List of Protected Habitats

 

In accordance with Article 69 of Cap. 549, the habitats recognised for protection in Malta are those listed in Schedule I of S.L. 549.44 – Flora, Fauna and Natural Habitats Regulations.

The habitats listed in Schedule I of S.L. 549.44 include a diverse range of ecosystems, from terrestrial woodlands and coastal dunes to freshwater and marine habitats. These habitats are of European importance and support a wealth of biodiversity. Some of the areas which support these habitats are also designated as Special Areas of Conservation (SACs), ensuring their protection under the EU Habitats Directive.

Habitats of the Maltese Islands
Code Habitat Name
1110 Sandbanks which are slightly covered by sea water all the time
1120* Posidonia beds (Posidonion oceanicae)
1150* Coastal lagoons
1170 Reefs
1240 Vegetated sea cliffs of the Mediterranean coasts with endemic Limonium spp.
1310 Salicornia and other annuals colonizing mud and sand
1410 Mediterranean salt meadows (Juncetalia maritimi)
1420 Mediterranean and thermo-Atlantic halophilous scrubs (Sarcocornetea fruticosi)
2110  Embryonic shifting dunes
2210 Crucianellion maritimae fixed beach dunes
2220 Dunes with Euphorbia terracina
3140 Hard oligo-mesotrophic waters with benthic vegetation of Chara spp.
3170* Mediterranean temporary ponds
5230* Arborescent matorral with Laurus nobilis
5330 Thermo-Mediterranean and pre-desert scrub
5410 West Mediterranean clifftop phryganas (Astragalo-Plantaginetum subulatae)
5420 Sarcopoterium spinosum phryganas
5430 Endemic phryganas of the Euphorbio-Verbascion
6220* Pseudo-steppe with grasses and annuals of the Thero-Brachypodietea
8210 Calcareous rocky slopes with chasmophytic vegetation
8310 Caves not open to the public
8330 Submerged or partially submerged sea caves
92A0 Salix alba and Populus alba galleries
92D0 Southern riparian galleries and thickets (Nerio-Tamaricetea and Securinegion tinctoriae)
9320 Olea and Ceratonia forests
9340 Quercus ilex and Quercus rotundifolia forests
9540 Mediterranean pine forests with endemic Mesogean pines
9570*

Tetraclinis articulata forests

* Indicates priority natural habitat types in danger of disappearance

 

Disclaimer:
It is important to note that not all habitats listed in Schedule I of S.L. 549.44 are automatically protected. Only adequate representatives of these habitats that meet the criteria for designation are formally protected as SACs under Maltese law. These SACs have been assessed and designated for their ecological significance and contribution to national and European biodiversity.