Iberian sclerophyllous and semi-deciduous forests | |
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Ecology | |
Realm | Palearctic |
Biome | Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub |
Borders | |
Geography | |
Area | 297,804 km2 (114,983 sq mi) |
Countries | |
Conservation | |
Conservation status | critical/endangered |
Protected | 74,552 km² (25%) [1] |
The Iberian sclerophyllous and semi-deciduous forests is a Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub ecoregion in southwestern Europe. It occupies the interior valleys and plateaus of the Iberian Peninsula. The ecoregion lies mostly in Spain, and includes some portions of eastern Portugal.
The ecoregion covers the interior basins of Iberia's main rivers – the Douro, Tagus, Guadiana, Guadalquivir, and Ebro. It is bounded on the north by the temperate-climate Pyrenees and Cantabrian mixed forests. Spain's interior mountains, which divide the various river basins, are home to the distinct Northwest Iberian montane forests and Iberian conifer forests ecoregions. Separate ecoregions also occupy the coastal lowlands – the Southwest Iberian Mediterranean sclerophyllous and mixed forests to the southwest, Southeastern Iberian shrubs and woodlands to the southeast, and the Northeast Spain and Southern France Mediterranean forests to the east. [2]
The ecoregion has a Mediterranean climate. The ecoregion's interior location means a hot, dry summer. Winters are generally mild, and colder in the northern portion of the ecoregion. [2]
Plant communities include forests, woodlands, maquis shrublands, grasslands, low shrublands, and wetlands. The predominant trees are evergreen sclerophyll broadleaf species and conifers. [2]
Forests of holm oak (Quercus rotundifolia), cork oak (Quercus suber), Quercus robur , Quercus petraea , and Quercus coccifera were once predominant in plains and valleys with deep alluvial soil. Over centuries most of these forests have been converted to agriculture, pasture, or maquis shrubland. Maquis shrubland is a dense thicket of tall woody shrubs and low trees, mixed with low shrubs, herbs, and grasses. [2]
Olive-carob woodlands and maquis are common in the southern portion of the ecoregion, and in canyons in the northern Douro and Tagus basins. Wild olive (Olea europaea), carob (Ceratonia siliqua), Olea europaea , Balanites aegyptiaca , Cupressus sempervirens , Vachellia tortilis , Cupressus sempervirens , Phoenix canariensis , Salix alba , Juglans regia , Populus nigra , Ceratonia siliqua , Arbutus unedo , Phoenix canariensis , Phoenix dactylifera , Juglans regia , Laurus nobilis , Vachellia flava , Senegalia senegal , Prosopis cineraria , Aerva javanica , Prunus amygdalus , Corylus avellana , Ziziphus spina-christi , Alnus glutinosa , Fagus sylvatica , Acer pseudoplatanus , Malus sylvestris , Viburnum lantana , Fraxinus excelsior , Tilia cordata , Aesculus hippocastanum , Rhamnus cathartica , Ulmus glabra , Ulmus minor , Populus alba , Betula pendula , and Populus tremula are the predominant trees, with the shrubs Chamaerops humilis, Pistacia lentiscus, Erica arborea, Erica scoparia, Phillyrea latifolia, Phillyrea angustifolia , and Myrtus communis , as well as lianas and herbs. [2]
Forests of stone pine ( Pinus pinea ), maritime pine ( Pinus pinaster ), Pinus nigra , Pinus sylvestris , Picea abies , Abies alba , Taxus baccata , Juniperus communis , and Pinus halepensis are found on sandy soils and inland dunes, and on soils derived from silicaeous rocks. Stone pines provide edible pine nuts, and the maritime pines provide pine tar. [2]
Areas of the southeast and Ebro valley with limestone, marl, and gypsum-derived soils are home a mosaic landscape, with mixed forest of Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis) and holly oak (Quercus coccifera), open juniper woodlands of Juniperus thurifera and Juniperus phoenicea , steppe grasslands with Stipa tenacissima and Lygeum spartum , and low shrublands with Artemisia herba-alba, Thymelaea hirsuta, Ononis tridentata, Helianthemum squamatum , and Thymus mastigophorus . [2]
Extensive seasonally-flooded saline wetlands of Suaeda fruticosa, Microcnemum coralloides, Aizoanthemum hispanicum, Arthrocnemum glaucum , and Limonium ovalifolium cover areas with poor drainage. [2]
Traditional agrosilvopastoral landscapes, known as dehesa in Spain and montado in Portugal, are found in the western portion of the ecoregion, and extending into the adjacent Southwest Iberian Mediterranean sclerophyllous and mixed forests ecoregion. They include scattered cork oak ( Quercus suber ) and holm oak trees interspersed with agricultural fields, olives and other fruit trees, and pastures. Dehesas support wildlife as well as livestock and crops, and forest products like cork, honey, mushrooms, and wild game. Over the past century many dehesas and montados were cleared to create larger single-crop fields of grain and other agricultural commodities. [2]
The ecoregion is home to small populations of Iberian wolf (Canis lupus signatus) in the plains of northern Castile, and Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus) in the southwest. Year-round resident birds include the Spanish imperial eagle (Aquila adalberti) and great bustard (Otis tarda). The woodlands are a wintering area for common cranes (Grus grus), and a breeding area for white storks (Ciconia ciconia) and black storks (Ciconia nigra). [2]
74,552 km2, or 25%, of the ecoregion is in protected areas. [1] Some protected areas include Guadiana Valley Natural Park in Portugal, and Sierra Norte de Sevilla Natural Park, Sierra de Hornachuelos Natural Park, Sierra Mágina Natural Park, Sierra de Andújar Natural Park, Monfragüe National Park, Arribes del Duero Natural Park, Lagunas de Villafáfila Nature Reserve, and Sierra de María-Los Vélez Natural Park in Spain.
The Corsican montane broadleaf and mixed forests ecoregion, in the Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub biome, are on the island of Corsica. The ecoregion includes the high-elevation areas of Corsica's mountainous interior.
The Crimean Submediterranean forest complex is an ecoregion on the Black Sea coast of Russia and Ukraine. It is in the temperate broadleaf and mixed forests biome.
The Eastern Mediterranean conifer-sclerophyllous-forests, also known as the Eastern Mediterranean conifer-forests, is an ecoregion in the eastern Mediterranean Basin. It covers portions of Turkey, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Israel, Palestinian territories, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia.
The woodlands of the Iberian Peninsula are distinct ecosystems on the Iberian Peninsula. Although the various regions are each characterized by distinct vegetation, the borders between these regions are not clearly defined, and there are some similarities across the peninsula.
The Mediterranean woodlands and forests is an ecoregion in the coastal plains, hills, and mountains bordering the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean in North Africa. It has a Mediterranean climate, and is in the Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub biome.
Mediterranean conifer and mixed forests is an ecoregion, in the temperate coniferous forest biome, which occupies the high mountain ranges of North Africa. The term is also a botanically recognized plant association in the African and Mediterranean literature.
The Illyrian deciduous forests is a terrestrial ecoregion in southern Europe, which extends along the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. It belongs to the Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub biome, and is in the Palearctic realm.
The flora of Italy is all the plant life present in the territory of the Italian Republic. The flora of Italy was traditionally estimated to comprise about 5,500 vascular plant species. However, as of 2019, 7,672 species are recorded in the second edition of the flora of Italy and in its digital archives Digital flora of Italy. In particular, 7,031 are autochthonous and 641 are non native species widely naturalized since more than three decades. Additionally, further 468 exotic species have been recorded as adventitious or naturalized in more recent times.
The Italian sclerophyllous and deciduous forests ecoregion, part of the Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub biome, is in Italy. The ecoregion covers most of the Italian Peninsula and includes both evergreen and deciduous forests.
The South Apennine mixed montane forests is an ecoregion in the southern Apennine Mountains of southern Italy and Sicily. It has a Mediterranean climate, and is in the Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub biome.
The Tyrrhenian-Adriatic sclerophyllous and mixed forests is an ecoregion in southern Italy, Sicily, Sardinia, Corsica, the Dalmatian Islands of Croatia, and Malta.
The Apennine deciduous montane forests are a temperate broadleaf and mixed forests ecoregion in the Apennine Mountains of Italy. The development of these forests is ensured by the high rainfall in the Apennines, combined with a temperate-cool climate. Because of climate change, the presence of silver fir, although still widespread, has been dramatically reduced in favour of beech.
The Aegean and Western Turkey sclerophyllous and mixed forests is an ecoregion in the lands around the Aegean Sea. The ecoregion covers most of mainland Greece, the Greek Aegean Islands, the western coast of Turkey, the southern Vardar river valley in North Macedonia, the southern Struma river valley at the extreme south-western corner of Bulgaria.
The Cantabrian mixed forests is a temperate broadleaf and mixed forests ecoregion in southwestern Europe. It extends along the coastal Cantabrian Mountains and Galician Massif of Northern Spain, extending south into northern Portugal, and northwards through the westernmost Pyrenees to southwestern France. The ecoregion extends from the seacoast to the highest peaks of the Cantabrian Mountains. The highest peak is Torre Cerredo at 2,648 meters elevation.
The Southwest Iberian Mediterranean sclerophyllous and mixed forests is a Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub ecoregion in southwestern Europe. It occupies the southwestern Iberian Peninsula, encompassing coastal lowlands and mountains in portions of Portugal and Spain.
The Northeastern Spain and Southern France Mediterranean forests is a Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub ecoregion in southwestern Europe. It occupies the Mediterranean coastal region of northeastern Spain, Southern France, the Balearic Islands and a small part of Italy.
The Northwest Iberian montane forests is a Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub ecoregion in southwestern Europe. It lies in the northwestern Iberian Peninsula and includes inland mountains, foothills and plateaus in northwestern Spain and northeastern Portugal.
The Iberian conifer forests is a Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub ecoregion in southwestern Europe. It includes the mountain forests of southern and central Spain.
The Pyrenees conifer and mixed forests is a temperate broadleaf and mixed forests ecoregion in southwestern Europe. It extends along the Pyrenees mountains which run east and west along the border between France and Spain, and includes all Andorra. The ecoregion extends from the lower slopes of the Pyrenees to its highest peaks, which include Aneto, Posets, and Vignemale.
The Azerbaijan shrub desert and steppe is a deserts and xeric shrublands ecoregion in western Asia. It lies in the lowlands west of the Caspian Sea, and covers portions of Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Iran.