Cyprus vegetation

Cyprus lies at the easternmost end of the Mediterranean basin. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean (after Sicily and Sardinia) and it covers an area of 9251 km². The climate of Cyprus is typically Mediterranean, with relatively short, mild and humid winters and prolonged, hot, dry summers.

The average annual precipitation is about 480 mm and varies from 300 mm on the central plain up to 1100 mm at the highest peaks of the Troodos range. Snowfall is usually restricted to altitudes above 1000 m high (Chionistra peak-1952 m).

Cyprus is considered as a biodiversity hotspot due to its geological structure, climatic conditions, geographic location (isolated island), the topographical configuration, as well as the human presence for the last 12000 years. The rich and diverse vegetation consists mainly of pine forests, sclerophyllous evergreen, high and low maquis, garigue and phrygana. Local formations are the riparian vegetation of the oriental plane and alder, the endemic cedar forest, the cypress forests and the Cyprus oak relic forests. The flora comprises 1649 indigenous taxa of Spermatophytes and Pteridophytes (species and subspecies), 254 introduced taxa occurring in the wild, 43 hybrids and 81 species with unclear status. The endemic flora consists of 141 taxa, of which 114 are species and 27 subspecies. The endemism rate at species and subspecies level is 7.13% and 8.70% of the indigenous flora, respectively. Certainly, a considerable number of plant species, both woody and herbaceous, were introduced by man from ancient times, when trade and shipping began to develop. However, the largest introduction of plants took place during the British occupation with the establishment of the Forestry Department in 1879.

In Cyprus, 42 terrestrial habitat types have been identified. A particular type of open, low matorral characterised by specialised gypsophilous communities, develops on gypsum substrate and corresponds to the priority habitat type 1520* (Annex I, Habitats Directive). This gypsophilous vegetation is confined only to a few gypsum outcrops to the southeast (around Aradippou village) and northeast (foothills of Pentadaktylos range) parts of Cyprus. Although the gypsum areas of Cyprus were thought as lacking the typical plant communities found in other parts of the Mediterranean, recent work has documented the occurrence of the gypsophiles Campanula fastigiata, Gypsophyla linearifolia (Critically Endangered) and the endemic shrub Teucrium salaminium. The floristic composition of the communities includes, except from the gypsophiles, a range of gypsovags, such as the shrubs and subshrubs Helianthemum stipulatum, Helianthemum obtusifolium, Thymbra capitata and the herbs Herniaria hemistemon (Vulnerable), Chaenorhinum rubrifolium (Endangered), Onobrychis venosa, Sedum eriocarpum subsp. porphyreum, Valantia hispida and Filago eriosphaera.