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Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SV855088 | — | Unfavourable Declining | 23.57 | 2023-02-24 |
| SV855089 | — | Unfavourable Declining | 23.57 | 2023-02-24 |
| SV856086 | — | Unfavourable Declining | 23.57 | 2023-02-24 |
| SV856087 | — | Unfavourable Declining | 23.57 | 2023-02-24 |
| SV856088 | — | Unfavourable Declining | 23.57 | 2023-02-24 |
| SV856089 | — | Unfavourable Declining | 23.57 | 2023-02-24 |
| SV857085 | — | Unfavourable Declining | 23.57 | 2023-02-24 |
| SV857086 | — | Unfavourable Declining | 23.57 | 2023-02-24 |
| SV859085 | — | Unfavourable Declining | 23.57 | 2023-02-24 |
| SV859090 | — | Unfavourable Declining | 23.57 | 2023-02-24 |
| SV859091 | — | Unfavourable Declining | 23.57 | 2023-02-24 |
| SV861086 | — | Unfavourable Declining | 23.57 | 2023-02-24 |
| SV861090 | — | Unfavourable Declining | 23.57 | 2023-02-24 |
| SV862088 | — | Unfavourable Declining | 23.57 | 2023-02-24 |
| SV862089 | — | Unfavourable Declining | 23.57 | 2023-02-24 |
| SV863080 | — | Unfavourable Declining | 23.57 | 2023-02-24 |
| SV863081 | — | Unfavourable Declining | 23.57 | 2023-02-24 |
| SV863088 | — | Unfavourable Declining | 23.57 | 2023-02-24 |
| SV864085 | — | Unfavourable Declining | 23.57 | 2023-02-24 |
| SV865084 | — | Unfavourable Declining | 23.57 | 2023-02-24 |
Climate exposure
This is about exposure to a nationwide pressure this habitat type carries — not a verdict on this site's own management.
Coastal habitats are exposed to sea-level rise and storm erosion. Where hard sea defences sit behind them, there's nowhere landward to retreat to — a squeeze that keeps compressing the habitat no matter how well it's managed.
Habitats
Geology & landscape
Geological Feature: Raised Beach · Rock Type: Granite
Landscape processes: Coastal, Volcanic / Igneous
Birds & fish recorded
Birds
| Species | Season |
|---|---|
| Manx shearwater | Breeding |
| common tern | Breeding |
| cormorant | Breeding |
| fulmar | Breeding |
| great black-backed gull | Breeding |
| herring gull | Breeding |
| kittiwake | Breeding |
| lesser black-backed gull | Breeding |
| puffin | Breeding |
| razorbill | Breeding |
Description
Area, 119.5 hectares 295.3 ac Description Annet is the largest uninhabited island on the western side of the Isles of Scilly archipelago. It is located one kilometre west of St Agnes, the nearest inhabited island. Annet is only one kilometre long from the granite stacks at the Haycocks to Annet Neck in the south. The whole of the island is composed of Hercynian granite overlain by raised beach deposits and prominent boulder storm beaches, particularly along the western coast. The island is low lying, reaching a maximum altitude of 18 metres and is consequently much exposed to the effects of wind and salt spray. This exposure has restricted species diversity and only 53 species of vascular plant have been recorded on the island. Thrift Armeria maritima occurs in abundance, forming a continuous hummocky turf over most of the northern end of the island where it represents one of the best developed examples of thrift turf in the British Isles. In the southern half of the island the areas of deeper soil support bracken Pteridium aquilinum, together with lesser celandine Ficaria verna and bluebell Hyacinthoides non-scripta. The boulder strewn beaches support sea beet Beta vulgaris sp maritima and tree mallow Malva arborea. The rare shore dock Rumex rupestris occurs on shingle beaches fringing the southern part of the island. The exposed granite carns and boulder beaches support a variety of rare maritime lichen species including Roccella fuciformis. Annet is of outstanding importance as a sea bird colony supporting some 12 species of breeding sea birds. Two species, storm petrel Hydrobates pelagicus and lesser black backed gull Larus fuscus reach nationally important breeding populations. The storm petrel breed in the older and more stable granite boulder beaches particularly along the western and southern sides of the island, whilst the lesser black backed gull colony is mainly concentrated in the bracken bluebell vegetation south west of Carn Windlass. The other breeding sea birds include the largest colony in the archipelago of Manx shearwater Puffinus puffinus, puffin Fratercula arctica and greater black backed gull Larus marinus together with razorbill Alca torda, fulmar Fulmarus glacialis, common tern Sterna hirundo, herring gull Larus argentatus, kittiwake Rissa tridactyla, cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo and shag P. aristotelis.
Species mentioned
Show the 20 species mentioned in the description, with red-list status| English name search for this in other sites |
Latin name search with Google |
IUCN / Red List | Type | Family |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| razorbill | Alca torda | LC (Breeding) | bird-auk | alcidae |
| puffin | Fratercula arctica | CR (Breeding) | bird-auk | alcidae |
| shag | Gulosus aristotelis | VU (Breeding) | bird-frigate | fregatidae |
| cormorant | Phalacrocorax carbo | NT (Breeding) | bird-frigate | fregatidae |
| fulmar | Fulmarus glacialis | CR (Breeding) | bird-fulmar | procellariidae |
| herring gull | Larus argentatus | EN (NonBreeding), EN (Breeding) | bird-gull | laridae |
| lesser black-backed gull | Larus fuscus | DD (Breeding) | bird-gull | laridae |
| great black-backed gull | Larus marinus | EN (NonBreeding), CR (Breeding) | bird-gull | laridae |
| kittiwake | Rissa tridactyla | EN (Breeding) | bird-gull | laridae |
| storm petrel | Hydrobates pelagicus | LC (Breeding) | bird-petrel | hydrobatidae |
| Manx shearwater | Puffinus puffinus | LC (Breeding) | bird-sheerwater | procellariidae |
| common tern | Sterna hirundo | VU (Breeding) | bird-tern | laridae |
| bracken | Pteridium aquilinum | LC | fern | dennstaedtiaceae |
| thrift | Armeria maritima | CR | herb | plumbaginaceae |
| sea beet | Beta vulgaris sp maritima | Not listed in GB list | herb | chenopodiaceae |
| lesser celandine | Ficaria verna | LC | herb | ranunculaceae |
| bluebell | Hyacinthoides non-scripta | LC | herb | liliaceae |
| tree mallow | Malva arborea | LC | herb | malvaceae |
| shore dock | Rumex rupestris | EN | herb | polygonaceae |
| lichen-no common name | Roccella fuciformis | NT | lichen | tba |
Plant communities
MC6 — Coastal vegetated shingle, Hard cliff and cliff slope
Atriplex prostrata-Beta vulgaris ssp. maritima sea-bird cliff community
Show 17 indicator speciesDaucus carota, Sonchus oleraceus, Taraxacum officianalis, Tripleurospermum maritimum, Cochlearia officinalis, Silene uniflora, Spergularia rupicola, Atriplex hastata, Malva arborea, Plantago coronopus, Armeria maritima, Polygonum aviculare, Rumex crispus, Bromus hordeaceous, Catapodium marinum, Dactylis glomerata, Festuca rubra
SD1 — Coastal vegetated shingle, Sand dune
Rumex crispus-Glaucium flavum shingle community
Show 35 indicator speciesSolanum dulcamara, Crithmum maritimum, Cirsium arvense, Cirsium vulgare, Helminthotheca echioides, Hypochaeris radicata, Jacobaea vulgaris, Lactuca serriola, Leontodon saxatilis, Senecio viscosus, Sonchus arvensis, Sonchus asper, Tripleurospermum maritimum, Crambe maritima, Cerastium fontanum, Honckenya peploides, Sagina apetala, Silene uniflora, Atriplex prostrata, Sedum acre, Euphorbia paralias, Lathyrus japonicus, Geranium robertianum, Glaucium flavum, Plantago coronopus, Plantago lanceolata, Rumex crispus, Potentilla anserina, Ammophila arenaria, Arrhenatherum elatius, Elytrigia atherica, Elytrigia juncea, Festuca rubra, Holcus lanatus, Lolium perenne
SD2 — Coastal vegetated shingle, Sand dune
Honkenya peploides-Cakile maritima strandline community
Show 30 indicator speciesSalsola kali, Achillea millefolium, Cirsium arvense, Eryngium maritimum, Hypochaeris radicata, Senecio vulgaris, Sonchus arvensis, Tripleurospermum maritimum, Cakile maritima, Cerastium diffusum, Honckenya peploides, Silene uniflora, Stellaria media agg., Atriplex glabriuscula, Atriplex laciniata, Atriplex littoralis, Atriplex patula, Atriplex prostrata, Sedum acre, Polygonum oxyspermum subsp. Raii, Rumex crispus, Potentilla anserina, Agrostis stolonifera, Ammophila arenaria, Arrhenatherum elatius, Elytrigia juncea, Elytrigia repens, Festuca rubra, Leymus arenarius, Poa annua
SD3 — Coastal vegetated shingle, Sand dune
Matricaria maritima-Galium aparine strandline community
Show 28 indicator speciesBolboschoenus maritimus, Juncus bufonius, Juncus gerardii, Ligusticum scoticum, Matricaria discoidea, Sonchus arvensis, Sonchus asper, Tripleurospermum maritimum, Mertensia maritima, Cakile maritima, Cochlearia officinalis, Honckenya peploides, Stellaria media agg., Atriplex glabriuscula, Atriplex patula, Atriplex prostrata, Triglochin maritimum, Plantago maritima, Armeria maritima, Rumex crispus, Glaux maritima, Galium aparine, Agrostis stolonifera, Elytrigia repens, Festuca rubra, Holcus lanatus, Leymus arenarius, Poa annua
W25 — Bracken scrub
Pteridium aquilinum-Rubus fruticosus underscrub
Show 53 indicator speciesHedera helix, Acer pseudoplatanus, Fagus sylvatica, Quercus robur, Fraxinus excelsior, Sambucus nigra, Ulex europaeus, Crataegus monogyna, Prunus spinosa, Luzula multiflora, Mnium hornum, Brachythecium rutabulum, Kindbergia praelonga, Angelica sylvestris, Conopodium majus, Heracleum sphondylium, Arum maculatum, Cirsium arvense, Lonicera periclymenum, Silene dioica, Stellaria holostea, Mercurialis perennis, Geranium robertianum, Glechoma hederacea, Teucrium scorodonia, Hyacinthoides non-scripta, Chamerion angustifolium, Circaea lutetiana, Digitalis purpurea, Rumex acetosa, Anemone nemorosa, Ficaria verna, Potentilla erecta, Rosa arvensis, Rosa canina, Rubus fruticosus agg., Rubus idaeus, Galium aparine, Galium mollugo sens.lat., Galium saxatile, Urtica dioica, Viola riviniana, Agrostis capillaris, Anthoxanthum odoratum, Arrhenatherum elatius, Dactylis glomerata, Festuca rubra, Holcus lanatus, Holcus mollis, Poa trivialis, Pteridium aquilinum, Dryopteris dilatata, Dryopteris filix-mas