1. EUNIS habitat classification
DORIAN MOSS & CYNTHIA DAVIES
CENTRE FOR ECOLOGY AND HYDROLOGY
MONKS WOOD, UK
EUROPEAN ENVIRONMENT AGENCY - EUROPEAN TOPIC CENTRE ON NATURE PROTECTION AND BIODIVERSITY
CEH Monks Wood has been contracted to develop the classification by the EEA (through the European Topic Centre on Nature Protection & Biodiversity, formerly ETC/Nature Conservation) since 1996.
We have worked with a small multi-national team of experts covering different ecosystem expertise and biogeographic regions of Europe.
The classification has been exposed to review first by invitation (in 1998) and since late 1999 through a website.

2. Aims of EUNIS EUROPEAN NATURE INFORMATION SYSTEM
to facilitate use of data by promoting harmonisation of terminology and definitions
to be a reservoir of information on environmentally important matters in Europe, e.g. In support of the Topic Centre’s work on Natura 2000
These are the overall aims of EUNIS, which contains three modules:
species nomenclature and attributes
habitat classification
common database of designated areas
These are being made available through the EC Clearing House Mechanism (reached through the species module has been completed (May 2001) and plans are being developed to include the habitats module.

3. EUNIS
EUNIS consists of a central unit integrating data models on species, habitats and sites; several secondary databases which are managed by different partners; and an increasing number of satellite databases
3 modules: species, habitats and sites
These are the overall aims of EUNIS, which contains three modules:
species nomenclature and attributes
habitat classification
common database of designated areas
These are being made available through the EC Clearing House Mechanism (reached through the species module has been completed (May 2001) and plans are being developed to include the habitats module.

4. EUNIS
Species: focus on Annex II – nomenclature, distribution, status
Habitats: a European standard for habitat nomenclature; need distribution data
Sites: manage the common database on designated areas

5. Aims of the habitat classification:
to provide a common, comprehensive framework and common language
to obtain an overview of habitat distribution at European level
to provide broad categories for assessment of state and trends of nature in a European context
to allow evaluation and monitoring of habitat units and mapping of units at a regional level

6. Relationships between classifications
CORINE/PALAEARCTIC
EU -> Palaearctic realm
mainly terrestrial
comprehensive and detailed
non-legislative
HELCOM
Baltic Sea
marine and coastal
mainly abiotic
Helsinki Convention
1998
BioMar
British and Irish seas
marine
comprehensive
non-legislative
BARCELONA
Mediterranean Sea
marine
comprehensive
Barcelona Convention
1998
EUNIS
pan-European
marine & terrestrial
comprehensive to level 3/4
non-legislative
links to other classifications
EUROPEAN VEGETATION SURVEY
Crosswalk to Syntaxa
OSPAR/ICES
NE Atlantic
marine
started 1999
It is particularly important to adopt an inclusive approach to other initiatives, so that they can use and add to EUNIS rather than independently develop their own classifications.
Where other classifications already exist, we make sure that EUNIS can accommodate them through database links.
Note that the Habitats Directive Annex I and Emerald Annex I are not classifications as such, but lists of habitat types designated under the EU Habitats and Species Directive and the Council of Europe Bern Convention respectively.
EMERALD Annex I
pan-European
marine & terrestrial
varying levels
Bern Convention
from Palaearctic, 1995
Habitats Directive Annex I EU
marine & terrestrial
varying levels
EU Habitats Directive
1992 (from CORINE, 1989)
CORINE Land Cover
pan-European
marine & terrestrial
3 levels, 44 classes
land cover mapping

7. EUNIS Habitat Classification (November 1999)
MARINE HABITATS B
COASTAL HABITATS C
INLAND SURFACE WATER HABITATS D
MIRE, BOG AND FEN HABITATS E
GRASSLAND AND TALL FORB HABITATS F
HEATHLAND, SCRUB AND TUNDRA HABITATS G
WOODLAND AND FOREST HABITATS AND OTHER WOODED LAND H
INLAND UNVEGETATED OR SPARSELY VEGETATED HABITATS I
REGULARLY OR RECENTLY CULTIVATED AGRICULTURAL, HORTICULTURAL AND DOMESTIC HABITATS J
CONSTRUCTED, INDUSTRIAL AND OTHER ARTIFICIAL HABITATS
The 10 EUNIS habitat types identified at level 1

8. EUNIS Habitat Classification: extract from criteria for level 1
Yes No
dry or seasonally wet
aquatic or waterlogged
Humidity (5)
Constructed or extremely artificial or regularly tilled habitat?
(1) A
MARINE HABITATS
Marine? (6)
Regularly tilled? (13)
Subterranean? (2)
Dominated by trees (3)
Semi-natural aquatic fauna or flora?
(15) C
INLAND SURFACE WATER HABITATS
Start here
Marine? (16)
Open water? (7)

9. Draft EUNIS Habitat Classification: criteria for marine habitats to Level 2
bed A
MARINE HABITATS
Stratum (17)
Substrate
(19) A1
Littoral rock and other hard substrata A3
Sublittoral rock and other hard substrata A2
Littoral sediments A4
Sublittoral sediments A8
Ice-associated marine habitats
(21)
Shelf?
(20)
mobile
hard / non-mobile substrates
non-mobile
mobile sediments No
ice-associated
Yes
Permanently water-covered?
(18) A5
Deep-sea bed A6
Isolated ‘oceanic’ features: seamounts, ridges….. A7
Pelagic water column
water column
Isolated area of significant elevation? (22) No
17. The criterion distinguishes between strata: the sea bed (non-tidal, inter-tidal and sub-tidal); the water column (in shallow or deep sea, or enclosed coastal waters); and ice or ice-associated marine habitats.
18. …..

10. Draft EUNIS Habitat Classification: criteria for littoral rock and other hard substrata to Level 3No
Yes
Reduced salinity, and non-tidal but exposed by wind action?
(a1)
A1.4
Rock habitats exposed by action of wind (e.g. hydrolittoral)
Cave / overhang?
(a2)
Standing water left when tide recedes or from splash / spray?
(a3)
Exposure?
(a4)
A1.1
Littoral rock very exposed to wave action
A1.2
Littoral rock moderately exposed to wave action
A1.3
Littoral rock sheltered from wave action
A1.6
Littoral rock caves and overhangs
A1.5
Rockpools
very exposed
moderately exposed
sheltered

11. Habitat classification website: developed at http://mrw. wallonie
Contents of the website
More information on the EUNIS Habitat classification
Main entries of the list of habitat types
Key for identification
Criteria for identification of habitats (box by box and page by page mode)
Gallery of criteria diagrams
Habitat search tool
Glossary of terms
Download
Key
List of habitat types
EUNIS links with Habitats Directive Annex I
EUNIS links with Bern Convention habitats
EUNIS links with the Palaearctic habitat classification
EUNIS links with CORINE Land Cover
Using the web site

12. EUNIS and WFD WFD system B descriptors are similar to EUNIS criteria
EUNIS criteria for marine habitats to level 3 are physical
The WFD typology could benefit from the experience in establishing EUNIS
EUNIS could benefit by adapting to meet the needs of WFD
WFD system B descriptors are similar to EUNIS criteria
EUNIS criteria for marine habitats to level 3 are physical
The WFD typology could benefit from the experience in establishing EUNIS
EUNIS could benefit by adapting to meet the needs of WFD
There is a The use of descriptors is aimed at structuring water bodies according to their physico-chemical environment. This is the same aim as the structuring/classification in the EUNIS system according to the listed criteria. It is obvious that there is a strong link between the EUNIS habitat classification and the WFD typology (see below).
The WFD typology could benefit from the methodology of the EUNIS habitat classification system by applying the same concept and methodological approach for the typology of water bodies.
The EUNIS habitat classification could benefit from the water body typology of the WFD by adapting the EUNIS system to modifications for the purpose of the WFD.

13. EUNIS criteria
Criteria for distinguishing EUNIS marine habitat types at level 2
·         Stratum (bed, water column, ice)
·         Exposure to air (i.e. intertidal / subtidal)
·         On or beyond shelf?  Elevated features? (beyond shelf)
·         Substratum type
Level 3: A7 (Pelagic water column)
·         Interface or water body?
·         Mixing characteristics
·         Freshwater influence / reduced salinity
·         Residence time
·         Gradient