Eastern Mediterranean mountain hedgehog-heath

This diverse habitat includes both the primary cushion heaths of the high, dry mountains of the East Mediterranean region with low, cushion-forming often spiny shrubs, and the secondary, zoogenic downslope extensions of these high-altitude formations. More specifically, it includes: (a) the shrubby formations of dry, usually calcareous rocky places with strongly eroded humus-carbonate soils, with large amounts of skeletal material and rock outcrops including the spiny hedgehog-heaths, the cushiony formations of dwarf suffrutescents and/or the bush-dominated facies of stripped grasslands, (b) the downslope extensions of the high altitude formations in zoogenic forest clearings of the mountains of Greece, of the Moesian zone and of the central Balkan peninsula which are dominated by the same species, or specifically montane or steppic taxa (often Genista-dominated), and (c) the high altitude hedgehog-heaths that are developed on relatively humus-rich rendziniform soils at or above treeline and dominated by large hemispherical tussocks of the tragacanths Astragalus rumelicus, and/or Astragalus parnassi. Varieties, distinguished by the dominant taxa, include the tragacanth dominated cushion heaths of the eastern Mediterranean; the Genista acanthoclada dominated formations; the summit communities of Mt. Troodos (in Cyprus) with Berberis cretica, Sorbus aria subsp. cretica (= S. graeca) that also include the restricted endemics Astragalus echinus, Alyssum troodii, Teucrium cyprium, Nepeta troodi, Satureja troodii, Onosma troodi and Scorzonera troodea; the endemic-rich hedgehog-heaths of calcareous mountains of Aegean islands and mount Athos (in Greece); as well as the hedgehog-heaths of high mountains of Crete with Astragalus creticus subsp. creticus, Astragalus angustifolius, Acantholimon androsaceum, Berberis cretica, Daphne oleoides, Prunus prostrata, Euphorbia acanthothamnos, Verbascum spinosum and Sideritis syriaca.

Indicators of good quality:

• High species richness and occurrence of endemic species

• Low shrub cover (chamaephytes, nano-phanerophytes) more than 30%

• Significant presence of perennial grass species

• Regular grazing

• No indication of strong erosion eg. gully formation

• Absence or low cover of ruderal/nitrophilous species (species of Stellarietea or of the Artemisietea)

• Long-term habitat stability: absence of progressive or retrogressive succesional trends

Synthesis of Red List assessment

Confidence in the assessment

Pressures and threats