The Mediterranean region is renowned as one of our planet’s main cradles of culture and civilization. However it is easy to forget that the region also houses an extraordinary natural heritage, which has resulted in it being identified among the 200 most important ecoregions in the world (Olson & Dinnerstein, 1998), as well as considered as one of the 34 global “hotspots” for conservation priority (Mittermeier et al., 2004).
Throughout history the Mediterranean has inspired researchers who have catalogued its fauna and flora. While most birds and mammals found in the region also live elsewhere in neighbouring parts of Europe, Africa and Asia, this is not the case for the plant life of which many species are unique to the Mediterranean. The great number of islands in the region covering a wide range of altitudes has allowed new species to evolve as well as provide
refugia for others to survive.
For thousands of years nature in the Mediterranean has been shaped by people, who have known how to use natural resources as well as develop their diversity. However for the past few decades this has not been the case. The introduction of intensive agriculture, infrastructure, urbanization and the development of mass tourism have profoundly changed living conditions. Skyrocketing population growth and climate change have exacerbated these changes, and the introduction of exotic plants has often eliminated the native species.
Today many Mediterranean plants are threatened with extinction. The disappearance of one species often brings about ecosystem changes which magnify the loss and further damage the quality of the environment. The goal of this booklet is not to make a complete list of these species, but rather to raise awareness about the extent of the problem and to illustrate progress.
It is not easy to mobilize the public and decision makers to take actions needed to save threatened species. It is hoped that the publication of this first Top 50 booklet will contribute, alongside other tools such as the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, to this goal.
I cannot conclude this foreword without thanking all the contributors, whose dedicated and meticulous work has allowed these case studies to be produced.
