Natural England has a duty to report on the condition of saltmarsh features of the Plymouth Sound and Estuaries SAC and underlying SSSI units once every 6 years. This project reported on the conservation status of the saltmarsh communities subfeature by repeating transects surveyed previously. It was conducted in-house in the summer of 2013 and efforts were made to achieve consistency with the Environment Agency Water Framework Directive monitoring methods.
Project details
| Start date | 2013-06-13 |
|---|---|
| End date | 2014-03-31 |
Closing statement
The overall condition of the saltmarsh feature in the Tamar Estuary appears stable and favourable. The overall extent of the feature is stable. Whilst some change was noted at SSSI Unit level, these changes should be viewed with a degree of caution due to methodological considerations. Community structure is also stable and the species present exhibit a high degree of consistency over the longer term.
Note: the appendices will be published in due course.