Maltese Habitats

Sand Dunes

 

Many local sandy beaches were backed by dune systems, but at present only very few still persist and even these have been much degraded due mainly to human activities connected with beach development for touristic purposes and with recreational use.

Sand dunes are thus amongst the rarest and most threatened of local habitats.

Ramla l-Hamra dunes, Gozo

Due to its extent, species richness and ecosystem stability, this is the most important dune ecosystem of the Malteses Islands and in spite of the fact that it has suffered much disturbance in recent years, it still includes most of the recorded dune species

Sand dunes at Ramla Bay, Gozo

Sand dunes at Ramla Bay, Gozo

including a number found only here and nowhere else in the Maltese Islands.

Local dunes are dominated by the dune grasses the Sand Couch (Elytrigia juncea) and Dropwort (Sporobolus pungens). Also found are Sea Kale (Cakile maritima) and Sea Daffodil (Pancratium maritimum) and rarely Sea Holly (Eryngium maritimum).