Mediterranean Trees at a Crossroads: Diversity, Threats, and the Future of Conservation

Algerian Nuthatch

10-02-2025

Immediately, the weakest of the Kingfishers shot like an arrow from the tree branch, diving straight into the deep pot of boiling water, down to the bottom, and grabbed a cooked fish, bringing it back to the branch—right in front of the astonished and horrified Bulbuls, who were witnessing this terrifying scene. So frightened were they that from that day on, the Bulbul family sprouted feather crests on the tops of their heads, a lasting mark of their extreme fear, their feathers permanently standing on end. Now, even hair gel couldn’t flatten them. Ever since then, the Bulbul family no longer dared to live near the Kingfishers.

In “Legendary Kungfu”; Wild Wise Weird [1]

Cydonia oblonga. © Oregon State University

The Mediterranean region, stretching across North Africa, Western Asia, and Southern Europe, is a global biodiversity hotspot [2,3]. Yet, until now, there has been no comprehensive inventory of its native trees. A new study by Fady and colleagues [4] fills this gap, cataloguing 496 species and 147 subspecies from 50 families and 111 genera across 39 botanical territories. This monumental effort reveals both the richness of Mediterranean forests and the urgent challenges they face.

The study found that tree diversity in the Mediterranean is highly uneven. A handful of families, such as Rosaceae and Fagaceae, contain most of the species, while nearly half of the families are represented by only one or two species. Endemism—the presence of species found nowhere else—is particularly high in countries like Iran and Türkiye, but many of these unique trees face elevated risks of extinction.

Alarmingly, almost half of Mediterranean trees lack sufficient extinction risk assessments, and two-thirds have no published data on genetic diversity. This means that many species may be disappearing without us even knowing how vulnerable they are or how they could adapt to climate change.

Trees are more than just part of the scenery; they form the backbone of ecosystems, supporting wildlife, stabilizing soils, and regulating water cycles. Mediterranean species, adapted to hot, dry summers and rugged landscapes, hold lessons for resilience in the face of climate change [5,6]. Losing them would mean losing not just biodiversity, but also valuable genetic resources and knowledge for future forestry, agriculture, and medicine. Thus, it is critical for stronger collaboration across Mediterranean countries to close knowledge gaps, expand genetic studies, and prioritize conservation of both widespread and localized species.

Given the deep interdependence between human well-being and ecological health, a high ecological intelligence is essential to guide societies toward wiser stewardship [7]. Protecting endemic trees is not only about conserving nature for its own sake but also about preserving cultural heritage, sustaining local livelihoods, and ensuring ecological stability for generations to come. By raising our NQ and valuing trees as living guardians, societies can foster an eco-surplus culture—one that conserves and regenerates rather than depletes [8].

References

[1] Vuong QH. (2024). Wild Wise Weird. https://books.google.com/books?id=N10jEQAAQBAJ

[2] Myers N, et al. (2000). Biodiversity hotspots for conservation priorities. Nature, 403, 853-858. https://doi.org/10.1038/35002501

[3] Aurelle D, et al. (2022). Biodiversity, climate change, and adaptation in the Mediterranean. Ecosphere, 13, e3915. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.3915 

[4] Fady B, et al. (2025). Native trees of the Mediterranean region: Distribution, diversity and conservation Challenges. Current Forestry Reports, 11, 20. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40725-025-00252-w

[5] Aurelle D, et al. (2022). Biodiversity, climate change, and adaptation in the Mediterranean. Ecosphere, 13, e3915. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.3915

[6] Leites L, Benito Garzón M. (2023). Forest tree species adaptation to climate across biomes: Building on the legacy of ecological genetics to anticipate responses to climate change. Global Change Biology, 29, 4711-4730. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.16711

[7] Vuong QH, Nguyen MH. (2025). On Nature Quotient. Pacific Conservation Biology, 31, PC25028. https://doi.org/10.1071/PC25028

[8] Nguyen MH. (2024). How can satirical fables offer us a vision for sustainability? Visions for Sustainability, 23(11267), 323-328. https://doi.org/10.13135/2384-8677/11267