Geographically, the Mediterranean is an inland sea that connects the coasts of the Middle East, North Africa and Southern Europe. Many ancient civilizations were developed around this region. Countries at the region include: Spain, France, Italy and Egypt. This blog will introduce the geopraphical propoerties of the region, the soil composition and the threats it is facing but mainly focusing on Italy.
Geographic Characteristics:
Climate
"Mediterranean climates are characterized by winter rains — with some months of excess rainfall over evatranspiration, warm and dry summer months with moisutre deficits — drying out soils and their annual vegetation"(Yaalon, 1997). Mediterranean climate creates a diverse range of habitats, including forests, scrublands, grasslands, and coastal areas. This variety of ecosystems allows for the diversity of many plant and animal species, contributing to overall ecological richness.
"The Mediterranean is home to more than 17,000 marine species. Between 20-30% of species are endemic " (Biological Diversity in the Mediterranean | UNEPMAP, n.d.).
According to Britannica (2024), Many plants in the Mediterranean region have adapted to the summer drought conditions by being drought-tolerant and conserving water. Examples include olive trees, grapevines, and various shrubs. The graph below illustrates the climate diversity of the region.
Natural resources & Economy
Mineral resources
According to Britannica (2024), sea salt is produced by evaporation in coastal pans along the eastern Mediterranea. Salt is used by the chemical industry. Since the early 1980s, interest has grown in pertroleum and natural gas exploration and production in the Mediterranean.
Fish Industry
Due to the great demand of fish of the region, the total consumption of fish of Mediterranean countries constitute a significant portion of the total world catch. The high price of fresh fish in most Mediterranean countries help with the development of a large number of small-scale local fisheries, which take small catches in short trips.
Landforms
Mountain Ranges
"Characteristics landscape attributes are the high proportion of mountains with sleep slopes, significant additions of Saharan desert dust to practically all soils of the region, and a large proportion of limestone and other calcareous rocks as soil parent materials" (Yaalon, 1997c).
For example, about 40% of Italy's land is mountainous, and the backbone of Italy is formed by the north-south trending Appennino chain.
The convergence and recession of continental plates of Eurasia and Africa over the previous 44 million years have shaped the structure and current form of this tectonically active basin and the surrounding mountain chain. According to the interpretation of geologic data, there are currently several major locations where Africa and Eurasia collide, causing volcanism, the formation of mountains, and land submergence. (Mediterranean Sea | Facts, History, Islands, & Countries, 2023)
Mediterranean Sea
5.3 million years ago- Atlantic Ocean waters breached the strait of Gibraltar, sending a massive flood into the basin.
5.6 million years ago- Evaporating almost completely in the hundreds of thousands of years that followed.
It is later refilled when the movements of crust caused the ground around the Gibraltar Strait to subside, allowing the ocean waters of the Atlantic to cut through the rock separating the two basins and refill the sea.
Borders
Geographically, the Mediterranean is an inland sea that connects the coasts of the Middle East, North Africa and Southern Europe.
Politically, the region is bordered by many countries, the picture below shows major countries around the region.
Soil
Soil Fertility
"Soil fertility is the ability of a soil to sustain plant growth by providing essential nutrients and favorable characteristics" (Soil Fertility | Global Soil Partnership | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, n.d.).
Most soils at Mediteraanean region are well supplied with K, because of the high illite content, and contain adequate levels of Ca and Mg. However, Fe, Cu, Mn, Zn, and B deficiencies frequently arise in some hortivultural crops cultivated on calcareous soils.
Mediterannean soil produce a great amount of wines, olives, nuts and tomatoes. Below is a picture showing the olive trees plantation.
Because the climate is suitable for growing tomatoes, many traditional Italian cuisines are related to tomatoes. For example, they use tomato sauce and eat grilled tomatoes. Below is a picture of the Italian Cuisine.
Parent Material: limestone and other calcareous rocks
Acidity: Typically around a ph value of 6, 8 on the surface and horizons where carbonate accumulates.
Erosion: "The researchers point to a Romanian study from 2017, which identified 25 percent of the land in the EU half of the Mediterranean basin as facing high or very high risk of desertification, mainly due to erosion, declining organic matter and salinisation" ( KTH Royal Institute of Technology, 2022).
Many factors can contribute to the soil erosion, the major ones are climate, landform and human activities. The lack of consistent moisture during the summer months reduces vegetation cover, making the soil more susceptible to erosion by wind and water. The intense rainfall will then lead to floods that make the soil erosion worse. The mountain slopes of the region also makes the accumulation of soil harder. Agricultural practices such as overgrazing, improper land management, and deforestation often lead to increased erosion rates.
The picture below illustrates the soil erosion risk of different area in the region, which is classified by colors.
Future Problems
Besides the problem of soil erosion, the Mediterranean Region is facing multiple environmental issues
1. Climate Change (Climate Change in the Mediterranean | UNEPMAP, n.d.-b)
# The Mediterranean region is warming 20% faster than the global average.
# Coastal zones face heightened disaster risks, including flooding and erosion.
# 2°C global warming will reduce precipitation by 10 to 15%.
The Italian city of Venice is becoming more vulnerable to frequent flooding because of the sea-level rise, caused by climate change.
"The European Geosciences Union predicts that in Venice’s worst-case scenario—a sea level rise of an astonishing 3 feet and 11 inches—could occur by the end of the century, and Venice’s lowest spot, St. Mark’s Basin, could be wiped out by 2050, according to the non-profit organization Climate Central’s Coastal Risk Screening Tool"(City Experiences, 2023).
2. Pollution (Plastics in the Mediterranean, n.d.)
# Αs the Mediterranean holds 1% of the world’s waters, it is responsible for 7% of global marine microplastic and plastic accumulation.
# This is mainly because of influx of migration and overpopulation.
# Accumulation of plastic in beaches and marine environments project a 40% increase during the summer tourism time.
In conclusion, The Mediterranean is an area with biodiversity and cultural heritage, featuring many magical landforms such as Italy's volcanoes and Venice's water city. The Mediterranean is facing serious soil erosion problems, mainly caused by landforms and agriculture. In addition, the impact of global warming on the Mediterranean is very significant, which will be the main problem they will face in the future.
APA Reference Page
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