Aegean and Western Turkey sclerophyllous and mixed forests

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Aegean and Western Turkey sclerophyllous and mixed forests
Landscape at Cape Sounion
center
Map of the ecoregion
Ecology
RealmPalearctic
BiomeMediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub
Borders
List
Geography
Area126,377 km2 (48,794 sq mi)
Countries
Conservation
Conservation statuscritical/endangered
Protected23,189 km2 (18%)[1]

The Aegean and Western Turkey sclerophyllous and mixed forests is an

Struma river valley at the extreme south-western corner of Bulgaria.[2]

The ecoregion has a Mediterranean climate, and is in the Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub biome.

Flora

The predominant plant communities are maquis, low shrublands, and pine forests.

Maquis is woody shrubland characterized by low trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants. Maquis species include

Spartium junceum. Maquis includes many aromatic plants, particularly species in the mint family (Lamiaceae).[3]

Low shrublands, known in Greek as

phrygana, are characterized by low aromatic shrubs and herbs, including Euphorbia acanthothamnos, Thymus capitatus, and species of Ballota, Cistus, Helichrysum, Phlomis, and Salvia. Phrygana is common on limestone (calcareous) soils, and in areas subject to frequent fires and heavy grazing.[4][5]

Kermes oak (Quercus coccifera) and holm oak (Quercus ilex) are found in maquis, and also form oak woodlands.

Forests of

Stone pine (Pinus pinea) grows on stabilized coastal dunes on the Peloponnese
.

The oriental sweetgum (Liquidambar orientalis) is endemic to a limited area of southwestern Turkey and the island of Rhodes. The largest remaining stands are near Köyceğiz.

Fauna

Mammals in the ecoregion include

pine marten (Martes martes). The Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx), European wildcat (Felis sylvestris), and brown bear (Ursus arctos) are now rare in the ecoregion.[3]

The ecoregion is important habitat for several limited-range bird species, including the eastern olivaceous warbler (Hippolais pallida), olive-tree warbler (Hippolais olivetorum), Rüppell's warbler (Curruca rueppelli), masked shrike (Lanius nubicus), cinereous bunting (Emberiza cineracea), and Cretzschmar's bunting (Emberiza caesia).[3]

Characteristic birds of the maquis include the red-legged partridge (Alectoris rufa), rock partridge (A. graeca), chukar partridge (A. chukar), eastern subalpine warbler (Sylvia cantillans), Rüppell's warbler (Curruca ruppeli), cirl bunting (Emberiza cirlus), rock bunting (E. cia), and black-headed bunting (E. melanocephala).[3]

common chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs).[3]

Birds associated with the liquidambar forests of western Anatolia include the common nightingale (Luscinia megarhyncos), olivaceous warbler, and Cetti's warbler (Cettia cetti).

Protected areas

As of 2017, 23,189 km2, or 18%, of the ecoregion was in protected areas.[1] Protected areas in Greece include Otea, Parnassus, Parnitha, and Sounion national parks. Protected areas in Turkey include Dilek Peninsula-Büyük Menderes Delta, Marmaris, and Spil Dağı national parks, and Köyceğiz-Dalyan Special Environmental Protection Area.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Aegean and Western Turkey sclerophyllous and mixed forests.
  • "Aegean and Western Turkey sclerophyllous and mixed forests". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund.
  • Aegean and Western Turkey Sclerophyllous and Mixed Forests. One Earth

References

  1. ^ a b Eric Dinerstein, David Olson, et al. (2017). An Ecoregion-Based Approach to Protecting Half the Terrestrial Realm, BioScience, Volume 67, Issue 6, June 2017, Pages 534–545; Supplemental material 2 table S1b. [1]
  2. ^ "Ecoregions of Bulgaria". Retrieved 6 February 2015.
  3. ^ a b c d e "Aegean and Western Turkey sclerophyllous and mixed forests". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund.
  4. ^ Filippi, Olivier (2019). Bringing the Mediterranean into your Garden". Filbert Press, 2019.
  5. ^ "F7.3 Eastern Mediterranean spiny heath (phrygana)" European Red List of Habitats - Heathland Habitat Group, 05/01/2016.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Aegean_and_Western_Turkey_sclerophyllous_and_mixed_forests&oldid=1218643016"