Trees and Woodlands of the Maltese Islands

Problem: Continuous exploitation of local woodlands leading to an almost total depletion of the endemic trees and woodland areas in the Maltese Islands.

How the problem evolved over time: Variables include human land use management/ mismanagement, harsh environment, and climatic changes as described below.

The Maltese Islands have been inhabited by different civilizations for millions of years dating back to the first settlers (believed to have came from Sicily)- Pre-historic era, Normans, Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Knights of the order of St. John, French Empire and British Colony. Unfortunately very little reliable information is available on Maltese woodlands, their extent, status and the trees which used to constitute such woodlands. It is believed that the same islands were colonized by several types of trees which were deforested for ship building/military activity and agriculture revolution. Today tree cover of the Maltese Islands is about 5%, although this is mostly due to alien trees (trees not native to the Maltese Islands, but introduced, directly or indirectly, by man) (FAO, 2006).

It is not easy to determine how many types of woodland were present and the different types of such ecosystems. The Mediterranean woodland is the climax of vegetation of the Maltese Islands which in time was conditioned by several factors. The islands are composed mainly of limestones, the soils are young and are very similar to the parent rocks, and there are no mountains, streams or lakes, but only minor springs. The main geomorphological features are karstic limestone plateaux, hillsides covered with clay taluses, gently rolling limestone plains, valleys which drain runoff during the wet season, steep sea-cliffs on the south-western coasts, and gently sloping rocky shores to the Northeast. The main vegetational types are maquis, garigue and steppe; minor ones include patches of woodland, coastal wetlands, sand dunes, freshwater, and rupestral communities. (Lanfranco, in Malta Wild Plants website, 2009).


'Hard' elements that led to the identification of woodland coverage in Malta:

Limited information is also available on tree and woodland coverage prior to human habitation of the islands and in prehistory. Exceptions are the studies done on sub-fossilized pollen and leaves of Quaternary deposits and charcoal from the Neolithic Period (Stevens et al, 2006). Today the remaining forest remnants are threatened by climatic changes, fire, grazing, vandalism and population growth/density (400,000 people, increasing at a rate of about 2,400 inhabitants per year/1,250 inhabitants per km2) and by other human activity including urban sprawl (with more than 23% of the surface area being built-up), agricultural practises, recreational spaces and change in economic strategies .

The four forest remnants known are all found in the island of Malta. One of these was severely degraded, with most trees being destroyed in 1993. The remaining remnants are small relict isolated pockets, characterised by old holm oak trees found at il-Ballut (limits of San Pawl iil--Baħar), Il-- Ballut ta‘ l-Imġiebaħ` (limits of Il--Mellieħa, fig. 1), Il-Bosk (limits of Ir-Rabat) and Wied Ħażrun/Ta’ Baldu (limits of Ħad--Dingli). Some of the trees found in such remnants are estimated to be 500--1000 years old, but are probably older, definitely amongst the oldest trees in the Maltese Islands and have been reported from other areas, such as Il-Ballut ta' Ras il--Gebel (limits of Il--Mellieħa)). This woodland probably disappeared as a result of a combination of fire and overgrazing, coupled with timber and firewood collection (Sultana et al, 2002).

Fig. 1: Remants of Holm Oak Trees (Ballut) – Imgiebah (Mellieha)

Source: www.mepa.org.mt/heritage-general-info

Reafforestation tentatives in Malta as the ‘soft’ elements of this issue:

Pine trees were reintroduced in the early XX Century (Civil Code 1868, chapter 16), with most trees planted after the 1950s. The pine woodlands in the areas of il-Palazz tal- Verdala (Fig. 2) and il-Buskett are said to originate from the Għajn Żnuber pines. Forest remnants are also very important in view of the many rare species and endemics, particularly mushrooms, other fungi and invertebrates. These trees are usually taller than 1.5 metres, but rarely exceed 5 to 6 metres in height, are mainly evergreen in nature, have a very rich under-storey and are usually dense with smaller trees, shrubs and various herbs.

Fig. 2: Buskett Semi- Natural Woodland

Source: www.trekearth.com/Rabat/photo637359.htm

Malta has no national Maltese trees protection law. Until 2001 law and enforcement lacked and the public at large was not aware of the damage caused when illegally dumping in valleys and cliff or rdum areas. Education to protect and preserve forest ramlets also lacked. Bad practices also included planting of alien species for hunting and trapping purposes, clearing of endemic trees for agricultural practices, Malta Environment and Planning Authority (MEPA) issuing permits outside development zones (valleys beds and other remote sensitive areas), Agricultural Department (today Malta Resources and Rural Affairs-MRRA) lacking the correct data to preserve what is left of trees and woodland and police not being well equipped to monitor the natural environment. Sometimes NGOs were one sided thus providing no balance between human needs and nature. Low management practices and Habitat conservation programs also contributed to the destruction of the natural environment. Unwanted household, farming and other equipment and illegal substances were also dumped in the countryside since there was a lack of monitoring and enforcement by MEPA and MRRA. The responsibility for environmental management has been shared and thus fragmented amongst a number of government departments and agencies where much effort was used in bureaucracy and less in enforcement.

Since Malta's accession to the EU in 2004, the Maltese Government is closely following the Habitats Directive Council Directive 92/43/EEC related to the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora, locally transposed as the Flora, Fauna and Natural - Habitats Protection Regulations – Legal Notice 311 of 2006. This Protection of Natural Habitats regulation includes: a Strict Protection of Threatened Species, Control of Exploitation of Species in Use, Establishment of Monitoring Procedures, Control of Activities affecting habitats and species, Eradication and Control of Alien Species, Re-Introduction of Species and the Communication, Education and Public Awareness campaigns (EU Habitats Directive, 1992).

Bibliography:

• Stevens D, Schembri Gambin JL; Convension on Biological Diversity; 2006
  Availabe at: http://www.cbd.int/countries/?country=mt
  [Accessed: 12 January 2010]



• Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Rome, 2006 Water Resource Review [Online]
  Available at: http://www.fao.org/docrep/009/a0994e/a0994e00.HTM
  [Accessed: 12 January 2010]



• Lanfranco, Edwin Department of Biology, University of Malta; Vegetation of the Maltese Islands [Online] Available at:
  http://www.maltawildplants.com/ASTR/Docs/ASTSQ/Vegetation%20of%20the%20Maltese%20Islands.h%20tm
  [Accessed :12 January 2010]



• Sultana J. & Falzon V., 2002: Wildlife of the Maltese Islands. Birdlife Malta, Nature Trust.



• Civil Code Chapter 16 [Online]
  Available at: http://docs.justice.gov.mt/lom/legislation/english/leg/vol_2/chapt16.pdf
  [Accessed: 12 January 2010]



• EU Habitats Directive [Online]
  Available at: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/legislation/habitatsdirective/index_en.htm
  [Accessed: 12 January 2010]