Red List habitat classification > RLH - Sparsely vegetated habitats > RLH2.4 Temperate high-mountain base-rich scree

Temperate high-mountain base-rich scree

Quick facts

Red List habitat type	code RLH2.4
Threat status
Europe	Least Concern
EU	Least Concern
Relation to	Annex I habitat types (EU Habitats Directive) Resolution 4 habitat type (Bern Convention)
Source	European Red List habitat factsheet
	European Red List of habitats reports
	European Red List of habitats (Excel table)

Summary

Calcareous and calcschist screes of high altitudes (mainly over 1000 m alt.) and cool sites in mountain ranges of the nemoral zone of Europe, including the Alps, Pyrenees, Carpathians, central and eastern parts of Balkan Peninsula, Apennines, etc. Scree habitat consists of rock fragments with different forms and sizes covering the frost-shattered summits of mountains or accumulating on slopes below calcareous cliffs. Calcareous and calcschist screes consist of base-rich rocks including limestone, dolomites, calcareous-schists, and marbles.

The screes are colonised by a set of mostly perennial species. The vegetation consists of assemblages of calcicole and basiphilous species, the composition of which depends on altitude and geographical ranges. Geographical isolation and limited size of high-altitudinal screes are explanations for the high level of specification found in the flora of calcareous screes, resulting in many relic and local endemic species. Also many vegetation alliances have limited ranges on the slopes of European mountains, for example in the Carpathians (Papverion tatrtici and Papavero-Thymion pulcherrimi), the Dinarides (Bunion alpini and Saxifragion prenjae), the Pirin Mountain in Bulgaria (Veronico-Papaverion degenii), the Pyrenees (Iberidion spathulatae, Iberido apertae-Linarion propinquae, Saxifragion praetemirsae Androsacion ciliatae), and the Apennines (Linario-Festucion dimorphae, Thlaspion stylosi). Some vegetation alliances, like the Thlaspion rotundifolii and Drabion hoppeanae (on slates), are more widespread in the Alps and Carpathians. The vegetation of high-mountain and subalpine, relatively humid, fine limestone and marl screes belongs to the alliance Petasition paradoxi. Here many fern species (Polystichum lonchitis, Dryopteris submontana, D. villarii, Asplenium fissum) are found as well as large number of calcicolous mosses.

Indicators of quality:

Occurrence of natural erosion processes.
High species richness of the cliffs.
Presence of rare, relict or endemic species.
Absence of human activities, including grazing.
Absence of alien species.

Characteristic species

Characteristic species:

Vascular plants: Achillea atrata, A. clusiana, A. oxyloba, Adenostlyles alpina, Adonis distorta, Alchemilla decumbens, Alhtamanta cretensis, Alyssum cuneifolium, A. ovirense, A. repens, Anthemis carpaica, Aquilegia pyrenaica, Arabis alpina, A. caerulea, A. ferdinandi-coburgii, Arenaria bertolonii, A. ciliata, Aplenium fissum, Borderea pyrenaica, Bunium alpinum, Campanula cochlearifolia, C. pulla, C. velebitica, Cardaminopsis neglecta, Centaurea parlatoris, C. rupestris, Cerastiusm carinthiacum, C. tomentosum, C. transsilvanicum, Clorocrepis staticifolia, Cochlearia tatrae, Crepis pygmea, Cystopteris montana, Degenia velebitica, Delphinium oxysepalum, Doronicum carpaticum, Draba fladnizensis, Dryopteris submontana, D. villarii, Hypocharis robertia, Iberis spathulata, Festuca dimorpha, F. glacialis, F. pyrenaica, F. pulchella, Galium baldense, G. megalospermum, G. noricum, G. pyrenaicum, G. stojanovii, Gypsophila repens, Leucanthemum atratum, Ligusticum ferulaceum, Linaria purpurea, Minuartia certastifolia, Moerrihngia ciliata, M. muscosa, Myosotis ambigens, Omalotheca hoppeana, O. pichleri, Papver alpinum, P. pyrenaicum, P. suaveloens, Petasites paradoxus, Phyllitis scolopendrium, Poa minor, P. pirinica, Rumex scutatus, Polystichum lonchitis, Pritzelago alpina, Ranunculus carinthiacus, R. oreophilus, R. parnassifolius, Reseda glauca, Rhodiola rosea, Salix retusa, Saxifraga aizoides, S. bryoides, S. carpatica, S. glabella, S. moschata, S. oppositifolia, S. pedemontana, S. sedoides, S. wahlenbergi, Sedum atratum, Seseli malyi, Thlaspi bellidifolium, T. kerneri, T. rodtundifolium, T. stylosum, Thymus pulcherrimus, Trisetum distichophyllum, T. spicatum, Valeriana bertiscea, V. elongata, Veronica aragonensis, V. baumgartenii, V. nummularia, V. satureoides, Viola grisebachiana, V. magelensis, Xatardia scabra

Mosses: Blepharostoma trichophyllum, Conocephalum conicum, Homalothecium lutescens, Pohlia cruda, Polytrichum alpinum, Sanionia uncinata

Reptiles: Podarcis muralis

Birds: Alectoris graeca, Tichodroma muraria, Prunella collaris, Monticola saxatilis Mammals: Chionomys nivalis

For full habitat description, please download the habitat factsheet.

Threat status

Synthesis of Red List assessment

Despite a variable level of data quality among countries and the lack of quantitative data, this habitat is assessed as Least Concern since it is widespread in Europe and the reductions in quantity (around 3%) and quality (slight decline, severity 33% affecting 6% of the extent of the habitat) over the past 50 years have been small and resulted in limited degradation.

EU
Red List Category	Red List Criteria
Least Concern	-

Europe
Red List Category	Red List Criteria
Least Concern	-

Confidence in the assessment

medium

Red List of habitat categories and criteria descriptions

European Red List of Habitats categories

Based on Scientific Foundations for an IUCN Red List of Ecosystems

European Red List of Habitats criteria

Reduction in quantity (area of distribution)	A	A1 Present decline (over last 50 years) A2a Future decline (over the next 50 years) A2b Future/present decline (over a 50-year period inclunding present and future) A3 Historic decline
Restricted geographic distribution	B	B1 Restricted Extent of Occurrence (EOO) B2 Restricted Area of Occupancy (AOO) B3 Present at few locations
Reduction in abiotic quality	C	C/D1 Reduction in quality over the last 50 years C/D2 Reduction in quality in the future or in a period including present and future C/D3 Historic reduction in quality
Reduction in biotic quality	D
Quantitative analysis of probability of collapse	E

From Scientific Foundations for an IUCN Red List of Ecosystems

Pressures and threats

Mining, extraction of materials and energy production

Mining and quarrying

Human intrusions and disturbances

Sport and leisure structures

Natural biotic and abiotic processes (without catastrophes)

Biocenotic evolution, succession

Climate change

Changes in abiotic conditions

Habitat restoration potential

The habitat has some capacity to recover naturally, but it is dependent on particular geomorphological processes which are very slow (erosion). As far as we know there is no experiment of restoration of screes.

Trends in extent
Average current trend in quantity
Stable	Stable
EU28	EU28+

Trends in quality
Average current trend in quality
Stable	Stable
EU28	EU28+

Conservation and management needs

Screes are important natural features of the mountain environment. Therefore this habitat type has no specific management requirement to remain except leaving it undisturbed and undestroyed. Conservation is then effective when free evolution is possible, like within protected areas. ‘Manage landscape features’ refers to the need to better protect this kind of habitats with a high degree of naturalness in land-use planning, especially when no specific regulation can be applied (no protected species or habitat, outside a protected area, outside a Natura 2000 site).

List of conservation and management needs

Measures related to spatial planning

Establish protected areas/sites
Legal protection of habitats and species
Manage landscape features

Distribution

For each habitat a distribution map was produced from a wide variety of sources indicating known and potential occurrences of the habitat in 10x10 km grids within Europe. Occurrences in grid cells were given in two classes: actual distribution from relatively reliable sources (surveys, expert knowledge), and potential distribution based on models or less reliable indicators. Please download the fact sheet to see the map.

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	963	Stable	Stable
Bulgaria	Present	20	Stable	Decreasing
Croatia	Present	2	-	Stable
France mainland	Present	500	Stable	Stable
Germany	Present	100	Decreasing	Decreasing
Italy mainland	Present	1058	Decreasing	Stable
Sardinia	Present	1058	Decreasing	Stable
Sicily	Present	1058	Decreasing	Stable
Romania	Present	1.5	Unknown	Decreasing
Slovakia	Present	5	Unknown	Decreasing
Slovenia	Present	15	Stable	Stable
Spain mainland	Present	132	Stable	Stable
Poland	Present	0.5	-	-

EU28 +	Present or presence uncertain	Current area of habitat (Km²)	Recent trend in quantity (last 50 years)	Recent trend in quality (last 50 years)
Former Yugoslavian Republic of Macedonia (FYROM)	Present	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Switzerland	Present	750	Decreasing	Stable
Bosnia and Herzegovina	Present	3	Stable	Stable

Extent of Occurrence, Area of Occupancy and habitat area

	Extent of Occurrence (EOO) (Km²)	Area of Occupancy (AOO)	Current estimated Total Area	Comment
EU28	5646500	456	2800
EU28+	474		3551

AOO = the area occupied by a habitat measured in number of 10x10 km grid cells.
EOO = the area (km2) of the envelope around all occurrences of a habitat (calculated by a minimum convex polygon).

Characteristic species

The full list of characteristic species and genus are available above from the Summary. The species available in the EUNIS database are shown here.

Birds Alectoris graeca

Birds Monticola saxatilis

Birds Prunella collaris

Birds Tichodroma muraria

Ferns Asplenium fissum

Ferns Cystopteris montana

Ferns Dryopteris submontana

Ferns Phyllitis scolopendrium

Ferns Polystichum lonchitis

Flowering Plants Achillea atrata

Flowering Plants Adonis distorta

Flowering Plants Alchemilla decumbens

Flowering Plants Alyssum cuneifolium

Flowering Plants Aquilegia pyrenaica

Flowering Plants Arabis alpina

Flowering Plants Arenaria bertolonii

Flowering Plants Borderea pyrenaica

Flowering Plants Bunium alpinum

Flowering Plants Campanula cochlearifolia

Flowering Plants Cardaminopsis neglecta

Flowering Plants Centaurea parlatoris

Flowering Plants Cochlearia tatrae

Flowering Plants Degenia velebitica

Flowering Plants Delphinium oxysepalum

Flowering Plants Doronicum carpaticum

Flowering Plants Draba fladnizensis

Flowering Plants Festuca dimorpha

Flowering Plants Galium baldense

Flowering Plants Gypsophila repens

Flowering Plants Iberis spathulata

Flowering Plants Leucanthemum atratum

Flowering Plants Ligusticum ferulaceum

Flowering Plants Linaria purpurea

Flowering Plants Myosotis ambigens

Flowering Plants Omalotheca hoppeana

Flowering Plants Petasites paradoxus

Flowering Plants Poa minor

Flowering Plants Pritzelago alpina

Flowering Plants Ranunculus carinthiacus

Flowering Plants Reseda glauca

Flowering Plants Rhodiola rosea

Flowering Plants Rumex scutatus

Flowering Plants Salix retusa

Flowering Plants Saxifraga aizoides

Flowering Plants Sedum atratum

Flowering Plants Seseli malyi

Flowering Plants Thlaspi bellidifolium

Flowering Plants Thymus pulcherrimus

Flowering Plants Trisetum distichophyllum

Flowering Plants Valeriana bertiscea

Flowering Plants Veronica aragonensis

Flowering Plants Viola grisebachiana

Flowering Plants Xatardia scabra

Mammals Chionomys nivalis

Mosses & Liverworts Homalothecium lutescens

Mosses & Liverworts Pohlia cruda

Mosses & Liverworts Polytrichum alpinum

Mosses & Liverworts Sanionia uncinata

Reptiles Podarcis muralis

Species scientific name	English common name	Species group
Alectoris graeca	Rock Partridge	Birds
Monticola saxatilis	Rock Thrush	Birds
Prunella collaris	Alpine Accentor	Birds
Tichodroma muraria	Wallcreeper	Birds
Asplenium fissum		Ferns
Cystopteris montana		Ferns
Dryopteris submontana		Ferns
Phyllitis scolopendrium		Ferns
Polystichum lonchitis		Ferns
Achillea atrata		Flowering Plants
Adonis distorta		Flowering Plants
Alchemilla decumbens		Flowering Plants
Alyssum cuneifolium		Flowering Plants
Aquilegia pyrenaica		Flowering Plants
Arabis alpina		Flowering Plants
Arenaria bertolonii		Flowering Plants
Borderea pyrenaica		Flowering Plants
Bunium alpinum		Flowering Plants
Campanula cochlearifolia		Flowering Plants
Cardaminopsis neglecta		Flowering Plants
Centaurea parlatoris		Flowering Plants
Cochlearia tatrae		Flowering Plants
Degenia velebitica		Flowering Plants
Delphinium oxysepalum		Flowering Plants
Doronicum carpaticum		Flowering Plants
Draba fladnizensis		Flowering Plants
Festuca dimorpha		Flowering Plants
Galium baldense		Flowering Plants
Gypsophila repens		Flowering Plants
Iberis spathulata		Flowering Plants
Leucanthemum atratum		Flowering Plants
Ligusticum ferulaceum		Flowering Plants
Linaria purpurea		Flowering Plants
Myosotis ambigens		Flowering Plants
Omalotheca hoppeana		Flowering Plants
Petasites paradoxus		Flowering Plants
Poa minor		Flowering Plants
Pritzelago alpina		Flowering Plants
Ranunculus carinthiacus		Flowering Plants
Reseda glauca		Flowering Plants
Rhodiola rosea		Flowering Plants
Rumex scutatus		Flowering Plants
Salix retusa		Flowering Plants
Saxifraga aizoides		Flowering Plants
Sedum atratum		Flowering Plants
Seseli malyi		Flowering Plants
Thlaspi bellidifolium		Flowering Plants
Thymus pulcherrimus		Flowering Plants
Trisetum distichophyllum		Flowering Plants
Valeriana bertiscea		Flowering Plants
Veronica aragonensis		Flowering Plants
Viola grisebachiana		Flowering Plants
Xatardia scabra		Flowering Plants
Chionomys nivalis	Snow vole	Mammals
Homalothecium lutescens		Mosses & Liverworts
Pohlia cruda		Mosses & Liverworts
Polytrichum alpinum		Mosses & Liverworts
Sanionia uncinata		Mosses & Liverworts
Podarcis muralis	Common wall lizard	Reptiles

Legal status

Relation to other habitat types mentioned in legal instruments

Legal text	Annex	Name in legal text	Code in legal text	Habitat type relationship	More information
Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora - consolidated version 01/01/2007	Annex I: natural habitat types of community interest whose conservation requires the designation of special areas of conservation	Calcareous and calcshist screes of the montane to alpine levels (Thlaspietea rotundifolii)	8120	Narrower	http://ec.europa.eu/environm...rective/index_en.htm
Convention on the conservation of European wildlife and natural habitats	Revised Annex I of Resolution 4 (1996) of the Bern Convention on endangered natural habitats types using the EUNIS habitat classification (year of revision 2010)	Temperate-montane calcareous and ultra-basic screes	H2.4	Same	https://wcd.coe.int/ViewDoc....ckColorLogged=FDC864 Resolution No. 4 (1996) of the Bern Convention lists endangered natural habitats requiring specific conservation measures [and the designation of Areas of Special Conservation Interest (ASCIs) forming the Emerald network]

Write to us

Call us

Sections

Temperate high-mountain base-rich scree

Quick facts

Summary

Threat status

Synthesis of Red List assessment

Confidence in the assessment

European Red List of Habitats categories

European Red List of Habitats criteria

Pressures and threats

Habitat restoration potential

Trends in extent

Average current trend in quantity

Trends in quality

Average current trend in quality

Conservation and management needs

List of conservation and management needs

Distribution

Geographic occurrence and trends

Extent of Occurrence, Area of Occupancy and habitat area

Characteristic species

Legal status

Relation to other habitat types mentioned in legal instruments

Vegetation types

Relation to vegetation types (syntaxa)

Other classifications