Perennial rocky calcareous grassland of subatlantic-submediterranean Europe
Quick facts
Red List habitat type | code RLE1.1i |
---|---|
Threat status | |
Europe | Vulnerable |
EU | Vulnerable |
Relation to |
|
Source | European Red List habitat factsheet |
European Red List of habitats reports | |
European Red List of habitats (Excel table) |
Summary
This habitat type occurs on shallow calcareous substrates with hardly any soil and humus, mostly on slopes. The underlying bedrock can be of different geological origin, including Carboniferous limestone and Cretaceous chalk. The open vegetation is characterized by perennials, among which a large percentage of chamaephytes. This is in contrast with habitat type 1.1d (Pioneer grassland on shallow soils on calcareous and ultramafic rocky outcrops), where annuals play a prominent role. Syntaxonomically, the vegetation type forms a separate order (Artemisio albae-Brometalia erecti) within the class Festuco-Brometea. The communities have a rather small distribution, ranging from the United Kingdom in the northwest and Italy (Liguria) in the southeast. In the National Vegetation Classification of the UK, it is represented by the sub-community with Helianthemum canum and Asperula cynanchica of the ‘Sesleria albicans-Galium sterneri grassland’ (CG9). The centre of the distribution is in France and Germany. In France, these grasslands are (for the greater part) described as ‘pelouses primaires’ in contrast to the other limestone grasslands of the Festuco-Brometea that are considered to be ‘pelouses secondaires’ or ‘semi-naturelles’. The habitat type, occurring from the lowlands to the submontane zone, is regarded as a western vicariant of E1.1g (Perennial grassland on rocky outcrops at low altitudes in Central and Southeastern Europe). The bedrock is often broken, resulting in a lot of loose material, resembling screes at higher altitudes in the mountains. The nutrient status (nitrogen, phosphorous) is extremely low, the pH high. Although the production of the vegetation is very low, grazing is important to guarantee that the sites are not grown over by shrubs and trees. As such, the habitat generally is part of a traditional management regime.
Indicators of quality:
· Open and low vegetation structure, with a high percentage of bare rock
· Absence of nutrient-demanding and ruderal species
· Chamaephytes account for a large proportion in the vegetation
· Exposed to sunshine to support light-demanding species
· Extensive grazing regime preventing the encroachment of shrubs and tree at the sites and the near vicinity
Threat status
Synthesis of Red List assessment
EU | |
Red List Category | Red List Criteria |
Vulnerable | A1 |
Europe | |
Red List Category | Red List Criteria |
Vulnerable | A1 |
Confidence in the assessment
Pressures and threats
- Agriculture
- Modification of cultivation practices
- Agricultural intensification
- Grassland removal for arable land
- Grazing
- Abandonment of pastoral systems, lack of grazing
- Pollution
- Air pollution, air-borne pollutants
- Nitrogen-input
- Natural biotic and abiotic processes (without catastrophes)
- Biocenotic evolution, succession
- Species composition change (succession)
Habitat restoration potential
The time needed for recovery is strongly dependent on the type of damage. As the most common is shrub encroachment, the estimation of time is given for that case.
Trends in extent |
|
Average current trend in quantity |
|
Decreasing ![]() |
Decreasing ![]() |
EU28 | EU28+ |
Trends in quality |
|
Average current trend in quality |
|
Decreasing ![]() |
Decreasing ![]() |
EU28 | EU28+ |
Conservation and management needs
List of conservation and management needs
- Measures related to agriculture and open habitats
- Maintaining grasslands and other open habitats
- Measures related to spatial planning
- Establish protected areas/sites
- Legal protection of habitats and species
- Manage landscape features
Distribution
Geographic occurrence and trends
EU28 | Present or presence uncertain | Current area of habitat (Km2) | Recent trend in quantity (last 50 years) | Recent trend in quality (last 50 years) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Belgium | Present | <1 | Decreasing | Decreasing |
France mainland | Present | 400-800 | Decreasing | Decreasing |
Germany | Present | <20 | Decreasing | Decreasing |
Ireland | Present | 0.1-1.0 | Unknown | Stable |
Italy mainland | Present | 827 | Decreasing | Decreasing |
Luxembourg | Uncertain | unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
United Kingdom | Uncertain | - | - |
EU28 + | Present or presence uncertain | Current area of habitat (Km2) | Recent trend in quantity (last 50 years) | Recent trend in quality (last 50 years) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Switzerland | Present | Oct-20 | Decreasing | Decreasing |
Extent of Occurrence, Area of Occupancy and habitat area
Extent of Occurrence (EOO) (Km2) | Area of Occupancy (AOO) | Current estimated Total Area | Comment | |
---|---|---|---|---|
EU28 | 1627450 | 436 | 1,448 | no data from Luxembourg and UK |
EU28+ | 503 | 1,463 |
EOO = the area (km2) of the envelope around all occurrences of a habitat (calculated by a minimum convex polygon).
Characteristic species
Species scientific name | English common name | Species group |
---|---|---|
Allium sphaerocephalon | Flowering Plants | |
Anthyllis vulneraria | Flowering Plants | |
Asperula cynanchica | Flowering Plants | |
Aster linosyris | Flowering Plants | |
Bromus erectus | Flowering Plants | |
Carex humilis | Flowering Plants | |
Coronilla minima | Flowering Plants | |
Euphorbia cyparissias | Flowering Plants | |
Fumana procumbens | Flowering Plants | |
Galium sterneri | Flowering Plants | |
Globularia punctata | Flowering Plants | |
Helianthemum apenninum | Flowering Plants | |
Helianthemum canum | Flowering Plants | |
Helianthemum oelandicum | Flowering Plants | |
Hippocrepis comosa | Flowering Plants | |
Koeleria vallesiana | Flowering Plants | |
Linum tenuifolium | Flowering Plants | |
Melica ciliata | Flowering Plants | |
Ononis pusilla | Flowering Plants | |
Orobanche teucrii | Flowering Plants | |
Potentilla tabernaemontani | Flowering Plants | |
Ranunculus gramineus | Flowering Plants | |
Seseli montanum | Flowering Plants | |
Sesleria albicans | Flowering Plants | |
Stachys recta | Flowering Plants | |
Teucrium botrys | Flowering Plants | |
Teucrium chamaedrys | Flowering Plants | |
Teucrium montanum | Flowering Plants | |
Thymus praecox | Flowering Plants | |
Trinia glauca | Flowering Plants | |
Abietinella abietina | Mosses & Liverworts | |
Encalypta streptocarpa | Mosses & Liverworts | |
Homalothecium lutescens | Mosses & Liverworts | |
Rhytidium rugosum | Mosses & Liverworts | |
Tortella tortuosa | Mosses & Liverworts | |
Trichostomum brachydontium | Mosses & Liverworts |