Mediterranean salt steppes (Limonietalia)
Description (English)
Associations rich in perennial, rosette-forming Limonium spp. or esparto grass (Lygeum spartum), occupying, along Mediterranean coasts and on the fringes of Iberian salt basins, soils temporarily permeated (though not inundated) by saline water and subject to extreme summer drying, with formation of salt efflorescence. Characteristic syntaxa are Limonietalia, Arthrocnemetalia, Thero-Salicornietalia and Saginetalia maritimae.
The following syntaxa correspond to regional varieties of this habitat type; Arthrocnemetalia: Suaedion braunblanquetii (continental Iberian peninsula), Arthrocnemion glauci. Limonietalia: Limonion catalaunico-viciosoi (Aragon), Lygeo-Limonion furfuracei (SE Iberian peninsula), Lygeo-Lepidion cardamines (Castilla-La-Mancha). Thero-Salicornietalia: Microcnemion coralloidis (continental Iberian peninsula), Salicornion patulae. Saginetalia maritimae: Frankenion pulverulentae, Thero-Suaedion.
Source: Interpretation Manual of European Union Habitats, version EUR 28 (2013)
Quick facts
| EU Habitats Directive | Annex I habitat type (code 1510) |
|---|---|
| Habitat type | Priority |
| Natura 2000 sites | 239 are designated for this habitat type |
Distribution
Conservation status
EU conservation status
Conservation status assesses every six years and for each biogeographical region the condition of habitats and species compared to the favourable status as described in the Habitats Directive. The map shows the 2013-2018 assessments as reported by EU Member State. Assessments are further detailed in the summary document available behind the link below.
Species mentioned in habitat description
| Species scientific name | English common name | Species group |
|---|---|---|
| Halopeplis amplexicaulis | Flowering Plants | |
| Hymenolobus procumbens | Flowering Plants | |
| Lygeum spartum | Flowering Plants | |
| Salicornia patula | Flowering Plants | |
| Senecio auricula | Flowering Plants | |
| Sphenopus divaricatus | Flowering Plants |