The Tyrrhenian-Adriatic sclerophyllous and mixed forests is an ecoregion in southern Italy, Sicily, Sardinia, Corsica, the Dalmatian Islands of Croatia, and Malta.

Tyrrhenian-Adriatic sclerophyllous and mixed forests
Ficuzza Reserve, Sicily
Map of the ecoregion
Ecology
Realm	Palearctic
Biome	Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub
Borders	Corsican montane broadleaf and mixed forests, Illyrian deciduous forests, Italian sclerophyllous and semi-deciduous forests and South Apennine mixed montane forests
Geography
Area	80,279 km2 (30,996 sq mi)
Countries	Italy, France (Corsica), Croatia, and Malta
Conservation
Conservation status	critical/endangered
Protected	16,489 km² (21%)[1]

The ecoregion has a Mediterranean climate, and is in the Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub biome.

Flora

The Tyrrhenian-Adriatic sclerophyllous and mixed forests has four major plant communities.

• The Tyrrhenian mixed oak forests are dominated by the sclerophyllous evergreen oak Quercus ilex and Quercus suber, and by deciduous species such as Quercus pubescens, Fraxinus ornus, and Ostrya carpinifolia.
• Some surviving temperate deciduous oak woodlands, mainly of Quercus robur, appear in coastal wetlands on the Italian peninsula and on the island of Corsica. Stone pine Pinus pinea is found on some coastal sand dunes.
• The southeastern Italian woodlands, in the region of Apulia, contain the oak species Quercus trojana and Quercus macrolepis, endemic to the Eastern Mediterranean, together with the evergreen holm oak (Quercus ilex) and the deciduous oak (Quercus pubescens). The Aleppo pine Pinus halepensis is also found in these woodlands.
• The islands of Dalmatia are dominated by Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis) and holm oak (Quercus ilex). A relict and endemic subspecies of pine, Pinus nigra dalmatica, also occurs.

Fauna

Two subspecies of large mammal herbivore, the European mouflon (Ovis aries musimon) and Corsican red deer (Cervus elaphus corsicanus), are endemic to Corsica and Sardinia.

Protected areas

16,489 km² (21%) of the ecoregion is in protected areas.[2]

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tyrrhenian-Adriatic sclerophyllous and mixed forests.

• "Tyrrhenian-Adriatic sclerophyllous and mixed forests". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund.

References