Ringkøbing Fjord (2962)
Denmark, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: D1a
Year of last assessment: 2000
National site name: Ringkøbing Fjord
Central coordinates: Latitude: 56.0000, Longitude: 8.2500
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 15
Area of KBA (km2): 267.84784
Protected area coverage (%): 99.05
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: A shallow brackish fjord, encompassing several small islands, and connected by sluices to the North Sea, with meadows and reedbeds to the south.
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.
Additional biodiversity: Numbers of many breeding and visiting waterbirds have declined dramatically due to deteriorating water quality. Several species listed on Annex I of the EC Birds Directive breed at the site, including Botaurus stellaris, Circus aeruginosus, Porzana porzana, Recurvirostra avosetta, Philomachus pugnax, Sterna sandvicensis, S. hirundo, S. paradisaea and Asio flammeus.
Habitats
Land use: agriculture (10%)
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Grassland | 5 | |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | 32 | |
| Marine Intertidal | 32 | |
| Wetlands(Inland) | 16 | |
| Marine Neritic | 16 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Nutrient pollution, as a result of agricultural intensification, has affected water quality at the site: by 1979 the area had been polluted to such an extent that algal blooms had formed, which reduced light and resulted in massive reductions in the extent of submerged macrophytes. In recent years water quality has improved and in some areas bottom macrophytes are recolonizing. An ongoing restoration project in the Skjern å river valley will hopefully further improve water quality, though positive effects on bird populations are expected to take time to become evident.
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pollution | Agricultural & forestry effluents | Type Unknown/Unrecorded | Ongoing |
| Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseases | Problematic native species/diseases | Named species | Ongoing |
| Natural system modifications | Dams & water management/use | Abstraction of ground water (agricultural use) | Ongoing |
| Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseases | Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases | Named species | Ongoing |
| Natural system modifications | Other ecosystem modifications | Ongoing |