Oceanic to subcontinental inland sand grassland on dry acid and neutral soils
Quick facts
Red List habitat type | code RLE1.9a |
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Threat status | |
Europe | Endangered |
EU | Endangered |
Relation to |
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Source | European Red List habitat factsheet |
European Red List of habitats reports | |
European Red List of habitats (Excel table) |
Summary
This habitat comprises semi-natural, moderately open to closed, relatively low-grown meso-xeric grasslands on nutrient-poor, acid to neutral, sometimes slightly calcareous sands in the lowlands and middle high mountains throughout temperate Europe. These grasslands are mostly dominated by tussock-forming, narrow-leaved graminoids (hemicryptophytes) of the Festuca ovina aggregate (namely F. brevipila, F. filiformis, F. guestfalica, F. heteropachys, F. lemanii, F. ovina), often accompanied by Agrostis capillaris, Poa angustifolia or Carex praecox. In good conditions they are relatively rich in herbs, forming an important nectar source for insects.
Characteristic herbs of the habitat are Armeria maritima subsp. elongata, Artemisia campestris, Dianthus deltoides, Campanula rotundifolia, Galium verum, Sedum acre, Silene otites, Potentilla argentea agg., Thymus serpyllum, Trifolium arvense, Veronica prostrata and Herniaria glabra. Present in most sites of this habitat are Achillea millefolium, Plantago lanceolata, Hieracium pilosella, Rumex acetosella, Hypochaeris radicata and Jasione montana. More open examples of this habitat contain a high cover of mosses and/or lichens and are rich in annual vascular plants (therophytes). Several ‘steppe elements’ have a western or northern outpost in this habitat, thanks to the extreme micro-climate, with high temperatures during the day, dropping down quickly at night. Examples of such species (most of them characteristic of the class Festuco-Brometea) are Euphorbia cyparissias, Helichrysum arenarium, Phleum phleoides and Veronica spicata. On the Balkans the vicariant alliance Armerio-Potentillion is described, with Armeria rumelica, Agrostis castellana, Jasione heldreichii, Plantago subulata and Potentilla inclinata.
Especially, the more calcareous examples of the habitat contain several characteristic species of type E1.1g. On relative acid soils the habitat shows transitions towards grasslands of habitat ‘Lowland to submontane Nardus grassland’ (E1.7a, mainly alliance Violion caninae). More natural, pioneer stages of these grasslands, develop under relatively dynamic conditions along rivers, with active sand sedimentation. On inland sandy dunes the habitat forms a succession stage after the initial Corynephorus-grasslands (type E1.9b), as a result of humus accumulation. Some of the grasslands of this type are rather similar to Atlantic and Baltic coastal dune grasslands (type B1.4a), and such inland and coastal grasslands are united in the same alliances.
This habitat is found on high, rarely flooded levees in river valleys, on dry, sandy parts of plains and siliceous mountains, as well as on coastal sandy cliffs in the Baltics. Its main range covers France, the UK, the Netherlands, Northern Germany, South Scandinavia, Poland and the Baltic countries. It is less frequent in the southern half of Central Europe (in siliceous mountain ranges and on dune systems along the big rivers), becomes rarer to the South (Northern Iberia, Central France) and East (e.g. restricted to the valleys of the big rivers in Ukraine). Based on available data on vegetation and soils, there seems to be a second centre of distribution in the central parts of the Balkan Peninsula (Republic of Macedonia, Serbia, Bulgaria).
The habitat type corresponds to the phytosociological orders Trifolio arvensis-Fetucetalia ovinae and Thero-Airetalia (class Koelerio-Corynephoretea), excluding their occurrences on coastal grey dunes. It occurs from the submediterranean to the southern boreal zones of Europe, where ever there are dry, moderately developed sandy soils, be it from dunes or as weathering product of siliceous bedrock. The range of E1.9a extends to Northern Iberia, France and the British Isles in the West, while in Eastern Central and Eastern Europe it co-occurs with the habitat type ‘Pannonian and Pontic sandy steppe’ (E1.1a, grasslands of the order Festuco-Sedetalia acris). There, type E1.9a is found on better developed soils, where it may be found side by side to habitat E1.1a on more xeric, poorly developed soils.
The habitat type mainly consists of five, largely vicariant alliances of meso-xeric perennial grasslands, differentiated by the matrix-forming graminoids: In the Atlantic region (mainly in the lowlands) the Sedo-Cerastion arvensis with Festuca filiformis occurs, in the subcontinental lowlands (mainly the areas covered by the Nordic Ice shield during the glaciations) the Armerion elongatae with Festuca brevipila and Armeria maritima subsp. elongata is widespread, the Hyperico perforati-Scleranthion perennis with Festuca ovina and F. guestfalica is mainly distributed in siliceous low mountain ranges and in Scandinavia, the Agrostion vinealis with Poa angustifolia and Agrostis vinealis is typical for the big river valleys of East Europe (but probably not within EU28+) and the Armerio rumelicae-Potentillion with various Agrostis species, Festuca valesiaca and Armeria rumelica occurs on the Central and Northern Balkan Peninsula. There are two more alliances of perennial tussock grasslands that potentially or partly belong here. The Koelerio-Phleion phleioidis, described from the lower siliceous mountain ranges in the southern half of Central Europe is a transition between the Hyperico perforati-Scleranthion perennis and the Armerion elongatae on the one side and the Festucion valesiacae (belonging to the habitat type E1.2b) on the other side, and not accepted in the EuroVegChecklist. The Armerion junceae from Southern France has been preliminarily placed in the Trifolio arvensis-Festucetalia ovinae by the EuroVegChecklist, but this position is questionable. Lastly, there are the grasslands rich in winter-annuals (Filago arvensis, F. minima, Vulpia spp., Aira spp., Trifolium spp.) of the order Thero-Airetalia with the single alliance Thero-Airion, which occurs under similar site conditions in the Submediterranean-Atlantic parts of temperate Europe (Northern Iberia, France, British Isles), but can be found in small patches at disturbed sited within Trifolio arvensis-Festucetalia ovinae stands also further to the east.
Indicators of good quality:
Continuation of management is important, but under very dry conditions the structure and species composition may remain unchanged for rather long periods without management. Inadequate management (burning, no management) may cause dominance of a single graminoid species, and finally succession towards scrub and woodland.
Indicators of good quality include:
· Long continuation of management (grazing, hay making or a combination of both)
· Occurrence of regional rare species (steppic elements) having an outpost in their European distribution range
· High richness in herb species, no development of dense, species-poor grassland with thick litter accumulation
· No encroachment of mosses (Rhytidiadelphus squarrosus), grasses (Calamagrostis epigejos, Arrhenatherum elatius), shrubs (Rubus caesius) or trees
Threat status
Synthesis of Red List assessment
EU | |
Red List Category | Red List Criteria |
Endangered | A1, A3 |
Europe | |
Red List Category | Red List Criteria |
Endangered | A1, A3 |
Confidence in the assessment
Pressures and threats
- Agriculture
- Grassland removal for arable land
- Abandonment of pastoral systems, lack of grazing
- Sylviculture, forestry
- Forest planting on open ground
- Pollution
- Nitrogen-input
- Natural biotic and abiotic processes (without catastrophes)
- Biocenotic evolution, succession
Habitat restoration potential
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
The main measure to maintain this habitat type and keep it in a good state is to continue or re-introduce low-intensity grazing systems, with sheep, cattle or best multi-species assemblages. With robust breeds that allow year-round grazing, the habitat type can even be maintained under current economic conditions via so-called large-scale pasture landscapes. Since this habitat type is still missing or neglected in many national habitat classifications, it is probably also underrepresented in the current network of conservation areas and thus well-developed large-scale examples should be put under legal conservation.
List of conservation and management needs
- Measures related to agriculture and open habitats
- Maintaining grasslands and other open habitats
- Measures related to spatial planning
- Legal protection of habitats and species
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) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Austria | Present | Unknown | Decreasing | Unknown |
Belgium | Present | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
Bulgaria | Present | 3 | Decreasing | Decreasing |
Croatia | Uncertain | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
Czech Republic | Present | 38 | Decreasing | Decreasing |
Denmark | Present | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
Estonia | Present | 4.1 | Decreasing | Unknown |
Finland mainland | Present | 0.7 | Decreasing | Decreasing |
Aland Islands | Uncertain | 0.7 | Decreasing | Decreasing |
France mainland | Present | 8.5 | Decreasing | Decreasing |
Germany | Present | 9 | Decreasing | Decreasing |
Hungary | Uncertain | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
Ireland | Present | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
Italy mainland | Uncertain | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
Latvia | Present | 9 | Decreasing | Decreasing |
Luxembourg | Uncertain | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
Netherlands | Present | 4 | Decreasing | Decreasing |
Poland | Present | 52 | Decreasing | Unknown |
Portugal mainland | Present | 43.4 | - | Unknown |
Romania | Uncertain | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
Slovakia | Present | 0.3 | Decreasing | Unknown |
Slovenia | Uncertain | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
Spain mainland | Present | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
Sweden | Present | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
United Kingdom | Present | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
Northern Island | Uncertain | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
EU28 + | Present or presence uncertain | Current area of habitat (Km2) | Recent trend in quantity (last 50 years) | Recent trend in quality (last 50 years) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Bosnia and Herzegovina | Uncertain | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
Kaliningrad | Present | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
Kosovo | Uncertain | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
Former Yugoslavian Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) | Present | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
Montenegro | Uncertain | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
Norway Mainland | Present | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
Serbia | Uncertain | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
Switzerland | Uncertain | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
Extent of Occurrence, Area of Occupancy and habitat area
Extent of Occurrence (EOO) (Km2) | Area of Occupancy (AOO) | Current estimated Total Area | Comment | |
---|---|---|---|---|
EU28 | 2890200 | 2822 | 1900 | The data provided by the country assessors (164 km²) was due to a misleading habitat description far too low; 1900 km² is a conservative assessment based on field and literature knowledge of J. Dengle |
EU28+ | 2832 | 2600 | The data provided by the country assessors (164 km²) was due to a misleading habitat description far too low; 2600 km² is a conservative assessment based on field and literature knowledge of J. Dengle |
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 |
---|---|---|
Achillea millefolium | Flowering Plants | |
Agrostis capillaris | Flowering Plants | |
Agrostis castellana | Flowering Plants | |
Agrostis vinealis | Flowering Plants | |
Aira caryophyllea | Flowering Plants | |
Aira elegantissima | Flowering Plants | |
Aira praecox | Flowering Plants | |
Allium schoenoprasum | Flowering Plants | |
Allium vineale | Flowering Plants | |
Anthoxanthum odoratum | Flowering Plants | |
Arenaria serpyllifolia | Flowering Plants | |
Armeria maritima | Flowering Plants | |
Armeria rumelica | Flowering Plants | |
Arrhenatherum elatius | Flowering Plants | |
Artemisia campestris | Flowering Plants | |
Bromus hordeaceus | Flowering Plants | |
Calamagrostis epigejos | Flowering Plants | |
Campanula rotundifolia | Flowering Plants | |
Carex arenaria | Flowering Plants | |
Carex ligerica | Flowering Plants | |
Carex pairae | Flowering Plants | |
Carex praecox | Flowering Plants | |
Cerastium glutinosum | Flowering Plants | |
Cerastium semidecandrum | Flowering Plants | |
Dianthus armeria | Flowering Plants | |
Dianthus carthusianorum | Flowering Plants | |
Dianthus deltoides | Flowering Plants | |
Erodium cicutarium | Flowering Plants | |
Erysimum diffusum | Flowering Plants | |
Euphorbia cyparissias | Flowering Plants | |
Festuca brevipila | Flowering Plants | |
Festuca guestfalica | Flowering Plants | |
Festuca heteropachys | Flowering Plants | |
Festuca lemanii | Flowering Plants | |
Festuca ovina | Flowering Plants | |
Festuca valesiaca | Flowering Plants | |
Filago arvensis | Flowering Plants | |
Galium verum | Flowering Plants | |
Helichrysum arenarium | Flowering Plants | |
Herniaria glabra | Flowering Plants | |
Hieracium hoppeanum | Flowering Plants | |
Hieracium pilosella | Flowering Plants | |
Hypochaeris radicata | Flowering Plants | |
Hypochoeris radicata | Flowering Plants | |
Jasione heldreichii | Flowering Plants | |
Jasione montana | Flowering Plants | |
Koeleria macrantha | Flowering Plants | |
Luzula campestris | Flowering Plants | |
Myosotis ramosissima | Flowering Plants | |
Myosotis stricta | Flowering Plants | |
Ornithopus perpusillus | Flowering Plants | |
Orobanche arenaria | Flowering Plants | |
Orobanche purpurea | Flowering Plants | |
Phleum phleoides | Flowering Plants | |
Pimpinella saxifraga | Flowering Plants | |
Plantago lanceolata | Flowering Plants | |
Plantago subulata | Flowering Plants | |
Poa angustifolia | Flowering Plants | |
Potentilla argentea | Flowering Plants | |
Potentilla inclinata | Flowering Plants | |
Potentilla tabernaemontani | Flowering Plants | |
Rubus caesius | Flowering Plants | |
Rumex acetosella | Flowering Plants | |
Rumex thyrsiflorus | Flowering Plants | |
Saxifraga granulata | Flowering Plants | |
Scleranthus perennis | Flowering Plants | |
Scleranthus polycarpos | Flowering Plants | |
Sedum acre | Flowering Plants | |
Sedum reflexum | Flowering Plants | |
Sedum sexangulare | Flowering Plants | |
Silene nutans | Flowering Plants | |
Silene otites | Flowering Plants | |
Thymus pulegioides | Flowering Plants | |
Thymus serpyllum | Flowering Plants | |
Trifolium arvense | Flowering Plants | |
Trifolium campestre | Flowering Plants | |
Trifolium striatum | Flowering Plants | |
Veronica arvensis | Flowering Plants | |
Veronica prostrata | Flowering Plants | |
Veronica spicata | Flowering Plants | |
Vicia angustifolia | Flowering Plants | |
Vicia lathyroides | Flowering Plants | |
Viola tricolor | Flowering Plants | |
Vulpia bromoides | Flowering Plants | |
Vulpia myuros | Flowering Plants | |
Cladonia fimbriata | Fungi | |
Cladonia furcata | Fungi | |
Cladonia pyxidata | Fungi | |
Cladonia scabriuscula | Fungi | |
Decticus verrucivorus | Invertebrates | |
Brachythecium albicans | Mosses & Liverworts | |
Ceratodon purpureus | Mosses & Liverworts | |
Dicranum scoparium | Mosses & Liverworts | |
Hypnum cupressiforme | Mosses & Liverworts | |
Polytrichum juniperinum | Mosses & Liverworts | |
Racomitrium canescens | Mosses & Liverworts | |
Rhytidiadelphus squarrosus | Mosses & Liverworts | |
Syntrichia ruralis | Mosses & Liverworts | |
Lacerta agilis | Sand lizard | Reptiles |