Alde - Ore Estuary (2565)
United Kingdom, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: D1a
Year of last assessment: 2007
National site name: Alde - Ore Estuary
Central coordinates: Latitude: 52.0045, Longitude: 1.5562
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 5
Area of KBA (km2): 25.28813
Protected area coverage (%): 99.81
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: This estuary complex includes the Rivers Alde, Butley and Ore, with Havergate Island, and is of considerable geomorphological interest and important for wintering wildfowl and waders. Orfordness and Havergate Island are also important for breeding gulls and terns.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that meets the thresholds for at least one criterion described in the Global Standard for the Identification of KBAs.
Delineation rationale: First identified in 1989 as Orfordness - Havergate; renamed in 1992; extended to include areas at North Warren in 2007. 2000 area, 2416ha. SPA boundary used from JNCC; digitised at 1:10,000 scale. Additional area added on 1:50,000 maps.
Habitats
Land use: agriculture | nature conservation and research
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | 30 | |
| Marine Neritic | 30 | |
| Grassland | 5 | |
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 5 | |
| Marine Intertidal | 30 |
Threats
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural system modifications | Dams & water management/use | Small dams | Only in the future |
| Human intrusions & disturbance | Recreational activities | Only in the future | |
| Human intrusions & disturbance | War, civil unrest & military exercises | Ongoing | |
| Climate change & severe weather | Habitat shifting & alteration | Ongoing |