El Feidja National Park, Tunisia Photograph by © WWF-Canon/Michel GUNTHER   Northern Africa: Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia Mediterranean Forests, Woodlands, and Scrub   138,200 square miles (357,900 square kilometers) -- about twice the size of North Dakota Critical/Endangered

· Where Africa and Europe meet
· Special Features
· Did You Know?
· Wild Side
· Cause for Concern
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Where Africa and Europe meet

The Mediterranean Woodland and Forest runs through Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia, lining the Mediterranean coast and facing the European shore. The low-lying coastal plain turns to rugged hills further inland, and then surrounds but does not include the Atlas Mountains. Summers are hot and dry here, with mild and humid winters. Offshore currents further alter climate, and combine with varied landforms and geology to result in an amazing variety of forest types. Dry pine forests mix holm oaks and junipers, cork oak forests grow along the coastal plains, and wild olive and carob woodlands grow in short scrubby vegetation.

Special Features

While located in Africa, this ecoregion shares many plant species with Europe, in ecoregions that experience a similar Mediterranean climate. Cork oak forests are distributed over the entire western Mediterranean and wild olive woodlands grow in Europe. However, the Berber thuya is found only here. This endemic tree is a very ancient North African conifer, thought to be a relict species from the Tertiary Period. Its closest living relatives are now found in South Africa and Australia. Scientists think that there are many more endemic plants here, but little research has been carried out.

	There may be less than 1,000 Algerian nuthatches left, spread out over 4 main sites with in 19 miles (30 km) of each other. This small yellow and black nuthatch is the only bird endemic to Algeria and it was only discovered in 1975. Fortunately, a population is protected in Taza National Park.

Wild Side

A wide variety of mammals are found here: a mix of Afrotropical and Palearctic species, with some uniquely North African species included as well. Mammals seen here include the red fox, common jackal, caracal, wild boars, Barbary macaques and even leopards. A separate subspecies of leopard, the Barbary leopard is critically endangered and mostly confined to remote mountainous regions. More than 120 bird species are found here, including an endemic subspecies of great spotted woodpecker and the endangered Algerian nuthatch. There are a wide variety of reptiles present as well, with a number of them endemic to this ecoregion.

Cause for Concern

Extensive deforestation has occurred throughout the Mediterranean Forest and Woodland. Less than one-third of the original cork oak forests remain today. Forest is converted for agriculture and pasture, a long-standing practice that first began in Classical times. This ecoregion holds a large portion of the North African population, and towns are growing in response to socio-economic instability. A few national parks do exist in this ecoregion, but governments often lack adequate funds to manage and enforce them.

For more information on this ecoregion, go to the World Wildlife Fund Scientific Report.