ANNEX I

NATURAL HABITAT TYPES OF COMMUNITY INTEREST WHOSE CONSERVATION REQUIRES THE DESIGNATION OF SPECIAL AREAS OF CONSERVATION Interpretation Guidance on the interpretation of habitat types is given in the Interpretation Manual of European Union Habitats as approved by the committee set up under Article 20 (‘Habitats Committee’) and published by the European Commission ( 2 ). The code corresponds to the Natura 2000 code. The sign ‘*’ indicates priority habitat types. 1. COASTAL AND HALOPHYTIC HABITATS 11. Open sea and tidal areas Sandbanks which are slightly covered by sea water all the time * Posidonia beds (Posidonion oceanicae) Estuaries Mudflats and sandflats not covered by seawater at low tide * Coastal lagoons Large shallow inlets and bays Reefs Submarine structures made by leaking gases 12. Sea cliffs and shingle or stony beaches Annual vegetation of drift lines Perennial vegetation of stony banks Vegetated sea cliffs of the Atlantic and Baltic Coasts Vegetated sea cliffs of the Mediterranean coasts with endemic Limonium spp. Vegetated sea cliffs with endemic flora of the Macaronesian coasts 13. Atlantic and continental salt marshes and salt meadows Salicornia and other annuals colonizing mud and sand Spartina swards (Spartinion maritimae) Atlantic salt meadows (Glauco-Puccinellietalia maritimae) * Inland salt meadows 14. Mediterranean and thermo-Atlantic salt marshes and salt meadows Mediterranean salt meadows (Juncetalia maritimi) Mediterranean and thermo-Atlantic halophilous scrubs (Sarcocornetea fruticosi) Halo-nitrophilous scrubs (Pegano-Salsoletea) 15. Salt and gypsum inland steppes * Mediterranean salt steppes (Limonietalia) * Iberian gypsum vegetation (Gypsophiletalia) * Pannonic salt steppes and salt marshes 16. Boreal Baltic archipelago, coastal and landupheaval areas Baltic esker islands with sandy, rocky and shingle beach vegetation and sublittoral vegetation Boreal Baltic islets and small islands * Boreal Baltic coastal meadows Boreal Baltic sandy beaches with perennial vegetation Boreal Baltic narrow inlets 2. COASTAL SAND DUNES AND INLAND DUNES 21. Sea dunes of the Atlantic, North Sea and Baltic coasts Embryonic shifting dunes Shifting dunes along the shoreline with Ammophila arenaria (‘white dunes’) * Fixed coastal dunes with herbaceous vegetation (‘grey dunes’) * Decalcified fixed dunes with Empetrum nigrum * Atlantic decalcified fixed dunes (Calluno-Ulicetea) Dunes with Hippophaë rhamnoides Dunes with Salix repens ssp. argentea (Salicion arenariae) Wooded dunes of the Atlantic, Continental and Boreal region Humid dune slacks Machairs (* in Ireland) 22. Sea dunes of the Mediterranean coast Crucianellion maritimae fixed beach dunes Dunes with Euphorbia terracina Malcolmietalia dune grasslands Brachypodietalia dune grasslands with annuals * Coastal dunes with Juniperus spp. Cisto-Lavenduletalia dune sclerophyllous scrubs * Wooded dunes with Pinus pinea and/or Pinus pinaster 23. Inland dunes, old and decalcified Dry sand heaths with Calluna and Genista Dry sand heaths with Calluna and Empetrum nigrum Inland dunes with open Corynephorus and Agrostis grasslands * Pannonic inland dunes 3. FRESHWATER HABITATS 31. Standing water Oligotrophic waters containing very few minerals of sandy plains (Littorelletalia uniflorae) Oligotrophic waters containing very few minerals generally on sandy soils of the West Mediterranean, with Isoetes spp. Oligotrophic to mesotrophic standing waters with vegetation of the Littorelletea uniflorae and/or of the Isoëto-Nanojuncetea Hard oligo-mesotrophic waters with benthic vegetation of Chara spp. Natural eutrophic lakes with Magnopotamion or Hydrocharition — type vegetation Natural dystrophic lakes and ponds * Mediterranean temporary ponds * Turloughs Lakes of gypsum karst * Transylvanian hot-spring lotus beds 32. Running water — sections of water courses with natural or semi-natural dynamics (minor, average and major beds) where the water quality shows no significant deterioration Fennoscandian natural rivers Alpine rivers and the herbaceous vegetation along their banks Alpine rivers and their ligneous vegetation with Myricaria germanica Alpine rivers and their ligneous vegetation with Salix elaeagnos Constantly flowing Mediterranean rivers with Glaucium flavum Water courses of plain to montane levels with the Ranunculion fluitantis and Callitricho-Batrachion vegetation Rivers with muddy banks with Chenopodion rubri p.p. and Bidention p.p. vegetation Constantly flowing Mediterranean rivers with Paspalo-Agrostidion species and hanging curtains of Salix and Populus alba Intermittently flowing Mediterranean rivers of the Paspalo-Agrostidion Tufa cascades of karstic rivers in the Dinaric Alps 4. TEMPERATE HEATH AND SCRUB Northern Atlantic wet heaths with Erica tetralix * Temperate Atlantic wet heaths with Erica ciliaris and Erica tetralix European dry heaths * Dry Atlantic coastal heaths with Erica vagans * Endemic macaronesian heaths Alpine and Boreal heaths * Bushes with Pinus mugo and Rhododendron hirsutum (Mugo-Rhododendretum hirsuti) Sub-Arctic Salix spp. Scrub Endemic oro-Mediterranean heaths with gorse * Subcontinental peri-Pannonic scrub Rhodope Potentilla fruticosa thickets * Ponto-Sarmatic deciduous thickets 5. SCLEROPHYLLOUS SCRUB (MATORRAL) 51. Sub-Mediterranean and temperate scrub Stable xerothermophilous formations with Buxus sempervirens on rock slopes (Berberidion p.p.) Mountain Cytisus purgans formations Juniperus communis formations on heaths or calcareous grasslands * Cistus palhinhae formations on maritime wet heaths 52. Mediterranean arborescent matorral Arborescent matorral with Juniperus spp. * Arborescent matorral with Zyziphus * Arborescent matorral with Laurus nobilis 53. Thermo-Mediterranean and pre-steppe brush Laurus nobilis thickets Low formations of Euphorbia close to cliffs Thermo-Mediterranean and pre-desert scrub 54. Phrygana West Mediterranean clifftop phryganas (Astragalo-Plantaginetum subulatae) Sarcopoterium spinosum phryganas Endemic phryganas of the Euphorbio-Verbascion 6. NATURAL AND SEMI-NATURAL GRASSLAND FORMATIONS 61. Natural grasslands * Rupicolous calcareous or basophilic grasslands of the Alysso-Sedion albi * Xeric sand calcareous grasslands Calaminarian grasslands of the Violetalia calaminariae Siliceous Pyrenean Festuca eskia grasslands Siliceous alpine and boreal grasslands Oro-Iberian Festuca indigesta grasslands Alpine and subalpine calcareous grasslands Macaronesian mesophile grasslands Rupicolous pannonic grasslands (Stipo-Festucetalia pallentis) 62. Semi-natural dry grasslands and scrubland facies Semi-natural dry grasslands and scrubland facies on calcareous substrates (Festuco-Brometalia) (* important orchid sites) * Pseudo-steppe with grasses and annuals of the Thero-Brachypodietea * Species-rich Nardus grasslands, on silicious substrates in mountain areas (and submountain areas in Continental Europe) * Sub-Pannonic steppic grasslands * Pannonic loess steppic grasslands * Pannonic sand steppes * Fennoscandian lowland species-rich dry to mesic grasslands * Nordic alvar and precambrian calcareous flatrocks Eastern sub-Mediterranean dry grasslands (Scorzoneratalia villosae) * Serpentinophilous grassland of Cyprus * Ponto-Sarmatic steppes Oro-Moesian acidophilous grasslands 63. Sclerophillous grazed forests (dehesas) Dehesas with evergreen Quercus spp. 64. Semi-natural tall-herb humid meadows Molinia meadows on calcareous, peaty or clayey-silt-laden soils (Molinion caeruleae) Mediterranean tall humid grasslands of the Molinio-Holoschoenion Hydrophilous tall herb fringe communities of plains and of the montane to alpine levels Alluvial meadows of river valleys of the Cnidion dubii Northern boreal alluvial meadows Peat grasslands of Troodos 65. Mesophile grasslands Lowland hay meadows (Alopecurus pratensis, Sanguisorba officinalis) Mountain hay meadows * Fennoscandian wooded meadows Sub-Mediterranean grasslands of the Molinio-Hordeion secalini 7. RAISED BOGS AND MIRES AND FENS 71. Sphagnum acid bogs * Active raised bogs Degraded raised bogs still capable of natural regeneration Blanket bogs (* if active bog) Transition mires and quaking bogs Depressions on peat substrates of the Rhynchosporion Fennoscandian mineral-rich springs and springfens 72. Calcareous fens * Calcareous fens with Cladium mariscus and species of the Caricion davallianae * Petrifying springs with tufa formation (Cratoneurion) Alkaline fens * Alpine pioneer formations of the Caricion bicoloris-atrofuscae 73. Boreal mires * Aapa mires * Palsa mires 8. ROCKY HABITATS AND CAVES 81. Scree Siliceous scree of the montane to snow levels (Androsacetalia alpinae and Galeopsietalia ladani) Calcareous and calcshist screes of the montane to alpine levels (Thlaspietea rotundifolii) Western Mediterranean and thermophilous scree Eastern Mediterranean screes Medio-European upland siliceous screes * Medio-European calcareous scree of hill and montane levels 82. Rocky slopes with chasmophytic vegetation Calcareous rocky slopes with chasmophytic vegetation Siliceous rocky slopes with chasmophytic vegetation Siliceous rock with pioneer vegetation of the Sedo-Scleranthion or of the Sedo albi-Veronicion dillenii * Limestone pavements 83. Other rocky habitats Caves not open to the public Fields of lava and natural excavations Submerged or partially submerged sea caves Permanent glaciers 9. FORESTS (Sub)natural woodland vegetation comprising native species forming forests of tall trees, with typical undergrowth, and meeting the following criteria: rare or residual, and/or hosting species of Community interest 90. Forests of Boreal Europe * Western Taïga * Fennoscandian hemiboreal natural old broad-leaved deciduous forests (Quercus, Tilia, Acer, Fraxinus or Ulmus) rich in epiphytes * Natural forests of primary succession stages of landupheaval coast Nordic subalpine/subarctic forests with Betula pubescens ssp. czerepanovii Fennoscandian herb-rich forests with Picea abies Coniferous forests on, or connected to, glaciofluvial eskers Fennoscandian wooded pastures * Fennoscandian deciduous swamp woods 91. Forests of Temperate Europe Luzulo-Fagetum beech forests Atlantic acidophilous beech forests with Ilex and sometimes also Taxus in the shrublayer (Quercion robori-petraeae or Ilici-Fagenion) Asperulo-Fagetum beech forests Medio-European subalpine beech woods with Acer and Rumex arifolius Medio-European limestone beech forests of the Cephalanthero-Fagion Sub-Atlantic and medio-European oak or oak-hornbeam forests of the Carpinion betuli Galio-Carpinetum oak-hornbeam forests * Tilio-Acerion forests of slopes, screes and ravines Old acidophilous oak woods with Quercus robur on sandy plains Old sessile oak woods with Ilex and Blechnum in the British Isles Thermophilous Fraxinus angustifolia woods * Caledonian forest * Bog woodland * Alluvial forests with Alnus glutinosa and Fraxinus excelsior (Alno-Padion, Alnion incanae, Salicion albae) Riparian mixed forests of Quercus robur, Ulmus laevis and Ulmus minor, Fraxinus excelsior or Fraxinus angustifolia, along the great rivers (Ulmenion minoris) * Pannonic woods with Quercus petraea and Carpinus betulus * Pannonian woods with Quercus pubescens * Euro-Siberian steppic woods with Quercus spp. * Taxus baccata woods of the British Isles Illyrian Fagus sylvatica forests (Aremonio-Fagion) Illyrian oak-hornbeam forests (Erythronio-Carpinion) Pannonian-Balkanic turkey oak — sessile oak forests * Pannonic inland sand dune thicket (Junipero-Populetum albae) Holy Cross fir forest (Abietetum polonicum) Western Carpathian calcicolous Pinus sylvestris forests Dinaric dolomite Scots pine forests (Genisto januensis-Pinetum) * Western Pontic beech forests Central European lichen Scots pine forests Sarmatic steppe pine forest Dacian Beech forests (Symphyto-Fagion) Moesian beech forests * Dobrogean beech forests Dacian oak & hornbeam forests Moesian silver lime woods * Eastern white oak woods Moesian silver fir forests Rhodopide and Balkan Range Scots pine forests 92. Mediterranean deciduous forests * Apeninne beech forests with Taxus and Ilex * Apennine beech forests with Abies alba and beech forests with Abies nebrodensis Galicio-Portuguese oak woods with Quercus robur and Quercus pyrenaica Quercus faginea and Quercus canariensis Iberian woods Quercus trojana woods Castanea sativa woods Hellenic beech forests with Abies borisii-regis Quercus frainetto woods Cupressus forests (Acero-Cupression) Salix alba and Populus alba galleries Riparian formations on intermittent Mediterranean water courses with Rhododendron ponticum, Salix and others Platanus orientalis and Liquidambar orientalis woods (Platanion orientalis) Southern riparian galleries and thickets (Nerio-Tamaricetea and Securinegion tinctoriae) 93. Mediterranean sclerophyllous forests Aegean Quercus brachyphylla woods Olea and Ceratonia forests Quercus suber forests Quercus ilex and Quercus rotundifolia forests Quercus macrolepis forests * Macaronesian laurel forests (Laurus, Ocotea) * Palm groves of Phoenix Forests of Ilex aquifolium * Scrub and low forest vegetation with Quercus alnifolia Woodlands with Quercus infectoria (Anagyro foetidae-Quercetum infectoriae) 94. Temperate mountainous coniferous forests Acidophilous Picea forests of the montane to alpine levels (Vaccinio-Piceetea) Alpine Larix decidua and/or Pinus cembra forests Subalpine and montane Pinus uncinata forests (* if on gypsum or limestone) 95. Mediterranean and Macaronesian mountainous coniferous forests * Southern Apennine Abies alba forests Abies pinsapo forests * (Sub-) Mediterranean pine forests with endemic black pines Mediterranean pine forests with endemic Mesogean pines Canarian endemic pine forests * Endemic forests with Juniperus spp. * Tetraclinis articulata forests * Mediterranean Taxus baccata woods * Cedrus brevifolia forests (Cedrosetum brevifoliae) High oro-Mediterranean pine forests

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Source: EUR-Lex CELLAR · retrieved 2026-08-09 · Text as consolidated on 2025-07-14; changes after this date are not shown.