River Ume Delta and Plains (873)
Sweden, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2001
National site name: Umeälvens delta och slätter
Central coordinates: Latitude: 63.7598, Longitude: 20.2545
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 5
Area of KBA (km2): 33.86425
Protected area coverage (%): 87.84
KBA classification: Regional
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: The delta of a river system that flows into the Gulf of Bothnia in north-east Sweden. Temporal habitats range from mudflats to areas of primary vegetation. Much of the delta shoreline is surrounded by water-meadows, although there is also deciduous forest with a few conifers. Phragmites is scarce. The area is used for commercial shipping, leisure boating, and general recreation.
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.
Additional biodiversity: The western parts of the IBA (Vasterfjarden) are also important for breeding gulls. Up to 10,000 ducks and 7,000-8,000 waders stop over whilst on passage in late April-May. Passage species of global conservation concern that do not meet IBA criteria: Haliaeetus albicilla.
Delineation rationale: Old area: 1500ha Changed due to better information on size and border /Robert Ekblom (2007-10-18)
Habitats
Land use: forestry | nature conservation and research (10%) | tourism/recreation (10%) | urban/industrial/transport
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Intertidal | 35 | |
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 10 | |
| Forest | 20 | |
| Marine Neritic | 30 | |
| Grassland | 5 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: The construction of new roads and a railway (Bottniabanan) threaten the IBA.