Alternative site for the Global ecosystem typology with additional information for ecosystem profiles and indicative maps.
This site is maintained by jrfep
The Anthropogenic shorelines biome is distributed globally where urbanised and industrial areas adjoin the coast. It includes marine interfaces constructed from hard, usually sooth surfaces, including concrete, timber, lithic blocks and earthen fill. These mostly smooth and relatively homogeneous substrates support an opportunistic, cosmopolitan biota with limited diversity and simplified trophic structure compared to other shoreline systems. Vertical surfaces are inhabited by algae and biofouling species, but are exposed to strong tidal desiccation regimes that strongly filter potential colonists. Influx of stormwater and effluent enhances nutrient levels and eutrophic algae, which contribute autochthonous energy, but outflows from developed areas are also a major source of allochthonous energy. Strong bottom-up regulation stems in part from these resource inputs and partly from low populations of predators, which are depleted or deterred by human activity.