Ecoregion approach

Mediterranean Ecoregions

WWF Mediterranean Programme is working in 4 Mediterranean ecoregions:

• Southwest Iberian and Northwest Moroccan Lowlands ecoregion
• Atlas Mountains, Coast, and Alboran Sea ecoregion
• Dinaric Alps and Dalmatian Coast ecoregion
• Southern Anatolia and Middle Eastern mountains, coast, and sea ecoregion

These are described in detail below.

Southwest Iberian and Northwest Moroccan Lowlands ecoregion
Spanning 160,000 sqkm across the southwestern corner of the Iberian peninsula (Spain and Portugal) and the northwestern part of Morocco, this ecoregion is home to vast stretches of managed cork oak forests which supply three-quarters of the cork produced in the world. The area supports the last population of Iberian lynx, and is at the heart of the migratory route across the western Mediterranean with most of Europe’s cranes wintering in its extensive farmlands. The region is criss-crossed by important rivers such as the Guadiana, and has a rich array of wetlands including those at Doñana, one of WWF’s first project areas.

15 million people live in this region, mostly in the urban centres of Lisbon, Sevilla and Casablanca. In the sparsely populated rural regions land is still managed in traditional ways and the economy is dependent on forestry, agriculture and livestock breeding.

Unique biodiversity features
The world’s largest forests of cork oak are found in this region. The large expanses of managed cork and holm oak forests contain rare plants such as endangered species of holly and orchids, and endemics such as the Portugal diamond plant.

The region supports the last viable world population of Iberian Lynx, the world’s most endangered big cat, resident populations of Black Vulture, and Spanish Imperial Eagle, migratory cranes, steppic birds including great and little bustard, sand grouse, stone curlew, and endemic fish species such as the jarabuga.

The region has an array of wetlands such as the marismas of Doñana and Odiel (Spain), the lagoons of Ria Formosa and Castro Marim (Portugal), and those of Merdja Zerga and Sidi BouGhaba (Morocco).

Socio-economic values
Three-quarters of the cork produced in the world is harvested in this ecoregion. Over a 100,000 people are dependent on the cork industry in the Mediterranean. The region’s landscapes contribute to a growing tourism economy. Furthermore, the region acts as a barrier against desertification.

Key threats

• Land-use changes, often driven by European Union policies, such as those for regional development and agriculture, which drive unsustainable resource exploitation, damaging infrastructures, and conversion of forest areas into farmlands and plantations.
• Potential impact of trade liberalization on the landscapes of northern Morocco.
  Unsustainable water management, including dams and exploitation of water resources for irrigation and tourism.
• Deforestation and intensive forestry, especially in southern Portugal and northern Morocco.
• Mining and pollution from toxics generated in mines in southwestern Spain and southern Portugal.
• Urbanization, especially coastal mass tourism.

Atlas Mountains, Coast, and Alboran Sea ecoregion
Running across the coastal fringe of North Africa from the Strait of Gibraltar to Cap Bon, Tunisia, this ecoregion is rich in marine and terrestrial life. The mountains in the region have among the highest levels of plant endemism in the world, with Atlas cedar forests spreading over 100,000 ha. The forests here are home to endemic barbary deer and barbary ape. The sea forms part of the migratory route between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean for commercial fish species such as swordfish and blue-fin tuna, whales, dolphins, and marine turtles.

The mountain systems and their forests act as the water reservoir for 65 million people and for their livelihood from agriculture. Over 30% of the population in the three countries which form part of this ecoregion live below the poverty level, with less than $1 available spending resources per day, and are dependent on the forests for food and fuel.

Unique biodiversity features
The region has among the highest levels of plant endemism in the world, with 237 endemic species in the Middle Atlas. Endemic cedars spread over 100,000 hectares in the Middle Atlas. Key animal species include barbary deer, barbary ape and otter. Marine species include swordfish, blue-fin tuna, whales, dolphins, and loggerhead and leatherback turtles.

Landscapes vary from the cliffs of Al Hoceima, Morocco to the coastal wetlands of El Kala, Algeria, the coastal sand dunes of Kroumerie-Mogod, Tunisia and small, scattered island habitats. Marine ecosystems include red coral formations and large extensions of Posidonia meadows which buffer sea currents and waves. Freshwater ecosystems include mountain lakes and river basins rich in endemism, such as the Oued Molouya in Morocco.

Socio-economic values
Woodlands of the argan tree are a source of livelihood for 2 million people in rural Morocco. Algeria has 450,000 ha, Tunisia 90,000 ha of cork oak forests, and Morocco 345,000 ha which contribute significantly to the Mediterranean cork industry. The Alboran Sea is part of the migratory route of commercial fish species and therefore attracts fisheries particularly for blue-fin tuna and swordfish. The area has high potential for nature-based tourism.

Key threats

• Deforestation and habitat fragmentation
• Soil erosion and desertification
• Clearance and conversion of habitats into plantations of exotic trees
• Overharvesting of medicinal and aromatic plants
• Coastal mass tourism development with no land use planning and no prior sustainability assessments
• Marine pollution from agriculture run off and industrial discharge
• Over-fishing in the Alboran Sea, particularly with driftnets

Gaps

• Insufficient protected area systems
• Lack of capacity of environmental institutions and civil society

Dinaric Alps and Dalmatian Coast ecoregion
This ecoregion of 100,000 sq km includes over 6000 km of Dalmatian coastline encompassing all the eastern Adriatic coast from Trieste, Italy to Tirana, Albania, and the watersheds of the northern Balkans. The vast stretches of unspoilt forests on the Dinaric Alps mountains that run parallel to the coast harbour large carnivores such as lynx, European brown bear and wolf. The Adriatic sea with its submerged reefs and meadows of endemic Posidonia seagrass shelters and provides feeding and breeding grounds for whales, dolphins, marine turtles and commercial fish species such as blue-fin tuna.

With a population density of around 100 people per sq km, this ecoregion is sparsely populated by European standards. The inhabitants of this region, particularly on the islands, mainly derive their income from traditional economic activities such as small scale agriculture and fisheries, and from family-run pensions. In all countries of the region, except Albania, the service industry is the main source of economy.

Unique biodiversity features
Vast and relatively unspoilt oak, beech, and conifer forests harbour an outstanding plant diversity, with a high rate of endemism in the mountains and islands. The region is an important sanctuary for large carnivores such as lynx, European brown bear and wolf. The reef and Posidonia seagrass ecosystems shelter, feed and provide breeding grounds for commercial fish species, whales, dolphins and marine turtles.

The region hosts the most extensive network of subterranean rivers and lakes in Europe and wetlands of international importance such as the Neretva delta in Bosnia and Croatia, and Skadar lake in Montenegro and Albania. The karst ecosystems and cave habitats are unique while hundreds of islands dot the Dalmatian coast with a variety of seascapes, coastal and marine habitats.

Socio-economic values
The eastern Adriatic is one of the richest fishing grounds in the Mediterranean. Fisheries and tourism are the main economic activities of the people living along the coast, while forestry is important in the inland areas of Croatia and Bosnia Herzegovina.

Key threats

• Illegal logging and poor forest management
• Coastal mass tourism with poor planning along the fragile Dalmatian coast and islands
• Overfishing and over-harvesting of sea dates, a slow-growing edible mollusc
  Marine pollution from land-based sources, mainly untreated industrial and urban discharge
• Urbanization and secondary housing in Croatia, especially on the islands with easy access from the mainland.

Southern Anatolia and Middle Eastern mountains, coast, and sea ecoregion
Stretching across the eastern part of the Mediterranean basin from southern Turkey to Lebanon and the island of Cyprus, this ecoregion is home to the symbolic cedars of Lebanon, to a rich mix of land and marine wildlife including the almost extinct Anatolian leopard and the critically endangered monk seal, and to freshwater resources which are scarce and therefore precious. The region’s extensive sand dunes and beaches, coastal wetlands, rocky cliffs and caves, and islets are representative examples of the eastern Mediterranean coastal ecosystems.

Remote rural areas, industrialized urban areas, pristine habitats, and crowded beaches jostle against each other in this region. About 20 million people live here, with the population particularly concentrated in coastal cities such as Antalya and Beirut.

Unique biodiversity features
The complex geomorphology of this region accounts for a vast variety of habitats, including extensive broadleaf and conifer forests on the mountains; high mountain meadows in the Lebanon range; short rivers such as the Goksu, Ceyhan, Asi and Litani; wetlands such as the Goksu and Cukurova Delta; representative coastal and marine ecosystems such as dunes, beaches, estuaries, lagoons, Mediterranean maquis, Posidonia meadows and submerged coral reefs. The magnificent and symbolic cedars of Lebanon have their last stronghold in the Lebanon and Taurus mountains, and in the remote corners of Cyprus.

The rich mix of Eurasian and Mediterranean wildlife on land, includes large mammals such as Anatolian leopard, wolves, bears, Cyprus mouflon, and wild sheep. The ecoregion is of primary importance for two endangered species, the monk seal and the green turtle. All 17 of Turkey’s turtle nesting sites fall within the boundaries of this ecoregion. The island of Cyprus is also an important turtle nesting area. Other marine species include bottlenose and striped dolphins, fin and sperm whales. The region acts as the flyway for migratory birds in the eastern Mediterranean.

Socio-economic values
The vast stretches of beach make tourism the major economic activity in southern Cyprus and in most of the Turkish coast. Around 7 million tourists visited Turkey in 1999, and 11.5 million in 2001. Almost 30% of these tourists entered the country from Antalya on the southern coast. Subsistence agriculture and small scale forestry are important economic activities for rural communities in the inland mountains of Lebanon, Syria and Turkey. The mountains in the region are rich in medicinal and aromatic plants which are a potential source of income for these communities.

Fertile floodplains created by rivers in the last 5000 years form a significant portion of agricultural land in the region today. The mountains and forests act as water reservoir for the region where freshwater is a scarce and valued natural resource, and the cause of social and political tensions.

Threats

• Mass tourism with poor land planning and scarce enforcement of coastal protection laws
• Deforestation and soil erosion especially in Lebanon, Syria and Turkey
• Extensive urbanization and often illegal building on the coasts
• Marine pollution from land-based sources particularly from industries, agriculture and untreated solid or liquid wastes
• Over fishing
• Overexploitation of already depleted freshwater reserve