Daniela Muscat – Nicole Green Vella Giovanni Curmi Higher Secondary School Naxxar, Malta Biodiversity (Malta)

Malta

Comino Cominotto Filfla Fungus Rock Gozo Malta St. Paul’s Islands Manoel Island

316km 2 Land Area of the Maltese Islands 416,055 Population of the Maltese Islands Population Density: 1316persons/km 2 Highest in the European Union 4 th Highest in the World Many People = Built Up!

As we can see through these aerial photographs, the Maltese Islands are extremely dense with buildings … … due to a large population for its small size!

However, we still have a number of natural and untouched places which are home to many wild plants and animals.

NATURAL HISTORY OF THE MALTESE ISLANDS Filfla Xrobb l-Għaġin Il-Buskett Wied Għollieqa Għajn Tuffieħa St. Paul’s Islands Comino Fungus Rock Ramla l-Ħamra Dingli Cliffs Majjistral Ta’ Ċenċ Għadira Inland Sea Simar Wied Faħam Pembroke Wied Babu Il-Maqluba Il-Ballut Wied Qliegħa Girgenti

Comino Inhabited by only one family Nature Reserve Bird Sanctuary

Comino stars in many films

Filfla Area: 0.06km 2 Uninhabited 5km South of Malta Name derived from filfel (peppercorn) Limestone plateau with 60m high cliffs

Did You Know? Filfla acts as breeding grounds for three rare birds (from top: European Storm Petrel, Cory’s Shearwater, Yellow Legged Gull)  Filfla is also home to an endemic species of lizard: What does endemic mean? This means that this species can only be found in this area and nowhere else in the world.

St. Paul’s Island Largest uninhabited island in the Maltese archipelago Sometimes split into two islands when sea is rough Statue of St. Paul present on the island closest to mainland Malta

Extinct, or not extinct? The St. Paul’s Island lizard is endemic to this island. Unfortunately, scientists have not seen it for a long time! If it is not found any more it is extinct since its only home was at St. Paul’s Island and nowhere else in the world!

Fungus Rock (Il-Ġebla tal-Ġeneral) The Malta Fungus grew in large numbers on this islet. The Knights of St. John believed that it had medicinal properties and used to give this plant to nobles as gifts. Grand Master Pinto made the island out of bounds in 1746 with trespassers risking a 3 year spell as oarsmen in galleys. He also posted a guard, smoothened the cliffs and built a cable car connecting the rock to the mainland. Another lizard is endemic to this islet

Il-Maqluba Il-Maqluba was a huge cave whose ceiling fell down leaving a hole in the ground. It is home to Malta's national bird, the blue rock thrush and Malta’s national tree, the Sandarac Gum Tree. This Sandarac Gum Tree is only found in Malta, the Atlas Mountains of Morocco and in a region of Spain (Cartagena)

Sandarac Gum Tree (Is-Siġra ta’ l-Għargħar)

Blue Rock Thrush

The Legend of Il-Maqluba Many years ago, a group of bad people were living together in Maqluba Village. God warned the village, through a good woman living close by, against their bad ways. However, the bad people did not bother about these warnings and God decided that the hamlet should be removed, sparing no-one except the good woman. Angels were sent to dispose of the hamlet by dumping it at sea... and Filfla was thus formed. The woman then built the chapel we see near the place.

Beaches and Sand Dunes Għajn Tuffieħa & Ramla l-Ħamra Malta has quite a large amount of sandy beaches, some of which have sand dunes. These are home to very unique animals and plants, such as the Sea Daffodil which is only found growing on sand dunes.

Woodland: Il-Buskett Malta was completely covered by trees till the arrival of man! Today only four places still have remnants of this time: 1. Wardija (St. Paul’s Bay) 2. Mġiebaħ (Mellieħa) 3. Il-Bosk (Rabat) 4. Wied Ħażrun ta’ Baldu (Dingli) The largest woodland is Buskett but this is semi-natural since most of the trees present were planted by the Knights of St. John. This place was designed as a hunting ground for the Knights Two trees are characteristic of woodland areas: the Aleppo Pine and the Evergreen Oak

Il-Majjistral Nature & History Park

Għadira Nature Reserve Declared a bird sanctuary in 1978 Home to many birds and other species Habitat: wetland, marshland

Simar Nature Reserve Home to many birds and other species Habitats: woodland, wetland, reeds, etc

Maltese Rock Centaury Widnet il-Baħar - Cheirolophus crassifolius The Maltese Rock Centaury is the National Plant of the Maltese Islands. Interesting Facts Endemic to Malta and Gozo Habitat: Cliffs and coastal valleys Found: west cliffs of Malta, south cliffs of Gozo Flowers: Pink, appear between May and July Protected by Law It was discovered by the Maltese botanist Stefano Zerafa in Critically Endangered Flowers and Leaves of the Maltese Rock Centaury

Activities