Biology and Wildlife of the Mediterranean Region

by Elizabeth C. Theil (editor)

The Mediterranean is an outstanding 'hot-spot' of biological diversity. It is exceptional not only for this, but also because of its long history of interactions between its human inhabitants and the other fauna and flora of the region. The cradle of many civilizations, the Mediterranean region has been host to humans for thousands of years. This book is the first to synthesise our current understanding of the ecology, biology, and geology of Mediterranean animals, birds, and plants, and their habitats. The authors focus on the unique historical determinants and spatial patterns of Mediterranean biodiversity. In particular, the dramatic impacts of long-term human activities on the region's landscapes, flora, and fauna, are considered. This fascinating story will be of interest to researchers and students in ecology, biology, conservation, and geography, as well as to naturalists, and ecotourists visiting this popular holiday region.

350 pages, Paperback

First published December 16, 1999

Reviews

[Finrod · Rating 5 out of 5]

While now about 15 years old this book is a must read for anybody who's interested in the Ecology (both current and historical), Zoology or Botany of the Mediterranean region. Clearly science has advanced quite a bit since Blondel and Aronson summed up their huge knowledge and stored it in this reference book, but no paradigm shift has occurred and this book is still as useful today as it was back at the very early years of this century (I'd say such a massive paradigm shift to make this book useless is very, very unlikely to occur). While the authors start with a disclaimer that theirs is merely “an introductory text for ecologists, naturalists, students, scholars and, more generally, for people with a natural sciences background who come to the Mediterranean for the first time”, it's actually much more than that, and its wealth of data, clear and coherent chapters make “Biology and Wildlife of the Mediterranean Region” a true classic for specialists and (keen) amateurs alike.
A plus of this book are the asterisks marking the technical terms described in the Glossary, a very simple but at the same time really useful and clever idea that makes you wonder why it's not applied in every scientific/technical book.
Unfortunately even second hand copies are quite expensive nowadays, however if you're serious about Mediterranean biogeography sure it's worth its money (better if you can get is as Christmas present, though...).