MEDITERRANEAN SCRUB Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub biome, as defined by the World Wildlife Federation, is known for dry summers and rainy winters. Summers are typically hot in low-lying inland locations but can be cool near colder seas and oceans. Winters are typically mild to cool in low-lying locations but can be cold in inland and higher locations.
The Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub biome occurs in the world's five Mediterranean climate zones, on the west coast of continents in the mid-latitudes, the Mediterranean Basin, Chilean Mattoral, California chaparral and woodlands ecoregion of California and the Baja California Peninsula, Western Cape of South Africa, and last but not least the Southwest Australia corner area. These regions are home to a great amount diversity of habbitats and species. Vegetation types range from forests to woodlands, savannas, shrublands, and grasslands; landscapes are common, where differing vegetation types are interleaved with one another in complicated patterns created by modifications in soil, exposure to wind and sun, and fire history. Much of the woody vegetation in Mediterranean-climate regions is sclerophyll, which means 'hard-leaved' in Greek. Sclerophyll vegetation generally has small, dark leaves covered with a waxy outer skin to retain moisture in the dry summer months. All these ecoregions are extremely distinctive, harboring 10% of the Earth's plant species. This is equivalent to about 40% of the plant species of the United States and Canada combined, found within an area the size of the state of Maine. The Fynbos and Southwest Australia shrublands have flora that are significantly more diverse than the other ecoregions, although any Mediterranean shrubland is still rich in species and endemics relative to other non-forest ecoregion. Major plants in this biome include: Mediterranean forests are generally composed of broadleaf trees, such as the oak and mixed sclerophyll forests of California and the Mediterranean region, the Eucalyptus forests of Southwest Australia, and the Nothofagus forests of central Chile. Forests are often found in coastal areas , where they receive more summer water. Coniferous forests also appear, especially around the Mediterranean. Pine and deciduous oak forest are widespread across California. Woodland:Oak woodlands are characteristic of the Mediterranean Basin and in California. Pine woodlands are also present in the Mediterranean Basin. California additionally has walnut woodlands. Savanna and grasslands: The California Central Grasslands are the largest Mediterranean grassland eco-region, although these grasslands have mostly been converted to agriculture. The remaining regions feature mainly oak, walnut and pine. Shrubland: Shrublands are tight amounts of evergreen shrubs and small trees. They are most common near the seacoast, and are often adapted to wind and salt air from the ocean. They are called chaparral matorral in Chile and southern Spain, garrigue or maquis in France, macchia or gariga in Italy, phrygana in Greece, tomillares in Spain, Fynbos and strandyeld in South Africa, kwongan in Southwest Australia and batha in Israel. Northern costal scrub and coastal sage scrub also known as soft chaparral, occur near the California coast. In some places shrublands are of the mature vegetation type, and in other places are the result of degradation of former forest or woodland by logging or overgrazing, or disturbance by major fires. Low rainfall and hot summers make the Mediterranean biome a hard place for animals and plants to thrive. Mediterranean plants are often adapted to conserve water and survive summer drought. Many African animals would probably suit the Med's hot, dry summers - porcupines and fruit bats have crossed over - but are less able to cope with the cooler, wet winters. However there is still one of the very few animals that can live there in the wild goat. MEDITERRANEAN SCRUB Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub biome, as defined by the World Wildlife Federation, is known for dry summers and rainy winters. Summers are typically hot in low-lying inland locations but can be cool near colder seas and oceans. Winters are typically mild to cool in low-lying locations but can be cold in inland and higher locations.
The Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub biome occurs in the world's five Mediterranean climate zones, on the west coast of continents in the mid-latitudes, the Mediterranean Basin, Chilean Mattoral, California chaparral and woodlands ecoregion of California and the Baja California Peninsula, Western Cape of South Africa, and last but not least the Southwest Australia corner area. These regions are home to a great amount diversity of habbitats and species. Vegetation types range from forests to woodlands, savannas, shrublands, and grasslands; landscapes are common, where differing vegetation types are interleaved with one another in complicated patterns created by modifications in soil, exposure to wind and sun, and fire history. Much of the woody vegetation in Mediterranean-climate regions is sclerophyll, which means 'hard-leaved' in Greek. Sclerophyll vegetation generally has small, dark leaves covered with a waxy outer skin to retain moisture in the dry summer months. All these ecoregions are extremely distinctive, harboring 10% of the Earth's plant species. This is equivalent to about 40% of the plant species of the United States and Canada combined, found within an area the size of the state of Maine. The Fynbos and Southwest Australia shrublands have flora that are significantly more diverse than the other ecoregions, although any Mediterranean shrubland is still rich in species and endemics relative to other non-forest ecoregion. Major plants in this biome include: Mediterranean forests are generally composed of broadleaf trees, such as the oak and mixed sclerophyll forests of California and the Mediterranean region, the Eucalyptus forests of Southwest Australia, and the Nothofagus forests of central Chile. Forests are often found in coastal areas , where they receive more summer water. Coniferous forests also appear, especially around the Mediterranean. Pine and deciduous oak forest are widespread across California. Woodland:Oak woodlands are characteristic of the Mediterranean Basin and in California. Pine woodlands are also present in the Mediterranean Basin. California additionally has walnut woodlands. Savanna and grasslands: The California Central Grasslands are the largest Mediterranean grassland eco-region, although these grasslands have mostly been converted to agriculture. The remaining regions feature mainly oak, walnut and pine. Shrubland: Shrublands are tight amounts of evergreen shrubs and small trees. They are most common near the seacoast, and are often adapted to wind and salt air from the ocean. They are called chaparral matorral in Chile and southern Spain, garrigue or maquis in France, macchia or garage in Italy, phrygana in Greece, tomillares in Spain, Fynbos and strandyeld in South Africa, kwongan in Southwest Australia and batha in Israel. Northern costal scrub and coastal sage scrub also known as soft chaparral, occur near the California coast. In some places shrublands are of the mature vegetation type, and in other places are the result of degradation of former forest or woodland by logging or overgrazing, or disturbance by major fires. Low rainfall and hot summers make the Mediterranean biome a hard place for animals and plants to thrive. Mediterranean plants are often adapted to conserve water and survive summer drought. Many African animals would probably suit the Med's hot, dry summers - porcupines and fruit bats have crossed over - but are less able to cope with the cooler, wet winters. The original Mediterranean Sea dried up in the Miocene Epoch and stayed that way until a little over 5 million years ago when water poured in from the Atlantic. It lacks nutrients and is saltier than the Atlantic, but it's still a biodiversity hotspot with many unique species. Even with that there is still one major animal that lives there, the wild goat. The goats vary in size from about 130 to 300 pounds and can get to four feet tall. Their whole body is covered in a coarse wool accept for their legs. The wool can be one color or a combination of colors. | Common colors are black, brown, gray, red, and white. Goats have cloven hooves which means that they are split into two toes. Most wild goats have horns, some curve backward but others have horns that curve into a corkscrew. Both male and female goats have short beards the same color as their hair. A special feature of the bezoar goat is its scimitar-shaped horns with a sharp inside edge. Forests are important as they are home to the most diverse biotic communities in the world. Hidden within these biomes are potential medicines and many thousands of unseen and undiscovered species. Also, forests have a global climate-buffering capacity, so their destruction may cause large-scale changes in global climate.
Logging has depleted many old-growth temperate forests. The increased demand for homes, paper, and other wood products have not allowed for much conservation. More recently, people have begun to realize that logging has cleared much of these forests. Wiser use of the forests and efforts to replant trees have helped to slow down the depletion of these communities.
Tropical forests have fallen victim to timber exploitation, slash and burn farming, and clear filling for industrial use or cattle ranching, particularly in Latin America. Our increasing demand for meat products has spurred these events. For years, this destruction was occuring at a rapid rate. Over half of the world’s original tropical forests are already gone. Public attention to this exploitation have helped to alleviate the problem somewhat, though many challenges are still to be faced.
The original Mediterranean Sea dried up in the Miocene Epoch and stayed that way until a little over 5 million years ago when water poured in from the Atlantic. It lacks nutrients and is saltier than the Atlantic, but it's still a biodiversity hotspot with many unique species. Forests are important as they are home to the most diverse biotic communities in the world. Hidden within these biomes are potential medicines and many thousands of unseen and undiscovered species. Also, forests have a global climate-buffering capacity, so their destruction may cause large-scale changes in global climate.
Logging has depleted many old-growth temperate forests. The increased demand for homes, paper, and other wood products have not allowed for much conservation. More recently, people have begun to realize that logging has cleared much of these forests. Wiser use of the forests and efforts to replant trees have helped to slow down the depletion of these communities.
Tropical forests have fallen victim to timber exploitation, slash and burn farming, and clear filling for industrial use or cattle ranching, particularly in Latin America. Our increasing demand for meat products has spurred these events. For years, this destruction was occurring at a rapid rate. Over half of the world’s original tropical forests are already gone. Public attention to this exploitation have helped to alleviate the problem somewhat, though many challenges are still to be faced.