Apennine deciduous montane forests

Apennine deciduous montane forests
Mixed forest (Abies alba and Fagus sylvatica) in Cimone Mountain, northern Apennines
Location of the Apennine deciduous montane forests
Ecology
RealmPalearctic
Biometemperate broadleaf and mixed forests
BordersItalian sclerophyllous and semi-deciduous forests
Geography
Area16,147 km2 (6,234 sq mi)
CountryItaly
Conservation
Conservation statusCritical/endangered[1]
Global 200European-Mediterranean montane mixed forest
Protected7,403 km2 (46%)[2]

The Apennine deciduous montane forests are a temperate broadleaf and mixed forests ecoregion in the Apennine Mountains of Italy. The development of these forests is ensured by the high rainfall in the Apennines (from 1000 mm in the southern mountains to 2500 mm in the north), combined with a temperate-cool climate. Because of climate change, the presence of silver fir (Abies alba), although still widespread, has been dramatically reduced in favour of beech.

  1. ^ "Apennine deciduous montane forests". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund.
  2. ^ 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. [1]