Italian sclerophyllous and semi-deciduous forests

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Italian sclerophyllous and semi-deciduous forests
Migliarino, San Rossore, and Massaciuccoli Natural Park, Tuscany
Map of the ecoregion
Ecology
RealmPalearctic
BiomeMediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub
Borders
List
  • Tyrrhenian-Adriatic sclerophyllous and mixed forests
Geography
Area101,052 km2 (39,016 sq mi)
Countries
List
Conservation
Conservation statusCritical/endangered
Protected18,302 km² (18%)[1]

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.

Geography

The ecoregion extends from the southern

Po Basin in northern Italy to the southern Apennine Mountains of Basilicata and Calabria. It covers the lowlands of central Italy, including the valleys of the Arno and Tiber rivers, the Tyrrhenian Sea (western) coast of central Italy and Liguria
, extending into southeastern France, and central Italy's Adriatic coast, as well as the middle elevations of the Apennines.

The Apennines' higher-elevation montane forests are considered separate ecoregions – the

Tyrrhenian-Adriatic sclerophyllous and mixed forests ecoregion.[2]

Rock types are limestone, dolomite, marl, schist-marl, and sandstone.

Cities in the ecoregion include Rome, Florence, Genoa, and Nice.

Flora

The forests vary in

species composition
with elevation and soils.

Lower elevation forests are dominated by

Pinus pinea, Pinus halepensis and Crataegus monogyna
.

At middle elevations, forests are predominantly deciduous oaks, including Quercus cerris, Quercus pubescens, and Quercus frainetto, with sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa) and Ostrya carpinifolia.[2]

In the highest portions of the Apennines, the sclerophyllous and semi-deciduous forests transition to the

Sorbus torminalis, Ulmus glabra, Tilia platyphyllos, Populus tremula, Ilex aquifolium and conifers Taxus baccata and Silver fir.[2]

The ecoregion is home to thousands of plant species, with over 2000 on the

Gargano Peninsula alone. Endemic species are from 10 to 20% of the total, and occur from sea level up to the high mountains. The ecoregion's orchids are diverse, particularly in the mountains; the Maiella Mountains have 60 known species, and the Gargano Mountains have 56 species.[2]

Conservation and threats

Much of the ecoregion is still forested. There are areas of

species composition across much of the ecoregion.[2]

Population is concentrated in cities, valleys, and along the coast, and much of the countryside is thinly populated. Many rural areas have been abandoned since World War II as Italy urbanized and industrialized.

Protected areas

A 2017 assessment found that 18,302 km2, or 18%, of the ecoregion is in protected areas.[1] Protected areas include Gargano National Park, Alta Murgia National Park, Cinque Terre National Park, Capanne di Marcarolo Natural Park, and Bracciano-Martignano Regional Park.[3]

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Italian sclerophyllous and semi-deciduous forests.

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. ^ a b c d e "Italian sclerophyllous and semi-deciduous forests". Encyclopedia of Earth. Accessed 13 September 2020. [2]
  3. ^ UNEP-WCMC (2020). Protected Area Profile for Italy from the World Database of Protected Areas, September 2020. Available at: www.protectedplanet.net
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