South-Aegean Phoenix grove

This habitat includes woods, in contact with the underground water table, often riparian, formed by the palm tree Phoenix theophrasti, found on the island of Crete and south-western Anatolia. The majority of occurrences of Phoenix theophrasti in Crete, and all existing records made outside Crete and southwest Turkey, are represented only by scattered or isolated trees. Within the EU, Crete holds the only palm groves that are representative for the habitat type. Only two sites are known in Crete with several hundreds of trees: Vai and Preveli, the former is the most extensive (ca. 20 ha). The tertiary relict Phoenix theophrasti woods of Crete and south-western Anatolia (Datça peninsula) are restricted to damp, mostly sandy coastal valleys below 250 m; here are included: a) the most extensive grove in Crete, the forest of Vai in the east of the island, characterized by the luxuriant palm growth, accompanied by a thick shrubby undergrowth rich in Nerium oleander, and b) a few other smaller coastal groves, notably on the south coast of the prefecture of Rethimnon. The westernmost occurrence is in southwest Crete, on coastal plains south of the monastery of Chrisoskalitissa. Phoenix theophrasti trees are known also from some Greek islands (Crete, Karpathos, Kos, Rodhos, Thira, Nisyros, Amorgos) and from the Turkish southeast Aegean sites of Datça and Kumluca-Karaöz, with additional populations in Bodrum-Gölköy, all in southwest Anatolia. In the Aegean palm groves, Phoenix theophrasti is a rather rare constituent of the Aegean Nerio-Tamaricetea vegetation and is restricted to semiarid climate (generally with 400-600 mm annual precipitation). The habitat may be either riparian (with the palm forming temporarily inundated gallery forest along permanent fresh or brackish waters), or related to seasonally or episodically flooded coastal valleys. In the latter, the palm trees are generally more scattered, and they may be restricted to rocky low slopes. Underground water level is high and sufficiently permanent to control habitat ecology and species combination. The soils are frequently sandy but the habitat type does not include mobile dunes. The vegetation belongs to the alliance Rubo sancti-Nerion oleandri but more isolated trees or clusters are surrounded by Pistacio-Rhamnetalia or Cisto-Micromerietalia vegetation. Associated of Phoenix theophrasti are species of wet or semiwet habitats, as well as species with a wider ecological range (see the list of characteristic species below).

Indicators of quality:

• No forest exploitations in the majority of the area covered by the habitat
• Intact natural hydrology
• Natural composition of canopy
• Structural diversity/ complexity with (semi)natural age structure or completeness of layers
• Typical flora and fauna composition of the region
• Presence of old trees and a variety of dead wood (lying or standing) and the associated flora, fauna and fungi
• Presence of natural disturbance such as treefall openings with natural regeneration
• Long historical continuity (ancient woodland) with high species diversity
• Absence of non-native species in all layers (flora & fauna)
• No signs of eutrophication or pollution

The indicators of good quality are primarily related to the maintenance of the natural structure of the Phoenix theophrasti woods. The presence of rejuvenation of Phoenix theophrasti in all sites of its occurrence, as well as the undisturbed soil (no significant trampling or erosion), the natural relief, the stratified stands (tree, shrub, herb layer present), the closed canopy of Phoenix theophrasti woods ≥25% and Phoenix individuals mostly higher than 3 m are indicators that the structure and functions of the habitat are in favourable conservation status to a significant part of its distribution. Its adjacency to, or its interdigitation with Mediterranean salt meadows of the Juncetalia maritimi (1410 - Annex I of the Dir. 92/43/EEC), and/or Mediterranean tall humid herb grasslands of the Molinio-Holoschoenion (6420 -Annex I of the Dir. 92/43/EEC) are also considered as indicators related to the long-term conservation of the habitat.

Synthesis of Red List assessment

Confidence in the assessment

Pressures and threats