Vegetation of the coastal dunes and wetland of Schinias National Park (NE Attica, Sterea Ellas, Greece)

Abstract

Abstract The vegetation developing on the coastal sand dunes and wetland of Schinias National Park, a Natura 2000 Site, was studied following the Braun-Blanquet method. Vegetation units were delimited using cluster analysis and by applying the fidelity measure; the phi-coefficient was used for the definition of diagnostic species. The vegetation types distinguished (twenty associations, two sub-associations and thirteen communities not assigned formal rank), which belong to 18 alliances, 16 orders and 12 classes, are discussed and presented in phytosociological tables. Among them Mathiolo tricuspidatae-Anthemidetum tomentosae, Pistacio lentisci-Pinetum halepensis pinetosum pineae, Puccinellio festuciformis-Aeluropetum litoralis cressetosum creticae and Tamaricetum tetrandrae are described for the first time. The vegetation types recognized in the study area are linked to twelve EUNIS habitat types, nine of which are related to 13 Annex I habitat types (Directive 92/43/EEC), and one to a habitat type of national interest (72A0). One Annex I habitat type occurring in the study area has scattered presence in the Natura 2000 network in Greece (1420), two are infrequent (2190, 2260), two are rare (2230, 2270) and three are priority habitat types (1150, 2250, 2270).