Western Taurus Mountains, Turkey Photograph by © WWF-Canon/Marco PAGLIANI   Western Asia: Southern Turkey into Syria, Lebanon, Israel Mediterranean Forests, Woodlands, and Scrub   29,500 square miles (76,500 square kilometers) -- about the size of South Carolina Critical/Endangered

· Anatolian Attractions
· Special Features
· Did You Know?
· Wild Side
· Cause for Concern
More Photos

Anatolian Attractions

If you climb through the hills and valleys of the Southern Anatolian Montane Conifer and Deciduous Forests and you listen carefully, you may hear the shriek of golden eagles, the slither of smooth snakes, and maybe even the cry of a jackal! More and more people are coming to this region to hike, trek, and enjoy its natural wonders. So conservationists are working hard to make sure the visitors themselves don't harm its unique habitats and species.

Special Features

This ecoregion lies at elevations of up to more than 9,000 feet (3,000 m). Most of it lies in Turkey, extending up and down the rocky slopes and deep canyons of the Taurus Mountains, then south in patches of higher elevation near the Levant Coast and into Syria and Lebanon, just touching Israel. Winters are mild and wet, balanced by summers that are hot and dry. Evergreen and oak forests dominate, with Cilician fir, cedar of Lebanon, black pine, and Greek juniper trees. Crocuses, irises, and other flowering species add color to the forest floor.

	People have collected so many plant bulbs that they have changed the kinds and abundance of flowers remaining in this ecoregion--lowering the overall diversity of plant life in the region.

Wild Side

Visit parts of eastern Turkey and you can walk through the habitat of rare Asiatic lions. The far reaches of the Taurus Mountains are thought to harbor some of the few remaining Anatolian leopards. Other mammals that dwell within these forests include lynx, wild boars, brown bears, golden jackals, ibex, beech martens, badgers, fallow deer, and red foxes. You even have a chance of seeing some of the region's reptiles, such as red-headed whip snakes, smooth snakes, and European blind snakes. And keep your eyes and ears out for some of the region's many birds, including griffon vultures, golden eagles, Caspian snowcocks, and lammergeiers.

Cause for Concern

The main threats to this region are logging, overgrazing of domestic livestock, commercial collecting of bulbs, and the growth of farms and cities. In addition, the mountains are a popular place for recreation--attracting hunters, tourists, trekkers, and mountain climbers who sometimes damage habitat.

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