Habitat point records from 1986 BMNH south-east England littoral chalk & greensand faunal survey

A comprehensive baseline shore survey of macrobenthos within the Folkestone Warren SSSI was carried out, with transects established at Shakespeare Cliff, Abbot's Cliff and Copt Point for future monitoring of the impacts of the Channel Tunnel construction works. The most serious direct impact of the works upon the coastal environment is the proposed use of the foreshore within the SSSI for reclamation of a large construction platform and the disposal of excess spoil from the tunnel works. Transect lines were marked and levelled, shore profiles constructed and the major floral and faunal bands and zones identified and levelled. Full species lists were produced and quantitative or semi-quantitative records made of dominant species. The population structure of some common species was recorded. A further 10 sites between Brighton, Sussex and Birchington, Kent were also surveyed. General shore descriptions are given for each site and details of the flora and fauna present analysed within their major assemblages and zonation patterns. Overall algal species occurrence in the south-east is discussed and an ordination of species from a wide range of British sites carried out. Notable records from the survey area include a number of ephemeral, apparently rare species and many are at their eastern-most limit of distribution in the English Channel, although the restricted period of study resulted in generally low species totals. Twenty-three different assemblages ('communities') are described and related to other phytosociological appraisals in literature. The absence of some of the major assemblages is attributed to the physical characteristics of the chalk shores and the absence of suitable habitats at some sites. Six major faunal zones are described and assemblages of macro-invertebrates from under-boulder and over-hang habitats recognised. Fifty new invertebrate records for kent and Sussex were obtained. The absence of records for other areas of coastal chalk in England is noted. All sites visited are ranked in order of importance for their algal and faunal habitats and diversity and recommendations made for the extention or revision of existing SSSI's to incorporate areas of high marine biololgical interest. The length of coast from Copt Point to Abbot's Cliff, including unusual chalk marl areas in East Wear Bay and near Abbot's Cliff, is thought to be one of the most important marine sites between Yorkshire and the Isle of Wight, with The Pound, Eastbourne identified as the most important site in the south-east after Copt Point. The report concludes that chalk shores are of limited distribution in the British Isles, with major examples in Kent and Sussex. Locations with other rock types are relatively species-rich and assemblages differ from those on chalk. Overall, south-eastern England is species-poor in comparison with western England, with eastern Kent the least species-rich area studied. Further surveys to include the geologically different coastline of the Hastings area and chalk coastal outcroppings elsewhere in England are recommended.针对福克斯通沃伦特殊科学价值地点（Folkestone Warren SSSI）内的大型底栖生物（macrobenthos）开展了全面的基线海岸调查，在莎士比亚悬崖、阿博特悬崖与科普特角设立了调查断面，用于后续监测英吉利海峡隧道（Channel Tunnel）工程施工带来的环境影响。该工程对海岸环境最严重的直接影响，为拟将该特殊科学价值地点内的前滨区域用于搭建大型施工平台，以及处置隧道工程产生的过量弃土。研究人员对断面线进行了标记与水准测量，构建了海岸剖面，并识别并测量了主要的动植物群落带与分区。研究团队编制了完整的物种名录，对优势物种开展了定量或半定量记录，并记录了部分常见物种的种群结构。此外，还对萨塞克斯郡布莱顿至肯特郡伯奇顿之间的另外10个调查点位开展了调查。各点位均提供了一般性海岸描述，并对其现存动植物的主要群落组成与分区模式进行了分析。本研究讨论了英格兰东南部藻类物种的分布情况，并对英国多个点位的物种开展了排序分析。本次调查区域内记录到的值得关注的物种多为偶见、疑似稀有的类群，其中多数物种在英吉利海峡的分布范围达到其东界；不过由于研究周期有限，整体物种总数普遍偏低。本研究共描述了23个不同的大型底栖生物群落（assemblages），并将其与文献中的其他植物社会学评估结果进行了关联。部分主要群落的缺失可归因于白垩海岸的物理特性，以及部分点位缺乏适宜栖息地。研究划分了6个主要动物分区，并识别了岩块下方与悬垂生境中的大型无脊椎动物群落。本次调查共获取了肯特与萨塞克斯地区的50个无脊椎动物新记录，并指出英格兰其他沿海白垩岸段缺乏相关调查记录。所有调查点位均根据其藻类与动物栖息地的重要性及多样性进行了排序，并提出了扩展或修订现有特殊科学价值地点的建议，以纳入具有高海洋生物保护价值的区域。从科普特角至阿博特悬崖的海岸带，包括东韦尔湾及阿博特悬崖附近的特殊白垩泥灰岩区域，被认为是约克郡至怀特岛之间最重要的海洋生境点位之一；而伊斯特本庞德（The Pound, Eastbourne）则被认定为继科普特角之后英格兰东南部最重要的调查点位。报告总结道，白垩海岸在不列颠群岛的分布范围有限，肯特与萨塞克斯郡拥有英国主要的白垩海岸分布区。其他岩性类型的海岸物种丰富度相对更高，其群落组成与白垩海岸存在显著差异。整体而言，与英格兰西部相比，英格兰东南部的物种丰富度较低，其中肯特东部是本次调查中物种丰富度最低的区域。报告建议开展进一步调查，涵盖地质特征不同的黑斯廷斯地区海岸线，以及英格兰其他区域的白垩海岸露头。