Habitat

 The shoreline with balancones 

There is a fringe of vegetation adapted to this environment close to the shore of Playa del Inglés. Characterised by the presence of balancones which form the first stage of the dunes.

 Mobile dunes 

Mobile dunes are piles of sand swept by the wind grain by grain. The size, mobility and instability of the dunes makes it hard for any vegetation to take root. Only a few rapid growth specimens manage to complete their life cycle.

 Plains between mobile dunes 

These plains between dunes are located where the system of mobile dunes and the clay sediments which lie below them are in contact. In these places there is a plant, the growing makaloa (Cyperus laevigatus), which form grass that dies as the dunes move forward.

 Wooded enclaves 

Although there are Canary Islands tamarisks all over the Nature Reserve, there are also wooded enclaves, probably because of underground water, which have ensured a good habitat for birds and a great variety of invertebrates. In these places there are Canary Islands date palms, you can find more of these in the area around, El Oasis.

 Permanent dunes 

These dunes are those furthest from the shore. Their mobility is reduced because there is not a supply of sand from the sea, because of the barrier effect produced by the sedimentary terrace of the Playa del Inglés estate and its buildings. Here there is more organic matter, and there is also more grass with few trees, most of them Canary Islands tamarisks and balos (small trees). It has a remarkable variety and quantity of invertebrates.

 Enclaves with tall grass and sharp rushes 

Around the former zone of the delta, and sometimes in the dunes, you can find some places with vegetation which suggests the presence of underground water less than a metre from the surface. Most of this vegetation is sharp rush, scrubs and reedbeds. These places have dense vegetation, and they are very important to the Nature Reserve because this is where different species of birds build their nests and rest.

 Turned grounds 

These places are in the Nature Reserve and they are a consequence of the development, canalization of the gullies or movement of rubble. These areas have characteristic vegetation helped by human intervention.

 Wet Ground 

This is found between the final stretch of the delta and is more obvious in La Charca de Maspalomas. This place has been modified since the seventies, due to urbanistic changes and its size change depending on the weather and its average depth is 1.5m. The water is a mix between fresh and salt but usually more salt water. The vegetation is formed by aquatic plants like sharp rushes and common reed. La Charca is a very important territory for birds.

 The clay sediments terrace 

In this area you find flatter vegetation formed by scrubs which grow on soils rich in calcium, a result of growth of the sediment terrace where the dunes are situated.

 Urban areas 

The Nature Reserve has a border with tourist estates, and has inside itself urban areas. On the west of Maspalomas gully and on the east extreme of Playa del Inglés, named Anexo II.