Madeira evergreen forests

The Madeira evergreen forests is a temperate broadleaf and mixed forests ecoregion of southwestern Europe. It encompasses the archipelago of Madeira and some nearby islands (Desertas and Selvagens) in the Atlantic Ocean. The islands are an autonomous region of Portugal, and lie southwest of the Portuguese mainland.

Madeira evergreen forests
Laurissilva on Madeira
Map of the Madeiran archipelago
Ecology
RealmPalearctic
Biometemperate broadleaf and mixed forests
Geography
Area733 km2 (283 sq mi)
CountryPortugal
Autonomous region of PortugalMadeira
Conservation
Conservation statusvulnerable
Protected483 km² (66%)[1]

Flora

Madeira is home to laurel forests (called laurissilva), characterized by evergreen trees with glossy leaves. Typical laurissilva trees include the genera Apollonias (Lauraceae), Ocotea (Lauraceae), Persea (Lauraceae), Clethra (Clethraceae), Dracaena (Ruscaceae), and Picconia (Oleaceae).[2] The paleobotanical record of Madeira reveals that laurissilva forests has existed in this island for at least 1.8 million years.[3]

Fauna

endemic bird species include the Trocaz pigeon (Columba trocaz) and Zino's petrel (Pterodroma madeira).[4]

Protected areas

483 km² (66%) of the ecoregion is in protected areas.[5] The Madeira Islands laurel forest was designated a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 1999.

  • "Madeira evergreen forests". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund.

References
  1. Eric Dinerstein, David Olson, et al. (2017). An Ecoregion-Based Approach to Protecting Half the Terrestrial Realm, BioScience, Volume 67, Issue 6, June 2017, Pages 534–545; Supplemental material 2 table S1b.
  2. Madeira Laurel Forest, Madeira Wind Birds 2005
  3. Góis-Marques, Carlos A.; Madeira, José; Menezes de Sequeira, Miguel (7 February 2017). "Inventory and review of the Mio–Pleistocene São Jorge flora (Madeira Island, Portugal): palaeoecological and biogeographical implications". Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. 16 (2): 159–177. doi:10.1080/14772019.2017.1282991.
  4. "Madeira evergreen forests". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund.
  5. Eric Dinerstein, David Olson, et al. (2017). An Ecoregion-Based Approach to Protecting Half the Terrestrial Realm, BioScience, Volume 67, Issue 6, June 2017, Pages 534–545; Supplemental material 2 table S1b.

Madeira

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