The natural vegetation consists of forests, woodlands, and shrublands. The five chief plant communities are:
Xeric pine forests and woodlands: The xeric pine forests are found mainly in the drier interior, near the transition to the Mediterranean dry woodlands and steppe, where rainfall averages 300 to 600 mm per year. The predominant tree is Aleppo pine. It is often found in mixed stands with evergreen holm oak and xeric junipers. The forests and woodlands have an understory of shrubs, including Cistus, Genista, and rosemary, which also form pockets of shrubland.
Berber thuya forests and woodlands: These forests and woodlands are found in the milder lowlands of northern Morocco, western coastal Algeria, and pockets in the coastal mountains in northwestern Tunisia, typically on soils derived from limestone. They are characterized by Berber thuya, a conifer that can form coppice woodlands. The understory is chiefly of shrubs.
Cork oak woodlands: are found in low and medium elevations with mild winters and relatively high rainfall, often on soils formed over siliceous rocks. Cork oak forests are found on the coastal plains between Casablanca and the Rif Mountains in northern Morocco, and several areas further inland around the Rif and Middle Atlas ranges. They also found on along the Tell Atlas of northern Algeria, and in the Kroumerie and Mogod mountain ranges of northwestern Tunisia. Cork oak is the predominant tree, accompanied by a rich mix of evergreen small trees and large shrubs, including bay laurel, strawberry tree, tree heath, holly, Phillyrea spp., Laurustinus, hairy broom, and common myrtle.
trees occur in the Mediterranean woodlands and forests ecoregion
Holm oak and kermes oak forests and woodlands: forests, woodlands, and shrublands of holm oak Quercus ilex) and kermes oak are the most widespread plant community, found from the coast to the mountains on a variety of climates and soils. Holm oak forests formerly found in lowland areas with deep and humid soils have mostly been displaced by agriculture.
Wild olive and carob woodlands and maquis: open woodlands of wild olive, and carob once covered lowland areas with deep, drier soils, but these areas have mostly been converted to agriculture. The remaining wild olive and carob woodlands have been transformed by fire, grazing, and firewood collection into maquis shrublands. Wild olives have also been displaced by cultivated varieties to produce olive oil, and carob is harvested for fodder.
Arbutus pavarii is endemic to the Jebel Akhdar in Cyrenaica.
Fauna
The Mediterranean woodlands and forests were home to a large variety of large mammals. The Egyptian wolf ', Barbary leopard', and Barbary macaque' are endangered, and their range is now limited to small areas. The Atlas bear ' and Barbary lion are extinct.
History, conservation, and current threats
This ecoregion is densely settled, and much transformed by agriculture, grazing, fire, and timber cutting and firewood gathering. It is home to several large cities, including Casablanca, Rabat, Tangier, and Fez in Morocco, Algiers and Oran in Algeria, Tunis in Tunisia, and Benghazi in Libya.
