Plant Evolution in the Mediterranean

Abstract This book integrates a diverse and scattered literature to produce a synthetic account of plant evolutionary ecology. The central theme is differentiation, both among and within species, in the contemporary flora of the Mediterranean basin. This theme is developed by linking population processes to species evolution, and by examining the variation and evolution of ecological function in the context of spatial habitat variation and regional history. The Mediterranean is a region with a complex geological and climatic history, and a highly heterogeneous landscape in which human activities have greatly modified local conditions and the spatial configuration of habitats. This book explores the…