GENMEDOC an inter-regional network of mediterranean seed banks

Compared with the high number of species threatened with extinction, the financial investment in actions destined to biodiversity conservation is insufficient, for which reason it is essential to define conservation priorities.

In 1988 the British ecologist Norman Myers attempted to offer a solution through the theory according to which biodiversity could be protected, with an economy of means as regards other strategies, by the conservation of relatively confined zones of the planet, the so-called "biodiversity hotspots".

To qualify as a hotspot, a zone has to contain a high number of endemic species. Myers identified 25 of these hotspots, each with no less than 0,5% of world vascular plant as endemics (Myers et al., 2000).

The non-governmental organisation, Conservation International (C.I)., engaged in the protection of the world’s biodiversity, adopted this theory as from 1989; recently C.I. increased the number of hotspots from 25 to 34, after a revision carried out by approximately 400 experts over four years. link

Collectively, these hotspots cover only 2,3 % of the Earth’s land surface, but hold 50% of the world’s vascular plants and 42% of terrestrial vertebrates.

Priorities of conservation: 34 hotspots, the richest and the most threatened reservoirs of the Earth’s biodiversity. (To see an interactive map visit the website: http://www.biodiversityhotspots.org/xp/Hotspots and click on the world map). (Cartina © 2005 Conservation International).

The Mediterranean Basin

As well as other ecosystems of a Mediterranean type, this hotspot shows high biodiversity in vascular plants but is less rich in mammals and birds.

Of the 22550 species of vascular plants present approximately 13000 are endemic and concentrated especially on islands, peninsulas, rocky cliffs and on the summits of mountains.

The hotspot of the Mediterranean Basin is characterized by a central core and 10 small hotspots which represent only 22% of the Basins total surface. They include approximately 5,500 species of endemic plants, which represent 44 % of those existing in the Mediterranean Sea. These hotspots are " hottest spots of the Mediterranean Sea."

The hotspot of the Mediterranean Basin extends from Portugal to Jordan and from the Canarian Islands to Northern Italy; it includes Cyprus, more than 90 % of the Greek islands, Lebanon and Portugal, but less than 10% from France, Algeria and Libya. Of the overall 2,085,292 km² there is only 98,009 km2 left to protect.

In the past the greater part of this hotspot was covered by oak, conifer and deciduous forests. Human activity has profoundly modified the landscape and the type of vegetation present, today the scrublands being the most extended form. Scrublands are made up of dense formations of shrubs with tough sclerophytic leaves, which comprise members of the genera .Juniperus, Myrtus, Olea, Phillyrea, Pistacia et Quercus.

Some important components of the Mediterranean vegetation (species of the genera Arbutus, Calluna, Ceratonia, Chamaerops and Laurus) do indeed represent the older forests that covered the Basin for two million years. The frequent fires benefited species such as the Kermes oak (Quercus coccifera), cistus (Cistus spp.) or Sarcopoterium spinosum, which grow very well after a fire.

The Mediterranean Region presents an elevated richness in endemic treelike species (201 of 290 endemic species); the most interesting being the cedar of Lebanon (Cedrus libani © Pietro Pavone - DBUC),the tree of Argan (Argania spinosa ©2003-2004 LabMagazine.com) and Cretian date palm (Phoenix theophrasti - © C. Fournaraki - MAICh),the only palm native to the Mediterranean.