Mediterranean and Black Sea rocky sea cliff and shore

This habitat type comprises open, halo-chasmophytic communities developing on the cliffs along the thermo-Atlantic, Mediterranean and Black Sea coasts. These coenoses develop under the influence of salt spray from the sea, especially in the supralittoral parts. Vertical to gently sloping bedrock and stable boulders in the supralittoral (or splash zone) of the majority of rocky shores are typically characterised by diverse maritime communities of yellow and grey lichens, such as Xanthoria parietina, Caloplaca marina, Lecanora atra and Ramalina spp. The black lichen Verrucaria maura is also present, but usually in lower abundance than in the littoral fringe zone. In wave exposed conditions, where the effects of salt spray extend further up the shore, the lichens generally form a wide and distinct band. The higher parts of sea cliffs are colonized by disjunct assemblages of salt-tolerant, halophytic or even halo-nitrophilous crevice plants (chasmophytes) or by more or less closed salt-tolerant grasslands (mainly on the cliff top). Perennial herbs are dominant, but also some annuals occur. There are processes of aridisation of the vegetation on the top of the higher rocks where the floristic composition is richer in different species depending upon the neighbouring dominant vegetation. The floristic composition depends also on the bedrock types, which are very diverse in the different part of habitat’s range. The main two groups are calcareous and silicate (often with volcanic origin) rocks and even loess-sand low cliffs along the Romanian Black Sea coast. Rare and endemic plants as well as widely distributed and ruderal nitrophilous species occur in the species composition. The vegetation belongs to the class Crithmo-Staticetea and the character species Crithmum maritimum is common everywhere in the habitat’s range. The Mediterranean sea cliffs harbour numerous endemics of extremely local occurrence, in particular many species belonging to the genus Limonium, which comprises at least 43 and probably 120 to 150 Mediterranean cliff species, many of which restricted to a few localities. Several of these species are seriously threatened, like for instance Limonium remotispiculum of southern Italy and Limonium strictissimum of Corsica and Caprera. Some stable and high coastal cliffs are inhabited by shrub communities of Ficus carica, Colutea arborescens and Ulmus minor.

Indicators of good quality:

In good conditions this habitat is rich in regional endemic species and the natural floristic structure is given by salt-tolerant chasmophytic species and halophytes. It is threatened by natural causes: the abrasive activities of sea waves leading to the natural destruction of the rocks. Other threats are the tourist development of the coastal areas, pollution and nitrification of the coastal cliffs and increase of not typical ruderal or alien species.

Synthesis of Red List assessment

Confidence in the assessment

Pressures and threats