Landscape Disturbance in Mediterranean-Type Ecosystems: An Overview

Abstract

Five regions of the world — the Mediterranean Basin, California, central Chile, the Cape Region of South Africa, and Western and South Australia (Fig. 1.1) — share a unique climatic regime with their characteristic conditions of mild wet winters and warm dry summers. This mediterraneantype climatic regime typically has 90% or more of annual precipitation falling in the six cool season months, mild winter conditions with infrequent and relatively mild frosts, and frequent periods of extended summer drought.