Mediterranean conifer and mixed forests
| Mediterranean conifer and mixed forests | |
|---|---|
European-Mediterranean montane mixed forest | |
| Protected | 4,651 km2 (20%)[1] |
Mediterranean conifer and mixed forests is an
temperate coniferous forest biome, which occupies the high mountain ranges of North Africa.[2] The term is also a botanically recognized plant association in the African and Mediterranean literature.[3]
Geography
The Mediterranean conifer and mixed forests ecoregion consists of a series of enclaves in the coastal
.The Mediterranean woodlands and forests ecoregion surrounds the Mediterranean conifer and mixed forests at lower elevations.
In the High Atlas, the Mediterranean conifer and mixed forests yield to the Mediterranean High Atlas juniper steppe at the highest elevations.
Flora
- Atlas cedar forests: These forests occur in the
- Broadleaf forests: are dominant on lower elevations and on humid slopes in the Rif, Tellien Atlas, and Kroumerie-Mogod mountain ranges. The mixed oak forests are dominated by Maritime pine (Pinus pinaster) often grows in these forests.[4]
- Berber thuya forests and woodlands: occur in the low altitudes of the Rif and Tellien Atlas mountains near the coast on limestone soils. They are characterized by Berber thuya (Tetraclinis articulata).
- Wild olive and carob woodlands and maquis: open woodlands and shrublands of wild olive (Olea europaea europaea and Olea europaea maroccana), and carob (Ceratonia siliqua) cover lowland areas with deep, drier soils.
- Xeric pine forests and woodlands: Xeric pine forests are found mainly in the drier interior with low precipitation and at low elevations, near the transition to the Maritime pine (Pinus pinaster) mixed with holm oak (Quercus rotundifolia) and xeric junipers Juniperus thurifera, Juniperus phoenicea and Juniperus oxycedrus. The forests and woodlands have an understory of shrubs, including Cistus, Genista, and rosemary, which also form pockets of shrubland.
Fauna
Endangered mammals in the ecoregion include the
European otter (Lutra lutra), Cuvier's gazelle (Gazella cuvieri), and Barbary sheep (Ammotragus lervia). The Barbary lion (Panthera leo leo) and Atlas bear
(Ursus arctos crowtheri) formerly lived here.
Conservation and threats
Deforestation due to overuse by the local population is a major threat as are the effects of climate change.
External links
- "Mediterranean conifer and mixed forests". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund.
References
- ^ 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]
- ^ "Mediterranean conifer and mixed forests". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund.
- ^ Harry Van der Linde, Anada Tiéga and Thomas Price (2001) Beyond Boundaries: Transboundary Natural Resource Management in Sub-Saharan Africa, Published by Biodiversity Support Program.
- ^ a b "Northern Africa: Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia". World Wildlife Fund. Retrieved 2016-11-27.
- ^ C. Michael Hogan, (2008) Barbary Macaque: Macaca sylvanus, Globaltwitcher.com, ed. Nicklas Stromberg