Eastern garrigue
Quick facts
Red List habitat type | code RLF6.2 |
---|---|
Threat status | |
Europe | Least Concern |
EU | Least Concern |
Relation to |
|
Source | European Red List habitat factsheet |
European Red List of habitats reports | |
European Red List of habitats (Excel table) |
Summary
Evergreen, open, low scrub communities of the meso-, thermo- and occasionally supra-Mediterranean zones of Greece, southern Albania, western and eastern coasts of the Adriatic Sea, Cyprus and southern Anatolia, Black Sea coasts in Crimea, southern Bulgaria, European part of Turkey and northern Anatolia, as well as in the Mediterranean-Steppic zone of southern Thrace. Here are included all the sclerophyllous communities with scanty and low physiognomy due to the increased summer aridity and human pressure. The scrub communities with: a) conspicuous spiny cushion structure (F7), b) abundant thermo-Mediterranean shrub species (F5.5) and c) Erica arborea and Arbutus spp. forming high macchia vegetation (F5.2) are excluded from this unit.
This habitat type includes:
a) garrigues dominated by Quercus coccifera, the most widespread xerophyllous scrub communities in the eastern meso-Mediterranean,
b) xerophyllous low scrub communities with Cistus spp., Rosmarinus officinalis of the eastern Ionian, Aegean and eastern Mediterranean coastlands and more to the inland,
c) low scrub communities (garrigues) of the western and eastern coasts of the Adriatic Sea (Illyrian garrigues) dominated by, Erica manipuliflora, Erica multiflora, Rosmarinus officinalis, Spartium junceum and dwarf shrubs like Cistus spp. and Dorcynium hirsutum,
d) Mediterranean-type xerophyllous open low scrub communities (Black Sea garrigues) dominated mostly by Cistus incanus and Cistus salvifolius (distributed along the Black Sea coasts - in Crimea, southern Bulgaria, and European part of Turkey and northern Anatolia, as well as of the Mediterranean-Steppic zone of southern Thrace). The most typical Mediterranean species, including evergreen shrubs like Myrtus communis, Arbutus unedo and A. andrachne, occur at the Anatolian coast of the Black Sea. Specific communities (not typical garrigues, as the dominant species are perennial herbs and short semi-shrubs) are distributed on flysch slopes of the Crimean Peninsula.
All the types of garrigues assigned to the habitat F6.2, as geographically and floristically/ecologically differentiated above, are dominated by (or are rich in) Quercus coccifera, Rosmarinus officinalis, Erica manipuliflora, Cistus incanus, C. salvifolius and Dorcynium hirsutum, low shrubby Juniperus oxycedrus, or J. phoenicea, Lavandula stoechas or L. angustifolia, labiate shrubs or robust perennials like Teucrium fruticans, Phlomis spp., Salvia triloba, S. argentea, S. eichlerana, S. pomifera, Stachys spp., broom-like shrubs of the genera Genista, Chamaecytisus, Teline, Ebenus cretica (in Crete), dwarf, shrubby composites of the genera Helichrysum, Phagnalon, Scorzonera, shrubs dominated by Erica manipuliflora, low bushes of Arbutus andrachne, Globularia alypum, dwarf shrubs of the genera Helianthemum or Fumana, shrubs of the genus Thymelaea, Bupleurum fruticosum shrubs and, finally, the low, pre-desert formations with Ziziphus spp., Acacia albida, Capparis spinosa, Rhamnus palaestina, Rhus tripartita of the Levant and southern Anatolia.
Garrigues are the result of retrogressive succession after degradation of evergreen Mediterranean forest and macchia (maquis) vegetation and maintained by grazing and fire. The floristic composition of garrigues reflects the diverse geographical position, altitudinal zones and human impact. The garrigues at the Black Sea coasts represent one of the latest stages of degradation of the mixed xerothermic oak forests and pseudomaquis in areas with transitional-Mediterranean climate. They differ from the typical Mediterranean garrigues by the prevalence of deciduous species and the absence of typical Mediterranean species.
Indicators of quality:
· Low levels of soil compactness and absence of active secondary succession
· Communities rich in perennial and annual herb species, shrub and semi-shrub species
· Presence and abundance of a given set of typical (diagnostic) species or functional traits (i.e. morphological, physiological and life history characteristics)
· Dominance of low shrub and semi-shrub species
· Open habitat conditions
· Moderate grazing
· Absence of fire
· Absence of alien, invasive and/or ruderal species
· Occurrence of rare and/or threatened species mostly with Mediterranean origin
· Sporadic presence of maquis and forest species.
Threat status
Synthesis of Red List assessment
EU | |
Red List Category | Red List Criteria |
Least Concern | - |
Europe | |
Red List Category | Red List Criteria |
Least Concern | - |
Confidence in the assessment
Pressures and threats
- Agriculture
- Grazing
- Intensive grazing
- Abandonment of pastoral systems, lack of grazing
- Restructuring agricultural land holding
- Sylviculture, forestry
- Forest and Plantation management & use
- Urbanisation, residential and commercial development
- Urbanised areas, human habitation
- Natural biotic and abiotic processes (without catastrophes)
- Biocenotic evolution, succession
- Species composition change (succession)
Habitat restoration potential
Trends in extent |
|
Average current trend in quantity |
|
Stable ![]() |
Unknown ![]() |
EU28 | EU28+ |
Trends in quality |
|
Average current trend in quality |
|
Unknown ![]() |
Unknown ![]() |
EU28 | EU28+ |
Conservation and management needs
List of conservation and management needs
- No measures
- No measures needed for the conservation of the habitat/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) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Bulgaria | Present | - | - | |
Croatia | Present | 812 | Stable | Increasing |
Cyprus | Present | unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
Greece (mainland and other islands) | Present | 6000 | Increasing | Increasing |
Crete | Present | 6000 | Increasing | Increasing |
East Aegean | Uncertain | 6000 | Increasing | Increasing |
Italy mainland | Present | unknown | Unknown | Stable |
Sardinia | Present | unknown | Unknown | Stable |
Sicily | Present | unknown | Unknown | Stable |
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 | Present | 3 | Decreasing | Decreasing |
Albania | Present | 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 | 1483850 | 256 | >20.000 | The current estimated total area is based only on the territorial data provided in combination to the literature available for the Quercus coccifera scrublands in the Mediterranean. |
EU28+ | 295 | unknown |
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 |
---|---|---|
Juniperus oxycedrus | Conifers | |
Arbutus andrachne | Flowering Plants | |
Arbutus unedo | Flowering Plants | |
Bupleurum fruticosum | Flowering Plants | |
Capparis spinosa | Flowering Plants | |
Cistus creticus | Flowering Plants | |
Cistus incanus | Flowering Plants | |
Ebenus cretica | Flowering Plants | |
Erica arborea | Flowering Plants | |
Erica manipuliflora | Flowering Plants | |
Erica multiflora | Flowering Plants | |
Globularia alypum | Flowering Plants | |
Lavandula angustifolia | Flowering Plants | |
Lavandula stoechas | Flowering Plants | |
Myrtus communis | Flowering Plants | |
Phagnalon graecum | Flowering Plants | |
Phlomis cretica | Flowering Plants | |
Quercus coccifera | Flowering Plants | |
Rhus tripartita | Flowering Plants | |
Rosmarinus officinalis | Flowering Plants | |
Salvia argentea | Flowering Plants | |
Salvia triloba | Flowering Plants | |
Spartium junceum | Flowering Plants | |
Stachys cretica | Flowering Plants | |
Teucrium fruticans | Flowering Plants | |
Thymelaea tartonraira | Flowering Plants | |
Ziziphus lotus | Flowering Plants |