Mediterranean Biome

• It is also called as sclerophyll ecosystem.
• The Mediterranean biome has developed between 30°- 40° (some time up to 45°) latitudes in both the hemispheres in the western parts of the continents.
• This biome includes European lands bordering Mediterranean Sea, central and southern California of U.S.A., central Chile of South America, north-western coastal lands of Africa bordering Mediterranean Sea and the far south­western part of South Africa and coastal zones of western and southern Australia and Asiatic coastal lands bordering Mediterranean Sea (western Tur­key, Syria, western Israel and Lebanon).

Climate:

• Winters are cool but wet whereas summers are dry, most of the annual rainfall is received during wet winter months.
• Summer season is warm and dry whereas winters are moderately cool.
• These characteristic climatic features of the Mediterranean climate have developed because of the seasonal shift­ing of the pressure and wind belts due to northward and southward migration of the sun.
• Average temperature during cool winter season ranges between 5°C & 10°C whereas mean summer temperature varies from 20°C to 27°C. Thus, annual range of temperature becomes 15-17°C or even more.
• Mean annual rainfall ranges between 370mm and 650mm.
• Amount of soil-water increases during winter season and thus the deficiency in soil- water content during dry summer season prevents vegetation growth during summers.

Natural Vegetation:

• They can withstand aridity of summer season, consequently, leaves have developed sclerophyllous characteristics wherein they are stiff and hard and the stems have thick barks. They also develop xeromorphic structure such as thickened cuticles, gradual hairs, sunken stomata etc. The sclerophyllous struc­ture of the plant leaves enables them to regulate the gaseous exchange according to the availability or scar­city of water during different seasons of the year.
• Vegetation is dominated by trees and shrubs.
• A few species of trees such as mastic trees, have the mechanism of adjusting themselves to the changing weather conditions during the year. For example, the mastic trees can close their stomata during dry summer season or even during winter drought so that they can reduce transpiration from their leaves to minimum and hence can conserve moisture.
• Some trees have thorny leaves (such as succulent cactus family).
• Some plants have extensive root systems with strong tap root which extends even into the consolidated parent rocks (such as the roots of almond); some plants have such root systems which develop above the ground as well as quite deep inside the ground (such as the root of chamise); some plants have bulbous or tuber roots (such as the geophyte plants, e.g. different types of flowers like dahlia) etc. 

Animal community:

• Australian Mediterranean biome is characterized by numerous types of birds and animals. Marsupials include kangaroos mainly western grey kangaroo.
• Mediterranean biomes of California and Chile are characterized by similar animal species. Large mammals of Californian and Chilean regions include mule deer (in California) and Chilean guanaco.
• Many of the predator species like wolf and mountain lion have now become rare species.
• Other important animals include several species of rodents such as rabbits, rabbits predators such as coyotes, similar to Chilean fox, other predators such as lizards, snakes, and several types of raptorial birds like kites, falcons, hawks etc.
• Most original native animals of South African Mediterranean biome have now become either extinct or rare due to destruction of their natural habitats through extensive forest clearance by European settlers. Ex. quagga, a type of zebra, which was an important species, now has become totally extinct.