Mediterranean Biome Flashcards
Where are the balearic islands located?
What is the name of all the balearic islands and what are their groupings?
Gymnesian Islands
Mallorca
Menorca
Cabrera
Pityusic Islands
Ibiza
Formentera
What are the three types of island?
Continental - created by rises in sea level, only shallow water between them. Lifespan 100K yrs
Tectonic- tectonic plate shifts cause seperatation causing a microplate seperate from the continent with deep water between. Lifespan M’s yrs
Oceanic- volcanic origin from sea floor ie Hawii, slowly eroded along a volcanic converyor belt.
Mallorca is tectonic
Why do the balearic islands have such a range of flora and fauna
History
Africa collided with Europe 40-20Mya –> 15Mya an exchange of flora and fauna
- 5 Mya meditterean sea evaporates –> salt basin, islands connected to mainland
- 3 Mya med refills in 100y –> flora and fauna retained e.g. Myotragus
3Mya ICE AGE –> mix of species
100 Kya ice melts and med climate formed
6Kya mallorca populated and Myotragus goes extinct
C15 deforestation of forests start
What is the geological origin of the balearic islands
South of Frane and Northern Italy
Similar to Minorca but not Ibiza and Fortmentera
The islands which share geological origin also share more endemics
What are the characteristics of the mediterrenean biome?
30-40 degrees N or S latitude
Poleward of subtropical deserts
Western edges of continents
Adjacent to cold ocean currents
What is the mediterrean climate like?
Cool and Wet Winters (no frost)
Hot and Dry summers –> frequent fires
Creates two growing seasons (spring and autumn)
What are typical plant adaptations?
Thick evergreen leaves with a waxy cuticle - Sclerophylly
Annual geophytes - seed in the soil
Able to regenerate after fire
Protection against herbivory through prickles (branch), spines (leaves) or thorns (stem) or chemicals
What are some typical animal adaptations to the Meditterean biome?
Small and or nocturnal - easier to withstand heat and or burrow.
What type of environment would you expect to be the most diverse
Intermediately distrubed
Too much disturbance leads to elimination of species at random
Too little disturbance allows for a species to control and outcompete others
How are the oakwood, maquis and garigue habitats linked
Oakwood — deforestation –> Maquis – arrested by wildfires – Maquis –overgrazed –> Garigue (semi-desert)
