Mediterranean and Black Sea sand beach

The habitat is represented by the lowest level of the supralittoral, just above the mean normal tide limit, where the drift material accumulates and the sand may be enriched with nitrogenous organic matter. It comprises beaches along the Mediterranean Sea, the Black Sea and on the Macaronesian islands. These beaches are sandy, sometimes composed of a mixture of gravel and sand, but pure gravel shores are distinguished as a separate shingle type (habitat B2.1-6b). Typically on these beaches there is very sparse vegetation cover composed mainly of few annuals. The vegetation belongs to the Class Cakiletea maritimae, whose plant communities have a very low cover, sometimes not more than 1%. The species occur on drift lines along the surf line, where the salinity usually is very high. Examples of typical halo-nitrophilous species are Cakile maritima (Cakile maritima subsp. aegyptica is accepted for the Mediterranean and Cakile maritima subsp. euxina is accepted for the Black sea), Salsola kali, Salsola kali subsp. ruthenica and Xanthium strumarium. On sandy beaches rarely visited by people some perennial psammophytes also occur, such as Polygonum maritimum and Euphorbia peplis while Crambe maritima and Polygonum mesembricum could be mentioned for the Black Sea. On Macaronesian islands also Atriplex glauca subsp. ifniensis is characteristic. During storms, the highest parts of the beaches are sporadically inundated by sea water, which sometimes cause drastic changes in the species composition. Sandy beach ridges, which represent the most initial phase of the dune-forming, may also host pioneer species of the Class Ammophiletea consisting mainly of geophytes and hemicryptophytes such as Elymus farctus, Leymus racemosus and Eryngium maritimum. In the Black Sea, the first stages of shifting dunes can be observed at the coastal sand strips at the surf line and up to 30 m inside the beach where the tidal difference is very small. Due to human pressure, beaches may remain without any vegetation even though the habitat could be still suitable for many arthropods. The complete lack of vegetation on the upper beach is a very common phenomenon caused by excessive trampling and, in particular, by the mechanical cleaning of the beach which, together with the litter, removes all living plants. The typical floristic and community structure can be observed mainly in isolated and rarely visited beaches. In good conditions the beaches have vegetation represented mostly by annuals including also some perennials. This habitat is naturally strongly dynamic but when the human impact increases, plant species may disappear completely.

Indicators of good quality:

In good conditions the beaches have vegetation represented mostly by annuals including also some perennials. This habitat is naturally strongly dynamic but when the human impact increases, plant species may disappear completely. Indicators for good quality are:

- presence of characteristic plant species (mainly annuals with few perennials)

- presence of some beach litter (natural beach litter, with few or without anthropogenic litter)

- lack of intense tourist trampling or anthropogenic structures

- lack of alien species, such as Cenchrus incertus.

Synthesis of Red List assessment

Confidence in the assessment

Pressures and threats