(The following information is from the Wildlife Conservation, Endangered Species Conservation website. Citation at the bottom.)
Historical State
The Mediterranean Shrubland biome, also known as the Mediterranean Basin, located on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in Turkey, Jordan, Israel, and Syria is known for its high bird diversity. Birds stop here during the migration to set up nests and lay their eggs. The Biome does contain globally threatened species but is not home to many endemic species. The climate of the eco-region is warm and rainy during the winter, and hot and dry during the summer. Precipitation increases from east to west with 1,000-1,250 mm near Antalya, Turkey and 400 mm in Southern Israel. The harsh climate mixed with human settlement, which began as early as 3,000 BC and the early Holocene (Atalay, 1994), is what is affecting the flora and fauna. The region “overlaps with that of the Fertile Crescent, an area which supported some of the earliest known civilizations and offers an important record of the interactions between man and nature from early times to the present.” (Zeydanl, 2012) A lot of the important species of plants in the biome provide for humans and produce edible fruits that are also used for medicinal uses. In addition, the flora provides shade for the livestock in the hot climate. Their regenerative qualities allow them to regrow easily after human use.
The Neanderthals first came to the Mediterranean Basin 230,000 years ago. Modern HUmans then began to arrive around 100,000 years ago, starting in Asia and Africa and then later spreading towards Europe. The Glacial Period known as the Wisconsin Glaciation affected the Mediterranean Basin from 21,000 years ago until 12,000 years ago when the warm period of the Holocene Climatic Optimum began. During the 9th Millennium BCE crops were domesticated in the Middle East (wheat, olives, goats etc.) allowing for agricultural settlements. These agricultural settlements where just the start of the urbanization and agricultural movement that would increase and start to create problems.
The following is a list of some of the species in the Mediterranean Scrub: wild boars, roe deer, deer, squirrels, wolves, foxes, badgers, rodents, tortoises, lizards and many species of birds
(http://www.eniscuola.net/en/ecosystems/contenuti/mediterranean-scrub/left/mediterranean-scrub/animals-in-the-scrub/)
Mediterranean Basin
(http://www.english.globalarabnetwork.com/2012102112704/Economics/jordan-fund-launched-to-protect-biodiversity-in-mediterranean-basin.html)
The Neanderthals first came to the Mediterranean Basin 230,000 years ago. Modern HUmans then began to arrive around 100,000 years ago, starting in Asia and Africa and then later spreading towards Europe. The Glacial Period known as the Wisconsin Glaciation affected the Mediterranean Basin from 21,000 years ago until 12,000 years ago when the warm period of the Holocene Climatic Optimum began. During the 9th Millennium BCE crops were domesticated in the Middle East (wheat, olives, goats etc.) allowing for agricultural settlements. These agricultural settlements where just the start of the urbanization and agricultural movement that would increase and start to create problems.
Flora and Fauna
The Mediterranean Scrub region is known for its large amount of endemic species. A good portion of the plant species have developed and adapted to fire. A lot of them contain underground systems that are fire resistant and then grow right after the fire passes. Some of the species have also developed to combust with the fire and help pass it on. Urbanization though, has caused a problem of fire suppression. Fire suppression creates a build up of the combustion fuels within the plants, which ends up resulting in an uncontrollable fire. In the Mediterranean the vegetation is known as Maquis. The vegetation in the biome in the Mediterranean Basin and in all of the other 4 regions of this biome, all contain similar characteristics such as evergreen leaves, adaptation to fire. light green leaves to help with the high heat, and leaves that point up.
Common Name: COmmon Myrtle
Genus: Myrtus
Species: Communis
Species: Communis
(http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/plants/plant_finder/plant_pages/557.shtml)
The following is a list of some of the species in the Mediterranean Scrub: wild boars, roe deer, deer, squirrels, wolves, foxes, badgers, rodents, tortoises, lizards and many species of birds
(http://www.eniscuola.net/en/ecosystems/contenuti/mediterranean-scrub/left/mediterranean-scrub/animals-in-the-scrub/)
(Le Houérou, 1985)
Current Human Impacts
Due to high human settlement rates, the Mediterranean Basin region is among the most degraded. What started out as evergreen forests have turned into shrublands. As urbanization increased, the region has been impacted by tourism in the costal dunes and agriculture in the lowland planes. Along with urbanization comes alien species and fire. Human caused fires has also created many problems along with grazing, which prevents plant’s seeds to become mature. A lot of the plant species are not adapted to the manmade wildfires so they cannot properly regenerate. Human pressure affects the ability of the plants and region to naturally regenerate. The urbanization also creates manmade boundaries separating a lot of the natural flora and fauna. In the eastern part of the region hills have been converted into agricultural field leading to excessive grazing. Insecticides and fertilizers have killed of many of the birds that come during migration and many of the indigenous species. Lastly, the dams built specifically throughout the Euphrates and Tigris rivers threaten and disturb natural habitats by destroying and isolated species.
Mediterranean forests, the Upper Galilee (Pacman, 2007)
(Conservation International, 2012)
Future Prospects and Current Protection Projects
Currently, conservation plans are in the works in this region. In Turkey three national parks have been established. One is for the protection of the Hittite Civilization ruins, another to conserve plant biodiversity, and the last to shelter endemic species, specifically 500 hectare of natural Italian Cyprus. The ASPA, Authority for Specially Protected Areas, in Turkey has declared two protected areas, Belek and Goksu Delta, to address the influence of construction in the area. The continuation of urbanization is decreasing natural forest land. (Zeydanl, 2012) Conservation could help keep what is left of the natural Mediterranean biome and restore the cultivated land. (Underwood et.al., 2009)
Karagöl-Sahara national park (http://www.willgoto.com/1/145423/liens.aspx)
What Can Be Done
In the future what should be concentrated on first is the protection of the threatened species of flora and fauna. The population needs to pay attention to and reduce the rates of the urbanization. At the rate urbanization is occurring now, there wont be much left of the eco-region in its natural form. The urbanization is introducing new species, which ruins the current natural habitat and fauna. (Keeley et.al., 2007; Vogiatzakis et.al., 2005) In addition, wildfires and manmade fires are ruining the natural course of the ecosystem. Urbanization should have restrictions as to the rate and where it should occur. With these restrictions in place, along with restrictions of agricultural expansion, the natural land could be conserved. (Underwood et.al., 2009)
Impact on the Mediterranean Basin
Hotspot Original Extent (km²)
|
2,085,292
|
Hotspot Vegetation Remaining (km²)
|
98,009
|
Endemic Plant Species
|
11,700
|
Endemic Threatened Birds
|
9
|
Endemic Threatened Mammals
|
11
|
Endemic Threatened Amphibians
|
14
|
Extinct Species†
|
5
|
Human Population Density (people/km²)
|
111
|
Area Protected (km²)
|
90,242
|
Area Protected (km²) in Categories I-IV*
|
28,751
|
(Conservation International, 2012)
Sources:
Atalay, ?. 1994. Türkiye Vejetasyon Co?rafyas?. Ege Üniversitesi Bas?mevi. ?zmir,
Turkey.
Zeydanl, Ugur. "Southwestern Asia: Along the Coast of the Mediterranean Sea in Turkey, Jordan, Israel, and Syria." Wildlife Conservation, Endangered Species Conservation. World Wildlife Fund, 2012. Web. 24 Nov. 2012. <http://worldwildlife.org/ecoregions/pa1207>.
"Objectives." AIFM. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Nov. 2012. <http://www.aifm.org/en/association/objectives>.
" Mediterranean Basin ." Overview. CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL, 2012. Web. 24 Nov. 2012. <http://www.conservation.org/where/priority_areas/hotspots/europe_central_asia/Mediterranean-Basin/Pages/default.aspx>.
Keeley, J.E., Baer-Keeley, M. & Fotheringham, C.J. (2005) Alien plant dynamics following fire in Mediterranean-climate California shrublands. Ecological Applications, 15, 2109 –2125.
Vogiatzakis, I.N., Griffiths, G.H., Cassar, L.F. & Morse, S. (2005) Mediterranean Coastal Landscapes. Management Practices, Typology and Sustainability. University of Reading, Reading, UK.
Underwood, Emma C., Joshua H. Viers, Kirk R. Klausmeyer, Robin L. Cox, and Rebecca M. Shaw. "Threats and Biodiversity in the Mediterranean Biome." N.p., 2009. Web. 25 Nov. 2012. <http://www.clas.ufl.edu/users/mbinford/GEOXXXX_Biogeography/Literature_reports_by_students/Report_5/everittjournalpdf5.pdf>.
W.
Krijgsman, A. R. Fortuinb, F. J. Hilgenc and F. J. Sierrod (2001).
"Astrochronology for the Messinian Sorbas basin (SE Spain)
and orbital (precessional) forcing for evaporite cyclicity". Sedimentary
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