The Southern Anatolian montane conifer and deciduous forests

ecoregion An ecoregion (ecological region) is an ecological and geographic area that exists on multiple different levels, defined by type, quality, and quantity of environmental resources. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of land or water, and c ...

, in the

Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub Mediterranean forests, woodlands and scrub is a biome defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature. The biome is generally characterized by dry summers and rainy winters, although in some areas rainfall may be uniform. Summers are typically hot in ...

biome A biome () is a distinct geographical region with specific climate, vegetation, and animal life. It consists of a biological community that has formed in response to its physical environment and regional climate. In 1935, Tansley added the ...

, is in the eastern Mediterranean Basin. Lebanon cedar (''Cedrus libani'') is a characteristic tree.

Geography

The ecoregion covers an area of , in portions of

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

Syria Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...

Lebanon Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...

, and

Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

. The ecoregion lies mainly in the

Taurus Mountains The Taurus Mountains (Turkish language, Turkish: ''Toros Dağları'' or ''Toroslar,'' Greek language, Greek'':'' Ταύρος) are a mountain range, mountain complex in southern Turkey, separating the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean coastal reg ...

, which run through southern

Anatolia Anatolia (), also known as Asia Minor, is a peninsula in West Asia that makes up the majority of the land area of Turkey. It is the westernmost protrusion of Asia and is geographically bounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the south, the Aegean ...

roughly parallel to the coast. The Taurus is divided into three sub-ranges – the Western, or Isaurian, Taurus (highest peak Mt. Kizlarsivrisi ); the Central, or Lycian, Taurus (highest peak Medetsiz ); and the Eastern, or Cilician, Taurus (highest peak Demirkazık ). The ecoregion also includes the higher-elevation portions of the

Nur Mountains The Nur Mountains (, "Mountains of Holy Light"), formerly known as Alma-Dağ, the ancient Mount Amanus (), medieval Black Mountain, or Jabal al-Lukkam in Arabic, is a mountain range in the Hatay Province of south-central Turkey. It begins sou ...

(or Amanos) along the western Turkey-Syria border, and the

Levant The Levant ( ) is the subregion that borders the Eastern Mediterranean, Eastern Mediterranean sea to the west, and forms the core of West Asia and the political term, Middle East, ''Middle East''. In its narrowest sense, which is in use toda ...

ine Syrian Coastal Mountains, Lebanon Mountains, and

Anti-Lebanon Mountains The Anti-Lebanon mountains (), also called Mount Amana, are a southwest–northeast-trending, c. long mountain range that forms most of the border between Syria and Lebanon. The border is largely defined along the crest of the range. Most of ...

, which run parallel to the eastern Mediterranean shore in Syria, Lebanon, and northernmost Israel. The highest peak in the Nur mountains is Bozdağ (), and the highest peak in the Levantine mountains is Qurnat as Sawda' in Lebanon ().

Limestone Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...

is the most common rock, with areas of

serpentinite Serpentinite is a metamorphic rock composed predominantly of serpentine group minerals formed by serpentinization of mafic or ultramafic rocks. The ancient origin of the name is uncertain; it may be from the similarity of its texture or color ...

and other ophiolitic rocks. Temperate-climate forests and steppes lie to the north on the Anatolian plateaus. The Mediterranean-climate Eastern Mediterranean conifer-sclerophyllous-broadleaf forests ecoregion lies along the Mediterranean coastal lowlands, in the Levantine lowlands and foothills, and to the east.

Climate

The ecoregion has a montane

Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate ( ), also called a dry summer climate, described by Köppen and Trewartha as ''Cs'', is a temperate climate type that occurs in the lower mid-latitudes (normally 30 to 44 north and south latitude). Such climates typic ...

. Average annual precipitation ranges from 800 to 2000 mm. Winter is the wettest season, and summer is the driest. Rain-bearing winds generally come from the southwest winds, and south and west-facing slopes generally have higher rainfall than north and east-facing ones. Average temperatures vary with elevation, and higher elevations experience cool temperatures and regular winter frosts and snows. Proximity to the sea moderates winter temperatures, and interior regions have a more continental climate with colder winters.

Flora

The main plant communities are conifer forests, broadleaf deciduous forests, and alpine meadows and shrublands. Conifer forests are the most widespread. Turkish black pine (''Pinus nigra''), Lebanon cedar (''Cedrus libani''), Taurus fir (''Abies cilicica''), and juniper ('' Juniperus foetidissima'' and '' Juniperus excelsa'') are the most common conifers. Junipers grow close to the

treeline The tree line is the edge of a habitat at which trees are capable of growing and beyond which they are not. It is found at high elevations and high latitudes. Beyond the tree line, trees cannot tolerate the environmental conditions (usually low ...

, which is at approximately 2000 meters elevation near the coast, and 2400 meters elevation in drier inland areas. Deciduous forests are concentrated in areas with higher rainfall (1,500-2,000 mm) facing the prevailing southwest winds, notably the Geyik Mountains in the Western Taurus and the Nur Mountains in the east. Deciduous broadleaf trees are predominant, including Oriental hornbeam (''Carpinus orientalis''), European hop-hornbeam (''Ostrya carpinifolia''), oaks (''

Quercus cerris ''Quercus cerris'', the Turkey oak or Austrian oak, is an oak native to south-eastern Europe and Asia Minor. It is the type species of ''Quercus'' sect. ''Cerris'', a section of the genus characterised by shoot buds surrounded by soft bristles, ...

, Q. libani, Q. trojana'', and ''Q. petraea'' ssp. ''pinnatiloba''), and

maple ''Acer'' is a genus of trees and shrubs commonly known as maples. The genus is placed in the soapberry family Sapindaceae.Stevens, P. F. (2001 onwards). Angiosperm Phylogeny Website. Version 9, June 2008 nd more or less continuously updated si ...

s (''

Acer hyrcanum ''Acer hyrcanum'' is a maple species sometimes referred to as Balkan maple. It grows in southeastern Europe and western Asia. Description ''Acer hyrcanum'' is a deciduous tree up to tall. Leaves are up to across, usually 5-lobed but occasion ...

, A. platanoides, A. campestre'', and '' A. monspessulanum''). The dry alpine meadows are characterized by low-growing subshrubs, tufted herbaceous plants, grasses, and geophytes, including many species of ''

Astragalus Astragalus may refer to: * ''Astragalus'' (plant), a large genus of herbs and small shrubs *Astragalus (bone) The talus (; Latin for ankle or ankle bone; : tali), talus bone, astragalus (), or ankle bone is one of the group of foot bones known ...

''.

Protected areas

Protected areas in the Western Taurus include Çığlıkara Nature Reserve, near

Elmalı Elmalı is a municipality and Districts of Turkey, district of Antalya Province, Turkey. Its area is 1,433 km2, and its population is 40,774 (2022). It lies about inland, near the town of Korkuteli and west of the city of Antalya. Formerl ...

Antalya Province Antalya Province () is a Provinces of Turkey, province and Metropolitan municipalities in Turkey, metropolitan municipality of Turkey. It is located on the Mediterranean Region, Turkey, Mediterranean coast of south-west Turkey, between the Taur ...

, which protects 15,889 ha of ''Cedrus libani'' forest. The protected area around the coastal mountain of Babadağ, near

Fethiye Fethiye () is a municipality and Districts of Turkey, district of Muğla Province, Turkey. Its area is 875 km2, and its population is 177,702 (2022). It is one of the prominent tourist destinations in the Turkish Riviera. It was formerly k ...

Muğla Province Muğla Province (, ) is a Provinces of Turkey, province and Metropolitan municipalities in Turkey, metropolitan municipality of Turkey, at the country's southwestern corner, on the Aegean Sea. Its area is 12,654 km2, and its population is 1 ...

, includes montane forests of '' Acer undulatum'', which is endemic to the mountain, along with ''Cedrus libani, Abies cilicica, Pinus brutia'', and junipers, and maquis at lower elevations.Mansourian, Stephanie & Rossi, Magali & Vallauri, Daniel. (2013). Ancient Forests in the Northern Mediterranean: Neglected High Conservation Value Areas. 10.13140/2.1.5170.4640. Other protected areas in the Western Taurus include Sarıkara National Park in the Bey Mountains, Köprülü Canyon National Park on the Köprüçay River, and Üzümdere National Park, Altınbeşik Cave National Park, and Dim Çayı National Park in the mountains above

Alanya Alanya (; ), formerly Alaiye, is a beach resort town, resort city, a municipality and Districts of Turkey, district of Antalya Province, Turkey. It is on the southern coast of Turkey, in the country's Mediterranean Region, Turkey, Mediterranean R ...

. Protected areas in the Central Taurus include Cehennem Deresi National Park and Topaşir National Park.

External links

References

{{reflist Natural history of Anatolia Eastern Mediterranean Ecoregions of Asia Ecoregions of Israel Ecoregions of Lebanon Ecoregions of Syria Ecoregions of Turkey Ecoregions of the Mediterranean basin Forests of Turkey Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub Montane forests Palearctic ecoregions Sclerophyll forests