Northeastern Spain and Southern France Mediterranean forests | |
---|---|
Ecology | |
Realm | Palearctic |
Biome | Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub |
Borders | |
Geography | |
Area | 89,397 km2 (34,516 sq mi) |
Countries | |
autonomous communities of spain | |
Conservation | |
Conservation status | Critical/endangered [1] |
Protected | 35,864 km² (40%) [2] |
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 ecoregion extends along the Mediterranean coastal region of northeastern Spain, including the coastal Valencian and Catalonian regions and the Balearic Islands, the coastal Languedoc and Provence regions of southeastern France and parts of Ligurian Alps in Italy. It includes coastal plains, hills, and mountains.
The ecoregion has a Mediterranean climate. The ecoregion has hot and dry summers, and mild temperate and rainy winters. Average annual temperature ranges from 10 to 17º C. The coldest winter temperatures average 5 to 10º C. Average annual rainfall varies from 350 to 800 mm. Interior Spain to the west has a more continental Mediterranean climate with colder winters. Central France to the north has a more humid, temperate, and continental climate, with rainier summers and colder winters. [1]
The plant communities of the ecoregion are varied, and include forests, woodlands, shrublands, and grasslands.
Broadleaf forests are principally of oaks, including evergreen holm oak (Quercus ilex) and cork oak (Quercus suber), and deciduous oaks – Quercus pubescens in southern france, and Quercus faginea in mainland Spain, together with Quercus canariensis and Quercus pyrenaica in northern Catalonia's coastal mountains. Oak forests on the Balearic Islands. [1]
Mixed forests of oaks and stone pine (Pinus pinea) grow on rocky silicaceous coastal mountain slopes. Forests of maritime pine (Pinus pinaster) grow on sandstone-derived soils in some coastal mountains. Mixed forests of Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis) and holly oak (Quercus coccifera) are found on soils derived from limestone and marl.
High shrublands, known as maquis or mattoral, are common. They are composed of low trees and woody shrubs, with an understory of herbs and grasses. Dominant maquis/matorral trees are wild olive (Olea europaea) and carob (Ceratonia siliqua). [1]
Low shrubland, known as garrigue, grows on dry rocky slopes, often near the seacoast. Garrigue is characterized by low aromatic and medicinal shrubs, along with herbs and grasses. Maquis of stone pines and the shrubs Juniperus phoenicea, Pistacia lentiscus, Myrtus communis and Chamaerops humilis grow on stabilized coastal dunes. [1]
The ecoregion has wetlands, particularly in the Rhone and Ebro deltas. Freshwater and semi-saline wetlands are characterized by Agropyron spp., Puccinellia spp., and Juncus maritimus . Saline wetlands are dominated by Salicornia herbacea and Arthrocnemum fruticosum . [1]
Large mammals include wild boar (Sus scrofa), red deer (Cervus elaphus elaphus), roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) and Iberian wolf (Canis lupus signatus). The Camargue (Rhone Delta) and Ebro Delta are important habitats for water birds. [1]
35,864 km², or 40%, of the ecoregion is in protected areas. [2] Protected areas include:
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-broadleaf forests, also known as the Eastern Mediterranean conifer-broadleaf 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 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 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 California coastal sage and chaparral is a Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub ecoregion located in southwestern California and northwestern Baja California (Mexico). It is part of the larger California chaparral and woodlands ecoregion.
The Middle Atlantic coastal forests are a temperate coniferous forest mixed with patches of evergreen broadleaved forests along the coast of the southeastern United States.
The Southeastern conifer forests are a temperate coniferous forest ecoregion of the southeastern United States. It is the largest conifer forest ecoregion east of the Mississippi River. It is also the southernmost instance of temperate coniferous forest within the Nearctic realm.
The Anatolian conifer and deciduous mixed forests is an ecoregion located in southwestern Anatolia, Turkey. It has a Mediterranean climate, and is part of the Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub biome.
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 Carpathian montane conifer forests, also known as Carpathian montane forests, is a temperate coniferous forests ecoregion in the Carpathian Mountains of the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Romania, and Ukraine.
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 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 Northwest Iberian montane forests is a Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub ecoregion in southwestern Europe. It lies in the northwestern Iberian Peninsula, 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 Alps conifer and mixed forests is a temperate broadleaf and mixed forests ecoregion in central Europe. It extends along the Alps mountains through portions of France, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Liechtenstein, Austria, and Slovenia. The ecoregion extends from the lower slopes of the Alps to its peaks, which include Mont Blanc, at 4,809 m (15,778 ft) the highest peak in the Alps.