The occurrence of the relevant vegetation (see syntaxa given above) is an essential prerequisite to assigning a section of beach to this habitat type.

The vegetation which is primarily composed of annuals is often patchy (depending on the intensity of use of the beach) and can be spatially altered to a greater or lesser extent after each high tide. Therefore areas free of vegetation within the drift line should be included if the section considered contains the relevant plant species at least here and there. The drift lines are mostly linear but can also be more extensive on sandflats. On account of the annual variation in the location of the drift lines above the water line the entire beach, or sandflat as appropriate, between the mean tide mark in the Baltic, or the mean high water tide in the North Sea, and the landward dunes (2110, 2120, 2130) or existing perennial vegetation should be included. Embryonic dunes may host drift line species. They are recorded as a separate habitat type 2110 if Elymus farctus dominates and if the mounds of sand are clearly elevated by normally a minimum of 30 cm above the surrounding beach.