Environment and Ecology in the Mediterranean Region

The Mediterranean Basin with its mountainous shores, high biodiversity and spectacular scenery is located at the intersection of Africa and Eurasia. All through the 8000 years of human development it has experienced tremendous in its history and biogeography. Approximately 300 million people live here today. Although the evergreen maquis, vineyards, olive plantations and natural woodlands cover the lands all over the basin, but it is facing severe destruction of habitats due to deforestation, intensive grazing and fires, in particular a severe coastal degradation due to infrastructure development, which are changing the landscape. Both the historical heritage and geography of the lands is facing a great threat due to urbanisation and fragmentation. Time has come for its inhabitants to weigh their impact on its eco-geography in order to save the biodiversity as well as history of the basin. This book is synthesising the knowledge from different disciplines so as to increase the awareness among the humans in the basin.