Contents -- Foreword -- Preface -- 1 Setting the Scene -- 1.1 The birth of the Mediterranean -- 1.2 The physical background -- 1.3 Climate -- 1.4 Mapping the limits of the region -- 1.5 Adjacent and transitional provinces -- Summary -- 2 Determinants of Present-Day Biodiversity -- 2.1 Drivers of biodiversity -- 2.2 Composition of the flora -- 2.3 The insect fauna -- 2.4 Vertebrates -- 2.5 Marine fauna and flora -- Summary -- 3 Present-Day Terrestrial Biodiversity -- 3.1 Flora -- 3.2 Invertebrates -- 3.3 Freshwater fish -- 3.4 Reptiles and amphibians -- 3.5 Birds -- 3.6 Mammals -- 3.7 Convergence and non-convergence among mediterranean-type ecosystems -- Summary -- 4 Present-Day Marine Biodiversity -- 4.1 Flora -- 4.2 Invertebrates -- 4.3 Fish -- 4.4 Marine birds -- 4.5 Whales -- Summary -- 5 Scales of Observation -- 5.1 A succession of life zones -- 5.2 Transects -- 5.3 Small-scale, within-landscape diversity -- Summary -- 6 A Patchwork of Habitats -- 6.1 Forests and woodlands -- 6.2 Matorrals -- 6.3 Steppes and grasslands -- 6.4 Old fields -- 6.5 Cliffs and caves -- 6.6 Riverine or riparian forests -- 6.7 Wetlands -- 6.8 Diversity of marine habitats -- Summary -- 7 Populations, Species, and Community Variations -- 7.1 East-west vicariance patterns -- 7.2 Life on islands -- 7.3 Community dynamics in heterogeneous landscapes -- 7.4 Adaptation, local differentiation, and polymorphism -- 7.5 Species turnover in time: migrating birds -- Summary -- 8 Life Histories and Terrestrial Ecosystem Functioning -- 8.1 Evergreenness and sclerophylly -- 8.2 Autumn-flowering geophytes: a strategy for surviving competition and drought -- 8.3 Annuals in highly seasonal environments -- 8.4 Herbivory and plant defences -- 8.5 Pollination -- 8.6 Fruit dispersal by birds -- 8.7 Decomposition and recomposition -- Summary -- 9 Life in the Sea.

9.1 Marine life specificities -- 9.2 Pelagos -- 9.3 Benthos -- Summary -- 10 Humans as Sculptors of Mediterranean Landscapes -- 10.1 Human history and Mediterranean environment -- 10.2 Plant and animal domestication -- 10.3 Forest destruction, transformation, and multiple uses -- 10.4 In search of a long-lasting and convivial living space -- 10.5 Traditional landscape designs -- Summary -- 11 Biodiversity Downs and Ups -- 11.1 Losses -- 11.2 Gains -- 11.3 Fire: a threat and a driving force -- Summary -- 12 Biodiversity and Global Change -- 12.1 Human demography -- 12.2 Habitat degradation and pollution -- 12.3 Biological invasions -- 12.4 Climate change -- Summary -- 13 Challenges for the Future -- 13.1 A microcosm of world problems -- 13.2 Conservation sciences -- 13.3 Steps towards sustainability -- 13.4 Present threats and conservation efforts in the marine environment -- 13.5 International cooperation -- 13.6 Alternative futures -- Summary -- Glossary -- A -- B -- C -- D -- E -- F -- G -- H -- I -- K -- L -- M -- N -- O -- P -- Q -- R -- S -- T -- References -- Index -- A -- B -- C -- D -- E -- F -- G -- H -- I -- J -- K -- L -- M -- N -- O -- P -- Q -- R -- S -- T -- U -- V -- W -- X -- Y -- Z.