A Mediterranean forest is a biome.
A forest is a space that has an abundant amount of bushes and trees. The term has an uncertain etymological origin, according to what is indicated by the Royal Spanish Academy ( RAE ) in its dictionary.
Mediterranean , meanwhile, is an adjective that refers to that linked to the Mediterranean Sea and the areas surrounding it. When applied to climate , the notion refers to the combination of dry and hot summers with mild winters and abundant precipitation.
What is a Mediterranean forest
A Mediterranean forest is a biome found in areas with a Mediterranean climate. Biome , on the other hand, is the ecological community that is determined from geological and climatic characteristics and that presents certain species of animals and plants.
At a general level, it can be said that the Mediterranean forest develops in regions that do not have much rain and with a clearly defined dry season. For this reason, shrubs , evergreen trees and dense thickets abound.
This biome can be found in both hemispheres (southern and northern), at a latitude between 30º and 45º . It usually arises on the western coast and functions as a transition space between tropical and temperate climates or between dry and humid climates.
Holm oaks are characteristic of Mediterranean forests.
Its origin and development
According to specialists, the Mediterranean forest began to develop on the shores of the Tethys Sea , an ocean from the Mesozoic era that marked the separation between the continents of Gondwana and Laurasia .
With evolution , the climatic features that gave rise to the biome in question were forged. The presence of the Mediterranean forest on various continents is associated with the process that led the ancient continental blocks to separate.
Plant species characteristic of the Mediterranean forest
Many species are present in the Mediterranean forest. Holm oak is possibly the most common, although others such as thyme , rosemary and sarsaparilla also frequently appear.
The melojo , the strawberry tree , the manso pine and the rock rose , are also part of the vegetation of this biome. The presence of one or another species is related to the type of soil and other factors .
The fauna
Just as certain trees and plants are distinctive of the Mediterranean forest, there are also animals that can be regularly seen in these places. Among them there are insects, mammals and birds, for example.
If we focus on insects , the presence varies according to the season. Wasps , flies and butterflies are some of these species.
Hares, rabbits, deer, wolves y wild boars aparecen en los bosques mediterráneos. Es importante indicar que estos animales se encuentran asimismo en otros biomas, ya que pueden adaptarse a diversos entornos. En lo que respecta a las birds, podemos mencionar a las owls.
Example of a Mediterranean forest
On the Greek island of Crete we find an example of a Mediterranean forest. As an ecological region, it is called the Cretan Mediterranean Forest and extends across an area of 8,200 square kilometers.
Threatened birds live there, such as the Bonelli's eagle and the golden eagle . In fact, according to the World Wildlife Fund ( WWF ), this entire ecoregion is in critical danger due to uncontrolled logging.