[Music] [Music] the Mediterranean Basin is a storyed region home to miles of sunwarm beaches fabulous wines and bustling cities it's been a cultural crossroads since the dawn of civilization what first attracted people to the Basin then convinced them to stay was surely the mild weather here the four seasons are compressed into two hot summers bring clear dry Skies cool but not frigid Winters deliver lifegiving rain this Mediterranean climate offers a long growing season and comfortable living temperatures the results Rich crop harvests and tremendous natural Bounty the temperate conditions of the Mediterranean can also be found in a handful of other places much of California and Northern Baja California the Central Coast of Chile Southwest and parts of South Australia and the cape region of South Africa thanks to their similar climates these regions have much in common understanding what features they share what problems they face and what is unique about each is helping people preserve these landscapes for the future all five of the Mediterranean climate regions experience relatively even temperatures throughout the year and receive the majority of their precipitation as rainfall over just a few months these warm mostly frost-free regions are Powerhouse producers of lemons strawberries avocados tomatoes and other high value crops some such as olives originate from Mediterranean climbs others such as citrus and almonds flourish in the relative warmth and seasonal rain wine grapes too love hot arid Summers and snow-free Winters it's no wonder that all five Mediterranean climate regions have major wine Industries all of these lands are on the western coasts of continents and adjacent to large bodies of water the oceans and seas help to moderate land temperatures less obvious are the atmospheric forces that divide the Mediterranean calendar into wet and dry seasons each of the five regions is located near a high pressure cell that hovers over an ocean these cells move toward the poles in summer pushing storms away from Land jet streams shift the cells back towards the equator in Winter bringing storms near land again Mediterranean climate regions are also hot houses of biological diversity though these areas cover only 2.2% of Earth's dry land they Harbor 16% of all known plant species only tropical rainforests rival their diversity the Mediterranean climate can be stressful for plants a lack of water or cool temperatures limit growth for much of the year because Mediterranean region organis isms face similar conditions many have evolved similar characteristics shrubby Evergreen plants are widespread in all five areas their small leathery leaves keep water loss to a minimum helping plants survive Long Summers Without Rain in the Mediterranean makis Flora includes cork Oaks olive trees and Heath the monal of Chile is home to Wine Palms also found here is kijai the soap bark tree the chaparell of California includes Live Oaks manenas and shames the fen boss of South Africa features proteas pelargonium the plants we know as Garden geraniums and ericas Australian quangong includes many types of Bas sundus and hias most Mediterranean ecosystems have also evolved with periodic fires many plants in these systems have traits that are advantageous in fire-prone environments including root crowns that resprout after a blaze shedding seeds after a fire and germination stimulated by smoke or Ash the five Mediterranean climate regions also face a similar Suite of problems invasive species may pose the greatest threat exotic plants can turn into landscape devouring weeds when transplanted into new ecosystems the fast growing montere Pine imported to Chile as a source of lumber has become the dominant forestry in coastal areas the golden waddle Australia's national tree is marching its way across South African fbos that has been prevented from burning and black mustard native to the Mediterranean Basin is engulfing entire hillsides throughout California people have had an even greater impact on Mediterranean Landscapes by flocking there to live the qualities that made the medit terranean Basin so alluring to early people have swelled human populations in all five Mediterranean climate regions the migrants have built some of the world's most Cosmopolitan cities Cape Town South Africa Santiago Chile San Francisco California Rome Italy and Perth Australia but those cities have come at a heavy price for the environment today more than 40% of the world's Mediterranean type ecosystems have been devoured by cities or converted to Farmland little of the remaining valuable open space has been protected to put this in perspective of all all endangered tropical rainforest half has been preserved from development in Mediterranean areas it is much worse of all the original Mediterranean ecosystem habitat only 1/8 of that habitat has been preserved from development populations in Mediterranean climate areas Skyrocket further during vacation season their bommy weather draws tourists like a magnet while there are roughly 300 million permanent residents of the Mediterranean Basin an estimated 220 million tourists also visit each year amenities for vacationers such as Resorts and golf courses consume even more local land and resources but perhaps the most precious resource in Med terranean climate areas is fresh water many of these regions already struggle to make water supply stretch through months of Summer drought to make matters worse global warming is expected to make Mediterranean ecosystems hotter and drier in the future that means drought heat waves and their Associated threat Wildfire are expected to become more extreme from here on out 4,000 years ago the combination of climate change and intensive farming transformed the Fertile Crescent cradle of civilization into a parched desert given climate change forecasts and current agricultural practices today's Mediterranean climate lands could face a similar fate understanding how how these areas are vulnerable is a first step towards preventing that scenario people are protecting wildlands by setting aside parks and reserves battling invasive species conserving Urban water use and controlling erosion together these and other efforts might be enough to maintain the health of Earth's treasured Mediterranean climate landscapes [Music]