In nature there are many types of forests. One of them is the Mediterranean forest. The mediterranean forest plants they have a high biodiversity, which is why they deserve special protection measures. These ecosystems have important relationships with other biotopes such as dehesas areas.
In this article we are going to tell you which are the main plants of the Mediterranean forest and what are the characteristics of this type of forest.
What is the Mediterranean forest?
The Mediterranean forest is one of the existing forest types, very characteristic of regions with a temperate Mediterranean climate, with high temperatures, large seasonal differences and abundant rainfall in spring and winter (the rest of the year is very low, and then it is an arid climate). This forest is very characteristic of the Mediterranean basin, although it also exists in other parts of the world, such as California or Chile.
Mediterranean forests are semi-deciduous forests (that is, there are evergreen deciduous plants), showing a large number of clover species, or species with dead leaves in winter but still attached to the trunk for a period of time. This type of vegetation takes advantage of the available water and supports other organisms.
Characteristics of the plants of the Mediterranean forest
Next, we will see the main characteristics of the Mediterranean forests. Mediterranean forests have adapted to prolonged droughts with occasional rains. Therefore, the vegetation is arid, that is, it adapts to the lack of water. In these adaptations, stems and leaves are usually highly lignified with a small surface area, thus avoiding unnecessary water losses.
Some plants are thermophilic, that is, they adapt to fires because they are common in these areas. For example, cork oaks have thick bark that protects the inside of the trunk, while rockrose is used to cover their seeds in a container that explodes at high temperatures to help them spread.
They are ecosystems with low productivity due to lack of water. However, they are home to a large number of animal species: herbivores such as voles, rabbits, roe deer and wild boar abound, which in turn become the basis for a large number of carnivores such as raptors. Day and night activities, as well as medium and large mammals such as foxes and wolves.
It closely coexists with other ecosystems, such as meadows, where we can find typical Mediterranean forest species surrounded by herbaceous species, or riverside ecosystems that form corridors along water courses. They are characterized by a fairly thin soil, where we can find rocky beds with less depth. Therefore, they are particularly vulnerable to desertification, because in the absence of vegetation, a large amount of rain concentrated in a short period of time can wash away most of the soil. Due to human activities, they are highly fragmented ecosystems, which makes the genetic exchange of species difficult.
Variety of plants of the Mediterranean forest
We must distinguish between the tree species that make up the forest canopy (or upper part), and the shrub and herbaceous species that make up the understory (or lower part).
As for the trees of the Mediterranean forest, we find:
- Chercus: In this genus we find holm oak (Quercus ilex), cork oak (Quercus suber) or oak (Quercus robur). The oak produces the famous acorn.
- pines: In this section we can find all kinds of pines, such as Pinus pinea or Black pine (Pinus nigra) or Scots pine (Pinus silvestris). They are characterized by having needle-shaped leaves and little water loss. They are gymnosperms.
Regarding the types of shrubs and herbaceous plants, we find some larger plants, such as Cistus and Retama, or Juniperus shrubs (Juniperus community, Juniperus oxycedrus ...), such as smaller shrubs, such as thyme (Thymus), rosemary ( Rosmarinus), lavender (Lavandula), thistle (Onopordum) ... Depending on the time of year, we can also find fennel, hemlock, poppy ... In short, there are many kinds of plants.
Some interesting species
Along the paths through the Mediterranean forest we can find some quite interesting plants. We are going to list and describe some of them.
Mallows
They are a very special genus of plants, we know that there are about 350 different species, especially in the Mediterranean forests there are about 30. All have similar characteristics and are also suitable for humans: since ancient times, their most tender leaves have been used as raw vegetables, but in species with larger leaves, they require light cooking because they are a bit tough. In spring, if the terrain is favorable, they are identified by soft to deep purple flowers and webbed leaves reminiscent of duck feet. Once correctly identified, we can pick it up and eat it without fear, in salads, sauteed vegetables or fried eggs. It is important to remember that the rougher leaves are used for cooking and the most tender leaves are used for raw food.
Wild wheat
It has quite complex and curious genetics, but all related species have nutritional and medicinal values. In the specific case of our wild wheat, if we burn the aril (those hairs that protrude from each grain) and then remove the husk from the seed by threshing, it can be eaten. We can feed on them. Another very interesting application is wheat water or wheat soda, which is highly diuretic and refreshing. The method is simple: take a bunch of spikes and beat them with two sticks to soften it and favor the flow of liquid and sugar, then we put this bunch of grapes in drinking water and let it rest at room temperature for 24 hours.
Crazy oatmeal
This wonderful plant that returns every year, we see that the mountain turns yellow at the end of summer, and its shell and seeds hide many secrets, with a sweet chocolate flavor. The dried pods can be used to make hot drinks with digestive properties; Also, if we roast seeds that are about to ripen, we can make high quality flour or gofio as food. We can easily recognize it by its sharp thorns in the wind, falling from the weight of the seed, making a very characteristic sound.
I hope that with this information you can learn more about the plants of the Mediterranean forest and their characteristics.