1.7 Explanation of the accounts

The accounts for each Annex I and Annex II feature are headed with the codes and names for the habitat types, and species names, adopted by Council Directive 97/62/EC Adapting to technical and scientific progress Directive 92/43/EEC on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora. The codes for species are those adopted in Appendix C of the guidance to the Standard Data Form for Natura 2000 sites (European Commission DGXI 1995). Annex I priority habitat types and the single Annex II priority species known to currently occur in the UK are preceded in the headings by an asterisk (*).

Names of Annex I and Annex II features are highlighted in the text in bold where appropriate; the codes are also given when referring to a feature in a different account.

1.) Background to selection

Description and ecological characteristics

For Annex I habitats: typical species composition, structural characteristics, main lines of variation, associated rare species.

For Annex II species: brief description, including any critical stages in life cycle, genetic variation, etc.

Important biotic and abiotic factors, e.g. geology, climate, landscape setting, etc.

 

European status and distribution
A summary of the distribution, abundance and status of the feature in Europe, particularly EU member states, including any trends in distribution and abundance.

UK status and distribution
A summary of the distribution, abundance and status of the feature in the UK, including any trends in distribution and abundance. Features for which the UK has particular responsibilities are highlighted.

Site selection rationale

• Rationale for selection of the UK SAC series for each interest feature, in relation to the factors described above.
• Data on proportion of UK resource contained within the SAC series.

2.) Site accounts
Site accounts are provided for features of international importance which are primary reasons for the selection of a site as a SAC. Features of such outstanding quality are graded A or B when cSACs are submitted to the EC.

 

Site name

Local authority (County/unitary/island council)

 

Brief account of the feature at the site. The local authorities listed are those that have a major role in planning and development control, as identified on the cSAC consultation documents (the 'Reasons for Recommendation') at the time of submission - district councils are not listed.

3.) SACs where this Annex I/Annex II feature is a qualifying feature, but not a primary reason for site selection
Features that are of national importance (generally of at least SSSI quality on terrestrial sites) but which occur on sites primarily selected for other (A or B grade) features are listed, but are not given site accounts for reasons of space. These 'secondary' features are graded C when cSACs are submitted to the EC. As with the primary features, they are European features, and therefore have conservation objectives and are protected under the Habitats Regulations.
Features of below SSSI quality are not listed. These are listed as non-qualifying features ("non-significant presence") when cSACs are submitted to the EC. They are not classed as European features, and therefore do not require conservation objectives and are not protected under the Habitats Regulations. However, in many cases they are still protected under UK legislation unrelated to the Habitats Directive.