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Ecosystems - summary
This Guide is concerned principally with the management and restoration of
individual coastal habitats. These seldom, however, exist in isolation and one
habitat can act as a precursor for the development of another. The most complex
system is probably an estuary
where all the habitats dealt with in this guide can potentially exist within
one site. The development of spits, bars and barriers is also a complex process.
Another important issue of relevance to decision-making when considering habitat
restoration, is the extent of transitions
between habitats. These can be amongst the biologically most diverse areas within
individual sites.
| Guidance: The geomorphological relationships between coastal habitats
and the value of transition zones and should be included when considering
opportunities for habitat restoration. This may be especially important
when the replacement of one habitat by another is invovled as in some managed
realignment schemes. Allowing transition zones to develop between individual
habitats, may also be significant as a means of helping to reach
UK biodiversity targets.
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Note: The importance of these relationships has been recognised as
an issue requiring further work in the accompanying
report.
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