Answer. Citrus fruits such as oranges, figs, olives and grapes are cultivated in this region is not a feature of the Mediterranean climate and vegetation.

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 low-lying inland locations but can be cool near colder seas.

Only 5 regions in the world experience these conditions: the Mediterranean, south-central and southwestern Australia, the fynbos of southern Africa, the Chilean matorral, and the Mediterranean ecoregions of California.

Climate Types This climate type really only has 2 seasons, summer and winter, with summer being longer. This climate type is also fairly dry, with very little rainfall in the summer. Pine and Cypress trees are often found in the Mediterranean climate type because they are able to survive long and dry summers.

The predominant tree is Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis). It is often found in mixed stands with evergreen holm oak (Quercus ilex spp. and Quercus ilex subsp. ballota) and xeric junipers (Juniperus phoenicea and Juniperus oxycedrus).

The Mediterranean vegetation is dominated by evergreen shrubs and sclerophyllous trees adapted to the distinctive climatic regime of summer drought and cool moist winters with only sporadic frost. The winter temperatures of 10°C and lower are already too cool for growth.

Mediterranean vegetation examples include the following:

• Evergreen trees: bay laurel, eucalyptus, grevillea, casuarina, melaleuca, pine, and cypress.
• Deciduous trees: sycamore, oak, and buckeyes.
• Fruit trees: olive, figs, walnuts and grapes.
• Shrubs: rosemary, Erica, Banksia, and chamise.

Animals in the Mediterranean Forest

• Iberian Lynx. ••• The Iberian lynx lives in the Mediterranean forests of southern Spain, although its range at one time covered Spain, Portugal and the south of France.
• Barbary Macaque. •••
• Barbary Leopard. •••

The forests of the Mediterranean region are essential to maintaining water and soil resources. The forests protect watersheds and regulate the local climate by increasing the air humidity and thereby reducing the intensity of drought. In this way, they are a barrier against desertification.

Regional features For a region that takes its name from the sea it surrounds, the Mediterranean is surprisingly hilly. It includes high mountains and rocky shores, thick scrub and semi-arid steppes, coastal wetlands and sandy beaches as well as a myriad of islands dotted across the sea.

The Mediterranean region does not have adequate wildlife because most of the forests have been cleared for expanding cultivation. This has considerably dwindled the wild life in the region.