site-specific structural diversity

Vegetation composition

(characteristic species or indicators of negative trends (e.g. the presence of invasive Spartina))

Maintain the frequency of characteristic species of saltmarsh zones (see Box 1 section 14 of JNCC (2004) report)

Other negative indicators

No obvious signs of pollution

Turf cutting absent or rare

Further information on CSM is provided on the JNCC website (click on the link below to access this information):

http://www.jncc.gov.uk/csm/guidance
/PDFs/CSM_coastal_saltmarsh.pdf

The presence of notable species (vascular plants) or other important features, e.g. transitions to other habitats, are considered to be discretionary attributes (i.e. indicators of local distinctiveness). It will not be appropriate to use these ‘quality indicators’ on every saltmarsh site, but where they are part of the reason for notification of the site they should form an integral part of any condition assessment.

 



 

  
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