Petrifying (tufa forming) springs in Cyprus: first record and ecological characterization

This study provides the first documentation of petrifying (tufa-forming) springs in Cyprus and describes their floristic composition and habitat classification in detail. Field surveys conducted in 2024–2025 identified six active tufa-forming sites across five catchments in the southwestern part of Cyprus. Each locality exhibited alkaline, calcium-rich waters and ongoing precipitation of calcium carbonate. Vegetation analysis revealed consistent assignment of the recorded plant assemblages to the association Eucladio–Adiantetum (alliance Adiantion , class Adiantetea ), dominated by the diagnostic species Eucladium verticillatum and Adiantum capillus-veneris . Based on indicator species and structural attributes, this vegetation type corresponds to EUNIS habitat H3.41 (U3D) “Mediterranean wet inland cliffs” and meets the criteria for the description of the EU priority habitat type 7220* “Petrifying springs with tufa formation ( Cratoneurion )”. This represents the first evidence of this rare groundwater-dependent habitat on the island and provides baseline data for its biogeographic characterization and conservation assessment.