Red List habitat classification > RLH - Sparsely vegetated habitats > RLH3.4 Wet inland cliff

Wet inland cliff

Quick facts

Red List habitat type	code RLH3.4
Threat status
Europe	Data Deficient
EU	Data Deficient
Relation to	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

Plant species growing on wet cliffs are exposed to very specific ecological conditions. They occur on north-faced, very damp, dripping, overhanging or vertical calcareous rocks, in shady places. Species are mainly hygrophytic and shade-resistant. Communities are rich in ferns and mosses, on the more constantly watered places also green and blue-green algae occur. The habitat is strongly depending on the period of watering and appears on very small areas.

The habitat is found in temperate and in Mediterranean regions. In many sites, the areas of the habitat are very small and isolated. Wet cliffs of the Macaronesian islands are considered under habitat H3.3.

Indicators of good quality:

Main threats are various human activities that change the water regime. The following characteristics may be considered as indicators of good quality:

species richness of the cliffs and presence of the characteristic species
presence of habitat rare species at their typical frequency
constant supply of water

Characteristic species

For full habitat description, please download the habitat factsheet.

Threat status

Synthesis of Red List assessment

Due to a lack of quantitative data and a high degree of uncertainty among the provided data, the Red List category could not be evaluated. Therefore, the overall assessment leads to category Data Deficient (DD).

EU
Red List Category	Red List Criteria
Data Deficient	-

Europe
Red List Category	Red List Criteria
Data Deficient	-

Confidence in the assessment

low

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

Outdoor sports and leisure activities, recreational activities
Mountaineering, rock climbing, speleology

Natural System modifications

Human induced changes in hydraulic conditions

Geological events, natural catastrophes

Collapse of terrain, landslide

Climate change

Changes in abiotic conditions

Habitat restoration potential

Once completely destroyed, the habitat has almost no capacity to recover, as it's origin is dependent on geomorphological processes. In the case of damage without destruction of sites, at least for plants, the natural recovery of this habitat is rather fast when it is not isolated from similar habitats. The recolonization of sites by characteristic animals after strong disturbances may take longer.

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

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

Conservation and management needs

As the habitat type is highly natural the main conservation strategy is the prevention of disturbance and destruction of sites. The protection of habitats and corresponding species is realised best in protected areas. The habitat is strongly depending on water regimes and the period of watering. Hence, degraded sites may require management measures concerning the hydrological regime. To avoid further loss and deterioration of sites, these habitats have to be incorporated more strongly in spatial development planning.

List of conservation and management needs

Measures related to wetland, freshwater and coastal habitats

Restoring/Improving the hydrological regime
Managing water abstraction

Measures related to spatial planning

Establish protected areas/sites
Legal protection of habitats and species

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	Unknown	Decreasing	Unknown
Bulgaria	Present	Unknown	Decreasing	Decreasing
Croatia	Present	0.5	Stable	Stable
Finland mainland	Present	0.5	Stable	Stable
France mainland	Present	Unknown	Decreasing	Decreasing
Germany	Present	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Greece (mainland and other islands)	Present	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Ireland	Present	0.1	Unknown	Stable
Italy mainland	Present	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Portugal mainland	Present	3	Unknown	Stable
Romania	Present	0.5	Decreasing	Stable
Slovakia	Present	1	Unknown	Decreasing
Slovenia	Present	0.5	Unknown	Stable
Spain mainland	Present	74	Decreasing	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)
Albania	Uncertain		-	-
Bosnia and Herzegovina	Present	15	Decreasing	Stable
Kosovo	Uncertain		-	-
Montenegro	Uncertain		-	-
Norway Mainland	Uncertain		-	-
Serbia	Uncertain		-	-

Extent of Occurrence, Area of Occupancy and habitat area

	Extent of Occurrence (EOO) (Km²)	Area of Occupancy (AOO)	Current estimated Total Area	Comment
EU28	3967550	176	80
EU28+	197		95

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.

Conifers Pinguicula mundi

Ferns Adiantum capillus-veneris

Ferns Asplenium scolopendrium

Ferns Cystopteris alpina

Ferns Phegopteris connectilis

Ferns Phyllitis scolopendrium

Ferns Polypodium interjectum

Flowering Plants Alchemilla glabra

Flowering Plants Aurinia saxatilis

Flowering Plants Blackstonia perfoliata

Flowering Plants Borago pygmaea

Flowering Plants Brachypodium sylvaticum

Flowering Plants Carex brachystachys

Flowering Plants Dianthus nitidus

Flowering Plants Dittrichia viscosa

Flowering Plants Eupatorium cannabinum

Flowering Plants Ficus carica

Flowering Plants Hypericum hircinum

Flowering Plants Moehringia muscosa

Flowering Plants Mycelis muralis

Flowering Plants Pinguicula hirtiflora

Flowering Plants Pinguicula longifolia

Flowering Plants Pinguicula vallisneriifolia

Flowering Plants Samolus valerandi

Flowering Plants Saxifraga paniculata

Flowering Plants Viola palustris

Mosses & Liverworts Eucladium verticillatum

Mosses & Liverworts Palustriella commutata

Species scientific name	English common name	Species group
Pinguicula mundi		Conifers
Adiantum capillus-veneris		Ferns
Asplenium scolopendrium		Ferns
Cystopteris alpina		Ferns
Phegopteris connectilis		Ferns
Phyllitis scolopendrium		Ferns
Polypodium interjectum		Ferns
Alchemilla glabra		Flowering Plants
Aurinia saxatilis		Flowering Plants
Blackstonia perfoliata		Flowering Plants
Borago pygmaea		Flowering Plants
Brachypodium sylvaticum		Flowering Plants
Carex brachystachys		Flowering Plants
Dianthus nitidus		Flowering Plants
Dittrichia viscosa		Flowering Plants
Eupatorium cannabinum		Flowering Plants
Ficus carica		Flowering Plants
Hypericum hircinum		Flowering Plants
Moehringia muscosa		Flowering Plants
Mycelis muralis		Flowering Plants
Pinguicula hirtiflora		Flowering Plants
Pinguicula longifolia		Flowering Plants
Pinguicula vallisneriifolia		Flowering Plants
Samolus valerandi		Flowering Plants
Saxifraga paniculata		Flowering Plants
Viola palustris		Flowering Plants
Eucladium verticillatum		Mosses & Liverworts
Palustriella commutata		Mosses & Liverworts

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
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)	Films of water flowing over rocky watercourse margins	C2.6	Overlap	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]
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)	Inland spray- and steam-dependent habitats	C3.8	Overlap	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]
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)	Wet inland cliffs	H3.4	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]

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Wet inland cliff

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