UK BAP list of priority habitats

UK BAP priority habitats were those that were identified as being the most threatened and requiring conservation action under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan (UK BAP). The original list of UK BAP priority habitats was created between 1995 and 1999, and was revised in 2007, following publication of the Species and Habitats Review Report (PDF, 1.3Mb). Following this review, the list of UK BAP priority habitats increased from 49 to 65.

As a result of devolution, and new country-level and international drivers and requirements, much of the work previously carried out by the UK BAP is now focussed at a country-level rather than a UK-level, and the UK BAP has recently (July 2012) been succeeded by the 'UK Post-2010 Biodiversity Framework'. The UK list of priority habitats, however, remains an important reference source and has been used to help draw up statutory lists of priorities in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The revised list of priority habitats is shown in the table below, along with links to the definitions of these habitats, which are from 'UK Biodiversity Action Plan: Priority Habitat Descriptions' (PDF, 2.0Mb), published in 2008. Note this document was updated in July 2010 and December 2011, with some amended definitions.

In addition to the priority habitat details, including links to definitions, and details of changes following the 2007 review, the priority habitats are grouped according to the UK BAP broad habitat type with which they are mainly associated.

Habitat definitions are available as 'Word' documents, and also as PDF files.

UK BAP broad habitat	UK BAP priority habitat (click on link for definition)	Changes agreed in the 2007 review
Terrestrial and Freshwater Habitats
Rivers and Streams	Rivers (updated December 2011*) Word document PDF (114kb)	New priority habitat [including existing Chalk Rivers priority habitat] (scope clarified in 2010)
Standing Open Waters and Canals	Oligotrophic and Dystrophic Lakes Word document PDF (31kb)	New priority habitat
	Ponds Word document PDF (71kb)	New priority habitat
	Mesotrophic Lakes Word document PDF (26kb)	No change
	Eutrophic Standing Waters Word document PDF (29kb)	No change
	Aquifer Fed Naturally Fluctuating Water Bodies Word document PDF (37kb)	No change
Arable and Horticultural	Arable Field Margins Word document PDF (43kb)	Revised name (previously 'Cereal Field Margins'); scope clarified
Boundary and Linear Features	Hedgerows Word document PDF (25kb)	Revised name (previously 'Ancient and/or Species-Rich Hedgerows'); scope expanded
Broadleaved, Mixed and Yew Woodland	Traditional Orchards Word document PDF (80kb)	New priority habitat
	Wood-Pasture and Parkland (updated December 2011) Word document PDF (34kb)	Revised name (previously 'Lowland Wood-Pasture and Parkland'); scope expanded
	Upland Oakwood Word document PDF (26kb)	No change
	Lowland Beech and Yew Woodland Word document PDF (29kb)	No change
	Upland Mixed Ashwoods Word document PDF (29kb)	No change
	Wet Woodland Word document PDF (29kb)	No change
	Lowland Mixed Deciduous Woodland Word document PDF (27kb)	Formally adopted as priority habitat
	Upland Birchwoods Word document PDF (33kb)	Formally adopted as priority habitat
Coniferous Woodland	Native Pine Woodlands Word document PDF (27kb)	No change
Acid Grassland	Lowland Dry Acid Grassland Word document PDF (30kb)	No change
Calcareous Grassland	Lowland Calcareous Grassland Word document PDF (29kb)	No change; scope clarified
	Upland Calcareous Grassland Word document PDF (27kb)	No change
Neutral Grassland	Lowland Meadows Word document PDF (30kb)	No change
	Upland Hay Meadows Word document PDF (27kb)	No change
Improved Grassland	Coastal and Floodplain Grazing Marsh Word document PDF (26kb)	No change
Dwarf Shrub Heath	Lowland Heathland Word document PDF (25kb)	No change; scope clarified
	Upland Heathland Word document PDF (29kb)	No change
Fen, Marsh and Swamp	Upland Flushes, Fens and Swamps Word document PDF (34kb)	New priority habitat
	Purple Moor Grass and Rush Pastures Word document PDF (27kb)	No change
	Lowland Fens Word document PDF (26kb)	Revised name (previously 'Fens')
	Reedbeds Word document PDF (26kb)	No change
Bogs	Lowland Raised Bog Word document PDF (29kb)	No change
	Blanket Bog Word version PDF (30kb)	No change
Montane Habitats	Mountain Heaths and Willow Scrub Word document PDF (33kb)	New priority habitat
Inland Rock	Inland Rock Outcrop and Scree Habitats Word document PDF (37kb)	New priority habitat
	Calaminarian Grasslands Word version PDF (65kb)	New priority habitat
	Open Mosaic Habitats on Previously Developed Land (updated July 2010) Word document PDF (78kb)	New priority habitat (scope clarified in 2010)
	Limestone Pavements Word document PDF (25kb)	No change
Supralittoral Rock	Maritime Cliff and Slopes Word document PDF (33kb)	No change
Supralittoral Sediment	Coastal Vegetated Shingle Word document PDF (27kb)	No change
	Machair Word document PDF (29kb)	No change
	Coastal Sand Dunes Word version PDF (34kb)	No change
Marine Habitats
Littoral Rock	Intertidal Chalk Word document PDF (34kb)	Revised name (previously part of 'Littoral and Sublittoral Chalk')
	Intertidal Underboulder Communities Word document PDF (84kb)	New priority habitat
	Sabellaria alveolata reefs Word document PDF (35kb)	No change
Littoral Sediment	Coastal Saltmarsh Word version PDF (84kb)	No change
	Intertidal Mudflats Word document PDF (35kb)	Revised name (previously 'Mudflats')
	Seagrass Beds Word document PDF (34kb)	No change (includes both intertidal and subtidal beds)
	Sheltered Muddy Gravels Word document PDF (86kb)	No change
	Peat and Clay Exposures with Piddocks Word document PDF (132kb)	New priority habitat
Sublittoral Rock	Subtidal Chalk Word document PDF (33kb)	Revised name (previously part of 'Littoral and Sublittoral Chalk')
	Tide-swept Channels Word document PDF (35kb)	Revised name (previously 'Tidal Rapids'); scope expanded
	Fragile Sponge and Anthozoan Communities on Subtidal Rocky Habitats Word document PDF (76kb)	New priority habitat
	Esuarine Rocky Habitats Word document PDF (105kb)	New priority habitat
	Seamount Communities Word document PDF (33kb)	New priority habitat
	Carbonate Mounds Word version PDF (79kb)	New priority habitat
	Cold-Water Coral Reefs Word document PDF (123kb)	Revised name (previously 'Lophelia pertusa Reefs')
	Deep-Sea Sponge Communities Word document PDF (135kb)	New priority habitat
	Sabellaria spinulosa Reefs Word document PDF (35kb)	No change
Sublittoral Sediment	Subtidal Sands and Gravels Word document PDF (38kb)	Revised name (previously 'Sublittoral Sands and Gravels')
	Horse Mussel Beds Word document PDF (37kb)	Revised name (previously 'Modiolus modiolus Beds')
	Mud Habitats in Deep Water Word document PDF (105kb)	No change
	File Shell Beds Word document PDF (248kb)	New priority habitat
	Maerl Beds Word document PDF (33kb)	No change
	Serpulid Reefs Word document PDF (33kb)	No change
	Blue Mussel Beds on Sediment Word version PDF (101kb)	New priority habitat
	Saline Lagoons Word document PDF (32kb)	No change

*Note that a spreadsheet of potential, or candidate river water bodies was generated in December 2011. For more information >>

Note also that several habitats (e.g. 'Coastal and Floodplain Grazing Marsh' and 'Wood-Pasture and Parkland') actually occur in more than one Broad Habitat type, or are habitat complexes, but for simplicity they are listed against only one broad habitat in the table above.