Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of contributors
- Preface
- Part I Introduction
- Part II Historical background
- Part III Biogeography of taxa
- 7 Invasive plants of the Mediterranean Basin
- 8 Invasive vascular plants of California
- 9 Introduction of plants into the mediterranean-type climate area of Chile
- 10 Introduced plants of the fynbos biome of South Africa
- 11 Invasive plants of southern Australia
- 12 Life cycles of some Mediterranean invasive plants
- 13 Invasion processes as related to succession and disturbance
- 14 Is fire an agent favouring plant invasions?
- 15 Plant invasion and soil seed banks: control by water and nutrients
- 16 Invasion by annual brome grasses: a case study challenging the homoclime approach to invasions
- 17 Patterns of Pleistocene turnover, current distribution and speciation among Mediterranean mammals
- 18 Introduced mammals in California
- 19 Ecology of a successful invader: the European rabbit in central Chile
- 20 Mammals introduced to the mediterranean region of South Africa
- 21 Mammals introduced to southern Australia
- 22 Invasions and range modifications of birds in the Mediterranean Basin
- 23 Invasions in the mediterranean avifaunas of California and Chile
- 24 Birds introduced to the fynbos biome of South Africa
- 25 Species of introduced birds in mediterranean Australia
- Part IV Applied aspects of mediterranean invasions
- Part V Overview
- Index of scientific names
- Subject index
22 - Invasions and range modifications of birds in the Mediterranean Basin
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 02 December 2009
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of contributors
- Preface
- Part I Introduction
- Part II Historical background
- Part III Biogeography of taxa
- 7 Invasive plants of the Mediterranean Basin
- 8 Invasive vascular plants of California
- 9 Introduction of plants into the mediterranean-type climate area of Chile
- 10 Introduced plants of the fynbos biome of South Africa
- 11 Invasive plants of southern Australia
- 12 Life cycles of some Mediterranean invasive plants
- 13 Invasion processes as related to succession and disturbance
- 14 Is fire an agent favouring plant invasions?
- 15 Plant invasion and soil seed banks: control by water and nutrients
- 16 Invasion by annual brome grasses: a case study challenging the homoclime approach to invasions
- 17 Patterns of Pleistocene turnover, current distribution and speciation among Mediterranean mammals
- 18 Introduced mammals in California
- 19 Ecology of a successful invader: the European rabbit in central Chile
- 20 Mammals introduced to the mediterranean region of South Africa
- 21 Mammals introduced to southern Australia
- 22 Invasions and range modifications of birds in the Mediterranean Basin
- 23 Invasions in the mediterranean avifaunas of California and Chile
- 24 Birds introduced to the fynbos biome of South Africa
- 25 Species of introduced birds in mediterranean Australia
- Part IV Applied aspects of mediterranean invasions
- Part V Overview
- Index of scientific names
- Subject index
Summary
One of the most striking features of the Mediterranean Basin is the extremely complicated geography and geotopography of the islands and lands encircling this ‘sea-among-the-lands’ (Mediterranean). The landmasses which encircle the sea are part of three continents: Europe, south-western Asia and Africa. This latter feature is supposed to be a diversification factor in the biogeographical origin of the biotas. Because of the topographical diversity of the region, with high mountains (up to 4000 m) coming near to the sea, we can find only a few kilometres apart, but at different elevations along the slopes of the mountains, such Siberian faunal elements as Tengmalm's owl Aegolius funereus side by side with thermophilous Mediterranean or semi-arid species such as the Sardinian warbler Sylvia melanocephala or the black-eared wheatear Oenanthe hispanica. This admixture of species and faunal elements represents a striking telescoping of faunas which, as will be shown later, reflects the past history of the region. As a result, the Mediterranean Basin, which comprises about 2970000 km2, is a land of exceptionally diverse climates and habitats, ranging from the arid steppes of northern Africa and the Middle East to the moist forests of fir and beech in the mountains of the continents and some larger islands.
The richness in bird species in the region is extremely high: 347 species of birds regularly breed there, as compared with no more than 419 species in the whole of Europe which extends over about three times the area (Voous, 1960; Blondel, 1985).
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- Biogeography of Mediterranean Invasions , pp. 309 - 326Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 1991