Interesting Characteristic- 41° 53′ 36″ N, 12° 28′ 59″ E

One of the greatest empires was located in the Mediterranean biome, the Roman Empire. The Roman Empire reigned from 625 BC–AD 476. Rome was very successful because of its superior military authority. That is the main influential factor that cemented Roman power for many years. Also, the Romans had a very effective senate. The government was mostly a republic, which was desirable over the barbarians and tyrants that were also around.

Coevolutionary Mechanisms- 38° 9'9.89"N 0°40'31.74"W

Camouflage: Mediterranean House Gecko blends in with surroundings because of its tan color.

Secondary Compound: Spanish broom or Spartium junceum is a brightly colored shrub found in dry, sandy soils. In the hot, dry, summer, it sheds its leaves to help conserve water. The stems are photosynthetic.

Organism Relationships- 36° 8'44.83"N 31°34'45.02"E

Mutualism: Cows benefit from the cellulase produced by bacteria in their intestines while bacteria benefit from stable supply of nutrients

Parasitism: Mediterranean wood-boring bees make their nest in tree's and other wood, causing extensive damage.

Commensalism: Leptanilla army ants walk on a forest floor, stirring up other flying insects. Birds follow the ants and eat the insects

Competition: Monk seals are very territorial when they mate, so when another male is trying to mate with his female, they could fight. This is interference competition.

Limiting Factors- 34°50'41.48"N 120° 8'2.15"W

Density Independent:
A factor that affects the size of a population independent or regardless of the population density.
Examples:
Forest fires destroy habitats
Hot, dry summers could become a drought

Density Dependent:
A factor whose effects on the size or growth of population vary with the population density.
Examples:
Over-grazing could cause food shortage
Predation- The decline of one population of animals could mean an steep incline in another

Eco-tourism- 36° 3'36.54"N 16°15'12.62"E

Five things I would like people to know about the Mediterranean biome are:

1) The Mediterranean is one of the only biomes that can be  found on several continents, North America, Africa, Europe and Austrialia

2) The Mediterranean is the worlds leading tourist destination

3) It has a diversity of places to go things to see such as mountains, the ocean, and forests

4) The Mediterranean Sea is the world's largest inland sea, about 965,000 square miles

5) Some of the most ancient civilizations flourished around the Mediterranean 

Primary/Secondary Succession 36° 25′ 12″ N, 25° 25′ 54″ E

Primary: The eruption of the island Thera in the Mediterranean Sea in 1623 B.C. destroyed the Minoan civilization, changing the coarse of Western civilization. Geological evidence shows the Thera volcano erupted numerous times over several hundred thousand years before the Minoan eruption. Recent research by a team of international scientists in 2006 revealed that the volume of ejecta was approximately 100 km³ placing the Volcanic Explosivity Index of the Thera eruption at 6 or 7.

Secondary: Fire is the cause of much of the secondary succession in the Mediterranean biome. In California, the evidence of secondary succession is that the forests affected by fire grow back relatively quickly because the root systems undisturbed in the soil, stumps and other plant parts from previously existing plants can rapidly regenerate.

Human Influence- 34°35'50.06"N 119°30'38.78"W

Pollutants: There are many heavy industry complexes and large commercial harbours situated in the north-west area of the Mediterranean. These harbours are being affected by toxic and persistent pollutants.

Habitat Destruction: The population of areas around European Mediterranean forests is rapidly increasing. Also, tourism is increasing around these areas. Forests and shrub lands are being destroyed to create room for housing developments and hotels. 

Fires: All over the Mediterranean biome cause great damage. In California alone, there have been 6,873 fires in the last five years destroying about 248,916 acres. Due to these fires, many animal species have lost their homes, and their source of food.

 

In the future, all these influences could cause permanent harm to the biome. Plant and animal species could suffer or even become extinct. Also, the beautiful wilderness that brings tourists in many parts of Europe could be damaged, losing hundreds of thousands of dollars.