Local Ecosystems

This page - Sand Dunes

Page 2 - Garigue

Page 3 - Water courses

Page 4 - Steppe

Page 5 - Maquis

Page 6 - Saline marshlands

Page 7 - Woodland

Page 8 - Rock pools

Page 9 - Coastal cliffs

Page 10 - Transitional coastal wetlands

Sand dunes

Sand dunes are associated with sandy beaches that make up only about 2.4% percent of the entire coastline in the Maltese Islands. They are rare and vulnerable habitats. The dunes at Ramla Bay (Gozo) are the best local example of such a habitat type in the Maltese Islands. These have been much degraded due mainly to human activities connected with beach development for touristic purposes and with recreational use.

Sand dunes, which are important for coastal protection, are threatened habitats which contain some very rare plants. Some have already become extinct: such as the Marram Grass (Ammophila australis). Sand dunes are dominated by the dune grasses Sand Couch (Elytrigia juncea) and Dropseed Grass (Sporobolus pungens). The climax can be said to be the Tamarisk (Tamarix africana) which grows further inshore. Other species include the Sea Rocket (Cakile maritima), Sea Holly (Eryngium maritimum), Sea Daffodil (Pancratium maritimum), and Sea Medick (Medicago marina), Echinophora spinosa.

Scolymus hispanicus	Euphorbis paralias	Galactites tomentosa	Cakile maritima
Echinophora spinosa	Eryngeum maritimum	Hedysarum coronarium	M. crystallinum
Pancratium maritimum	Silene colorata	Elymus farctus	Cynara cardunculus
Scolymus hispanicus	Carlina involucrata	Lagurus ovatus	Salsola soda

2 - Typical sand dune fauna