Arctic coastal salt marsh

This habitat comprises the coastal salt marshes from the Arctic Sea, in Europe found in estuaries and fjords along the north coast of Iceland, Norway and Russia, and besides on acrtic islands like Svalbard and Nova Zembla. Several salt-marsh species of the Atlantic coastal marshes do not reach this region, while other, typical arctic species are mainly restricted to it and only incidentally are found more southwards. The distinction between the Arctic region and the Northern Atlantic region is – of course – gradual, but for the salt marshes the presence of the alliances Puccinellion phryganodes (in lower salt-marsh belts) and Caricion glareosae (in higher belts) is a good indicator for the Arctic region. For the distinction between Atlantic and Arctic salt marshes we follow the boundaries and divisions given by Dijkema et al. (1984) for maritime plants (situated roughly between the 65 and 70°N latitudinal line). According to this definition the habitat type does not occur in the European Union, but within the EU28+ arctic salt marshes are found on the north-coast of Norway, the north-coast of Iceland, the Svalbard archipelago and Jan Mayen island. Besides the characteristic species of the mentioned alliances, Puccinellia phryganodes and Carex glareosa, other typical species of these arctic salt marshes are Potentilla anserina ssp. egedii, Stellaria humifusa, Gentianella detonsa, Carex salina, Carex ursina, Carex subspathacea and – in muddy places – the “Ice-Sea glasswort” Salicornia pojarkova. The habitat has several species in common with the Atlantic salt-marshes, like some species with a northern distribution in the Atlantic and Baltic (Puccinellia distans subsp. borealis, Carex mackenziei) and some widespread salt-marsh species like Triglochin maritima, Plantago maritima, Agrostis stolonifera and Festuca rubra, which this far north don’t become dominant.

Arctic coastal salt marshes are under pressure from coastal erosion, changes in sea ice, increased industriell activities ofshore as oil-drilling, and pollution.

Indicators of good quality:

• Few open non-vegetated areas

• Dominance of typical arctic species

• No signs of erosion

• No tracks of recreation or pollution.

Synthesis of Red List assessment

Confidence in the assessment

Pressures and threats