UKBAP Habitats

This page lists priority habitats in the UK Biodiversity Action Plan, updated in line with the latest review (UK Biodiversity Action Plan website ). Definitions are available on the UKBAP website .

Also see UKBAP Habitat - Taxa Associations for taxa/UKBAP Habitat associations in the county.

Habitats in the table below are not necessarily present in Essex.

Broad Category	UKBAP Broad Habitat	UKBAP Habitat	Changes	Criteria
Terrestrial & Freshwater	Acid Grassland	Lowland Dry Acid Grassland	No change
Terrestrial & Freshwater	Arable & Horticultural	Arable Field Margins	No change
Terrestrial & Freshwater	Bogs	Blanket Bog	No change
Terrestrial & Freshwater	Bogs	Lowland Raised Bog	No change
Terrestrial & Freshwater	Boundary & Linear Features	Hedgerows	Revised name; expanded scope	Decline, Key species
Terrestrial & Freshwater	Broadleaved, Mixed and Yew Woodland	Lowland Beech and Yew Woodland	No change
Terrestrial & Freshwater	Broadleaved, Mixed and Yew Woodland	Lowland Mixed Deciduous Woodland	No change
Terrestrial & Freshwater	Broadleaved, Mixed and Yew Woodland	Traditional Orchards	New habitat	Decline, Key species
Terrestrial & Freshwater	Broadleaved, Mixed and Yew Woodland	Upland Birchwoods	No change
Terrestrial & Freshwater	Broadleaved, Mixed and Yew Woodland	Upland Mixed Ashwoods	No change
Terrestrial & Freshwater	Broadleaved, Mixed and Yew Woodland	Upland Oakwood	No change
Terrestrial & Freshwater	Broadleaved, Mixed and Yew Woodland	Wet Woodland	No change
Terrestrial & Freshwater	Broadleaved, Mixed and Yew Woodland	Wood-Pasture & Parkland	Revised name; expanded scope	UK obligation, Decline, Key species
Terrestrial & Freshwater	Calcareous Grassland	Lowland Calcareous Grassland	No change
Terrestrial & Freshwater	Calcareous Grassland	Upland Calcareous Grassland	No change
Terrestrial & Freshwater	Coniferous Woodland	Native Pine Woodlands	No change
Terrestrial & Freshwater	Dwarf Shrub Heath	Lowland Heathland	No change
Terrestrial & Freshwater	Dwarf Shrub Heath	Upland Heathland	No change
Terrestrial & Freshwater	Fen, Marsh and Swamp	Lowland Fens	No change
Terrestrial & Freshwater	Fen, Marsh and Swamp	Purple Moor Grass and Rush Pastures	No change
Terrestrial & Freshwater	Fen, Marsh and Swamp	Reedbeds	No change
Terrestrial & Freshwater	Fen, Marsh and Swamp	Upland Flushes, Fens and Swamps	New habitat	UK obligation, Decline, Key species
Terrestrial & Freshwater	Improved Grassland	Coastal and Floodplain Grazing Marsh	No change
Terrestrial & Freshwater	Inland Rock	Calaminarian Grasslands	New habitat	UK obligation, Decline, Key species
Terrestrial & Freshwater	Inland Rock	Inland Rock Outcrop and Scree Habitats	New habitat	UK obligation, Decline, Key species
Terrestrial & Freshwater	Inland Rock	Limestone Pavements	No change
Terrestrial & Freshwater	Inland Rock	Open Mosaic Habitats on Previously Developed Land	New habitat (originally Post-industrial sites)	Decline, Key species
Terrestrial & Freshwater	Montane Habitats	Mountain Heaths and Willow Scrub	New habitat	UK obligation, Decline, Key species
Terrestrial & Freshwater	Neutral Grassland	Lowland Meadows	No change
Terrestrial & Freshwater	Neutral Grassland	Upland Hay Meadows	No change
Terrestrial & Freshwater	Rivers and Streams	Rivers	New habitat, incorporating an existing habitat (Chalk Rivers). Further work by specialists is required to develop guidelines for the identification of river reaches which will be priorities for UK BAP action.	UK obligation, Decline, Key species
Terrestrial & Freshwater	Standing Open Water and Canals	Aquifer Fed Naturally Fluctuating Water Bodies	No change
Terrestrial & Freshwater	Standing Open Water and Canals	Eutrophic Standing Waters	No change
Terrestrial & Freshwater	Standing Open Water and Canals	Mesotrophic Lakes	No change
Terrestrial & Freshwater	Standing Open Water and Canals	Oligotrophic and Dystrophic Lakes	New habitat	UK obligation, Decline, Key species
Terrestrial & Freshwater	Standing Open Water and Canals	Ponds	New habitat	UK obligation, Decline, Key species
Terrestrial & Freshwater	Supralittoral Rock	Maritime Cliff and Slopes	No change
Terrestrial & Freshwater	Supralittoral Sediment	Coastal Sand Dunes	No change
Terrestrial & Freshwater	Supralittoral Sediment	Coastal Vegetated Shingle	No change
Terrestrial & Freshwater	Supralittoral Sediment	Machair	No change
Marine	Littoral rock	Intertidal boulder communities	New habitat	UK obligation, Decline, Functional habitat
Marine	Littoral rock	Intertidal chalk	Revised name; (currently within Littoral and sublittoral chalk HAP)
Marine	Littoral rock	Sabellaria alveolata reefs	No change
Marine	Littoral sediment	Coastal saltmarsh	No change
Marine	Littoral sediment	Intertidal mudflats	Revised name; (currently Mudflats)
Marine	Littoral sediment	Peat and clay exposures	New habitat	Key species, Functional habitat
Marine	Littoral sediment	Seagrass beds	No change (includes both intertidal and subtidal beds)
Marine	Littoral sediment	Sheltered muddy gravels	No change
Marine	Sublittoral rock	Carbonate mounds	New habitat	UK obligation, Functional habitat
Marine	Sublittoral rock	Cold-water coral reefs	Revised name; (currently Lophelia pertusa reefs)
Marine	Sublittoral rock	Deep-sea sponge communities	New habitat	UK obligation, Functional habitat
Marine	Sublittoral rock	Estuarine rocky habitats	New habitat	UK obligation, Decline, Key species, Functional habitat
Marine	Sublittoral rock	Fragile sponge & anthozoan communities on subtidal rocky habitats	New habitat	UK obligation, Decline, Key species, Functional habitat
Marine	Sublittoral rock	Sabellaria spinulosa reefs	No change
Marine	Sublittoral rock	Seamount communities	New habitat	UK obligation, Decline, Key species, Functional habitat
Marine	Sublittoral rock	Subtidal chalk	Revised name; (currently within Littoral and sublittoral chalk HAP)
Marine	Sublittoral rock	Tide-swept channels	Name change and habitat expansion
Marine	Sublittoral sediment	Blue mussel beds	New habitat	UK obligation, Decline, Functional habitat
Marine	Sublittoral sediment	File shell beds	New habitat	Key species, Functional habitat
Marine	Sublittoral sediment	Horse mussel beds	Revised name; (currently Modiolus modiolus beds)
Marine	Sublittoral sediment	Maerl beds	No change
Marine	Sublittoral sediment	Mud habitats in deep water	No change
Marine	Sublittoral sediment	Saline lagoons	No change
Marine	Sublittoral sediment	Serpulid reefs	No change
Marine	Sublittoral sediment	Subtidal sands and gravels	No change