The volcanic and oceanic nature of the Canary Islands, its rich plant biodiversity and high rate of endemism, as well as the relict character of some of its plant communities make it a territory of great biological interest.

The main geographic, climatic, bioclimatic, biogeographic and floristic features of the Islands are shown and related to the distributional pattern of potential communities along an altitudinal gradient. Current vegetation units and their ecology are described and illustrated with numerous pictures. Potential vegetation units are summarized and comprehensive maps of the potential natural vegetation for each island are given.

Human impact on the natural landscape, the occurrence of invasive plants, and the probable impact of climate change on the flora and vegetation are discussed. The conservation status of flora and vegetation are assessed.

Four appendixes include a syntaxonomical scheme, a brief history of botanical studies and explorations in the Islands, ethnobotanical notes, and a list of selected literature.

Describes and richly illustrates the plant communities of the Canary Islands for an international audience Discusses the plant communities in a coherent biogeographical and bioclimatic framework of the Canary-Madeiran subregion within the Mediterranean macrobioclimatic Region Emphasizes the floristic and phytocenotic variety of the islands which are a biodiversity hot-spot Constitutes a didactic manual that presently does not exist in the market

Klappentext
This book describes the vegetation of the Canary Islands for students and scholars of nature. It shows the great floristic and vegetation biodiversity of these Islands as related to their geology and bioclimatology and emphasizes that the Islands constitute natural laboratories for studies on their flora, vegetation, plant evolution and ecology.

Chapters on geography, climate and bioclimate provide the physical framework for characterizing the plant communities, according to a world bioclimatic classification, and relate them in their corresponding bioclimatic belts within the Mediterranean macrobioclimate. The biogeography chapter covers the plant colonization of the archipelago in a variable geological and paleo-climatic framework, since the first emergence of the archipelago and its surroundings. The possible vectors of colonization and the main sources of the flora are pointed out. The Canarian-Madeiran Subregion of the Mediterranean Region is characterized in terms of itsgeographic, bioclimatic, floristic and vegetation features. Its plant biodiversity and endemism are highlighted.

The book's main focus is on the vegetation of the Islands: a general description of the main potential communities along an altitudinal transect is followed by descriptions of the current vegetation units. Details are given on the most representative endemic potential natural communities and illustrated by photographs, diagrams and illustrative maps of the potential natural vegetation of each Island. The book also assesses anthropogenic effects on the natural landscape, the role of invasive plants and the expected impact of climate change on flora and vegetation. The conservation status of the flora and vegetation of the Islands is evaluated. Four appendixes, including a syntaxonomical scheme, a brief history of botanical studies and explorations, ethnobotanical notes and a selected listing of literature complete the book.

Inhalt

Introduction .- 2. Geographic framework.- 3. Climate.- 4. Bioclimate.- 5. Biogeography.- 6. Other Floristic Considerations.- 7. Vegetation of the Canary Islands.- 8. Change in the Natural Landscape through Human Influence.- 9. Conservation Status of Flora and Vegetation.- Appendices.- Index.