Ecology is the scientific study of organisms between each other and  in relation to their environment (sunlight, minerals, space, temperature and water).

Our islands are rich in ecology.  We live in a temperate climate which is neither polar nor tropic though many scientists are saying that Malta is increasingly shifting towards North African conditions.

An ecosystem is a natural unit composed of living (plants and animals) and non-living components  whose interactions result in a stable self-perpetuating system.  This means that in order to survive there is no need of human presence to sustain it.

An ecosystem can also be defined as a community of organisms living in conjunction with the non-living components of the environment.  Examples of ecosystems are ponds,  oak trees,  fields,  rockpools and the sea.

The following are six of Malta's ecosystems.

1. Woodland ('Il-Bosk')

We have a number of woodlands such as Buskett, Il-Miżieb, Kennedy Grove and Il-Park tan-Nofs Inhar.  The oldest park artificially created by humans is Buskett, known as the 'lungs of Malta', were created in the 16th  century by the Knights of St. John to serve as a private hunting ground. 

A woodland is characterised mainly by a high concentration of trees that create a canopy which shields the sun from penetrating the ground.  The soil is deep to accomodate the roots of tall trees. Not many other plants can grow due to this shaded environment which prevents low lying plants to photosynthesise.

2. Garigue ('Ix-Xagħri')

The majority of Malta is garigue.  This is found along the Maltese coast and on top of cliffs, such as Dingli Cliffs and on top of the Blue Grotto.  The garigue is characterised by lack of trees.  The plants are low lying because the garigue is exposed to a lot of wind.  The area has no shelter and very rocky with little soil.

The soil is very shallow and the plants have adapted to growing in very small amounts of soil.  The roots can also penetrate through rocks.  The soil is easily washed by rain in this tough environment. During Spring and Summer, the upper shoots of plants wither away and  die and the bulbs remain dormant throughout the summer due to the lack of water.

3. Maquis

The maquis is similar to the woodland and can be found next to a woodland.  The difference lies mainly in its vegetation which is very dense as most of the branches of trees lie very close to the ground making it difficult to walk through.  The soil is deep.  Maquis are close to valleys.  In fact, Buskett has maquis within its precints.

4. Freshwater Habitat

The most famous freshwater habitat is Chadwick Lakes.  Freshwater habitats are found in valleys where there is a lot of water accumulation.  The water runoffs from the rain converge into the lakes. The rainwater arrives from Baħrija, Rabat and other high grounds which converge to Chadwick Lakes.

The features of these lakes is temporary (during winter time) and the water levels vary depending  on the amount of rainfall.  A invasive creature called crayfish has been released illegally by someone and this  alien has caused an ecological disaster in the this habitat as it  feeds on frogs and their eggs. The government had allocated money for removing this species but to date,  crayfish continue to thrive and cause more damage.

In Gozo, at Santa Luċija, there is a freshwater habitat, called 'L-Għadira ta' San Raflu'.  Unfortunately, a car had fallen in this lake.  The car is still there and  the consequences of removing it  means that the stagnant oil in the engine will be released and cause more damage.

5. Sand Dunes

In Malta we have beaches such as Ġnejna, Golden Bay, Għajn Tuffieħa and in Gozo, the famous Ramla l-Ħamra (red sandy beach). The features of sand dunes is that no soil is present and plants are living in these conditions are low lying trees and shrubs,  which are few in number and grow on their own.  All the plants present in sand dunes  can withstand salinity and their roots can also absorb it.  The Mediterranean Tamarisk tree is an example of a plant found.  Such  plants are called Halophytes.

6. Rocky Shores

One such habitat which was on the news is Għar Lapsi that took the full brunt of the recent storm 'Harry' which  negatively impacted it .  Rocky shores are characterised by the presence of no soil, rock pools and no vegetation.  Some rocky shores may have pointed and/or flat-surfaced rocks.

Invasive Species

An ecosystem does not only have organisms that were born into that ecosystem.  The ones that are introduced are called 'Alien Species'.  These species can have a direct impact on the ecoystem or else they can live 'peacefully' co-exist with endemic and indigenous species.

In Malta, we have our own endemic species.  We call them endemic because they are highly specialised for just the local  ecosystem.  The Maltese painted frog and the freshwater crab ('il-Qabru' are found in the limits of Rabat)  are endemic. 

If one were to bring to Malta indiginous species that thrive in other areas of the Mediterranean, they can adapt and live in different environments, even locally.  It is noted that plants can also be alien, indigenous or endemic.

Alien Invasive and Alien Non-Invasive

Invasive species compete for resources (such as  space and food) with local endemic and indigenous species.  The crayfish mentioned earlier has reproduced to such an extent that it is now being trapped in cages.  It is not co-exisitng with local local endemic species and the local endemic frog population will soon become extinct because of this.  The crayfish are reproducing at a fast rate  because  there is no other species that hunts them; it has now become an apex predator.

In 2020, Jon Camilleri published a delectable recipe for a crayfish boil with Maltese sausage. Perhaps this might have been a solution to the crayfish invasion in Chadwick Lakes!

Other invasive species in Malta

The Red Palm Weevil is another invasive species that lays eggs in palm trees,  killing the palms. The Red Palm Weevil arrived in Malta in an imported infected palm tree.

The Oriental Hornet is another invasive species that has been present in Malta since the 1960s.  It has been  thriving in recent years feeding on street pet food and other leftovers abandoned  in the open.

The Castor Oil Plant.  This plant poisons the soil around it killing other plants.  It does so to decrease competition for resources so it can thrive.

Coin-marked Snake.  It is still early to know the extent to which it is invasive or not.

Non-Invasive Animal

The Chameleon was brought to Malta from North Africa by Jesuit Priests priests around 1880. When they were released it in the wild, they did not replace any endemic or indigenous species but became a food source for other animals such as the Black Whip Snake.  Hence, the population of Chameleon was controlled  acting as a food source.

The Red King Crab ('Il-Granċ Aħmar Tar-re')

The Red King Crab was  brought over from the Pacific Ocean to the Barents Sea (a marginal shelf sea off the Artic Ocean located off the Northern coasts of Norway and Russia) and  was released by Soviet scientists in the 1950s.  At the time,  no ecological impact assessments were made.  Although the intention was right,  it turned out to be invasive to other  seafloor creatures.  This threat was turned into an opportunity in that red king crabs is being trapped and used as a source of a highly prized and expensive , luxury seafood delicacy.