Phytosociological Relevés of Maltese Sandy Beach Vegetation, 2025–2026

Federica Grech compiled a site × species matrix of vascular plant cover-abundance across the principal sandy beach and embryo-dune systems of the Maltese archipelago. The dataset comprises 79 phytosociological relevés sampled across 10 sandy beach systems in Malta and Gozo, scoring 79 vascular plant taxa plus bare-ground cover. Each relevé is georeferenced and classified by perceived ecological condition.

Use Cases

• Classifying coastal plant communities based on species abundance and site metadata.
• Mapping the distribution of psammophilous specialists and invasive alien species across Maltese beaches.
• Assessing the correlation between georeferenced location and perceived ecological condition.
• Analyzing plant community composition across 10 distinct sandy beach systems.

Strengths

• Contains 79 georeferenced relevés with precise latitude and longitude coordinates (WGS84).
• Records 79 vascular plant taxa, including psammophilous specialists, halophytes, and invasive species.
• Covers 10 distinct sandy beach systems across the Maltese Islands, providing spatial breadth.
• Data is structured as a clear 79-row by 86-column matrix with defined metadata and taxon fields.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• The dataset's 33.3 KB size indicates a limited scope, focused on a specific habitat and region.
• Data may reflect geographic bias inherent to its focus on the Maltese archipelago.

Provenance

Source

Compiled by Federica Grech BSc (Hons); uploaded by SANDRO LANFRANCO on figshare.

Collection Method

Phytosociological relevés (standardized vegetation surveys) conducted during a single sampling campaign.

Time Range

2025–2026

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-03 09:10:07; data collected during a 2025–2026 sampling campaign.

Geography

Maltese Islands (Malta and Gozo), central Mediterranean; latitude 35.9201° N – 36.0616° N, longitude 14.2827° E – 14.3661° E.