The Mediterranean regions have a climatic composition in which the summer season is dry and the winter is rainy.
The aforementioned climatic characteristics favor the formation of vegetation composed of small trees spaced apart from each other. The trunks are wide and with few leaves to better adapt to the somewhat arid condition. Despite the above statements, there are hardly any original areas of this type of vegetative composition.
Mediterranean vegetation is possible to be found in isolated points of California (United States), Chile, South Africa and also Australia, however, the largest concentration is located in the south of the Europe. The original forests were replaced by olive and vine plantations.
This vegetation is basically composed of three sizes, being an arboreal, a shrub and a herbaceous. In the faunal composition it is possible to find deer, rabbits, birds and insects.
The Mediterranean vegetation, in the specific case of southern Europe, consists of xerophylls, plants that are resistant to long periods of drought such as the maquis and the garrigues.
This distinction was most evident when both were in their original form and occupied almost the entire European continent. What caused the disappearance of a large part of these vegetations was the occupation of geographic space for agricultural activity, urban and industrial occupation, so that the original vegetation was restricted deep.
By Eduardo de Freitas
Degree in Geography
Source: Brazil School - https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/geografia/floresta-mediterranea.htm
