Poole Harbour (2576)
United Kingdom, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2007
National site name: Poole Harbour
Central coordinates: Latitude: 50.6998, Longitude: -2.0277
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 21
Area of KBA (km2): 23.15341
Protected area coverage (%): 99.91
KBA classification: Regional
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: A drowned valley that forms one of the largest natural harbours in the world, with the five islands representing high ground between the former river valleys. Habitat-types include mudflats, saltmarsh, reed Phragmites-swamp and heathland. The IBA is important for wintering wildfowl and waders, and for breeding gulls and terns.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that was identified using previously established criteria and thresholds for the identification of Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs) and for which available data indicate that it does not meet global KBA criteria and thresholds set out in the Global Standard.
Delineation rationale: First identified as part of Poole Basin IBA in 1989; Poole Harbour split out in 1992, and extended in 2000 to include Wareham Meadows; 2007 adopted SPA boundary. 2000 area, 5130. SPA boundary used from JNCC; digitised at 1:10,000 scale.
Habitats
Land use: tourism/recreation | urban/industrial/transport
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | 21 | |
| Forest | 5 | |
| Marine Neritic | 21 | |
| Wetlands(Inland) | 5 | |
| Marine Intertidal | 21 | |
| Grassland | 5 | |
| Shrubland | 21 |
Threats
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural system modifications | Dams & water management/use | Small dams | Ongoing |
| Biological resource use | Fishing & harvesting aquatic resources | Unintentional effects: large scale (species being assessed is not the target) [harvest] | Ongoing |
| Pollution | Agricultural & forestry effluents | Type Unknown/Unrecorded | Ongoing |
| Biological resource use | Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals | Intentional use (species being assessed is the target) | Ongoing |
| Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseases | Problematic native species/diseases | Named species | Ongoing |
| Human intrusions & disturbance | Recreational activities | Ongoing | |
| Human intrusions & disturbance | Work & other activities | Ongoing | |
| Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseases | Introduced genetic material | Ongoing | |
| Transportation & service corridors | Shipping lanes | Ongoing | |
| Residential & commercial development | Commercial & industrial areas | Ongoing | |
| Residential & commercial development | Housing & urban areas | Ongoing | |
| Residential & commercial development | Tourism & recreation areas | Ongoing |