ABSTRACT
Vegetation is the landscape feature that most characterizes the Mediterranean. It may be described in terms of a strict hierarchical classification of ever-larger spatial units, for example, the divisions developed by the French ecologist Braun-Blanquet (1932: see Box 4.1), in terms of how the plant behaves in response to the controlling factors, or by the functional types, or in terms of its floral content by species, families, etc. Vegetation and flowers are not the same thing. Anyone interested in Mediterranean flowers should refer to a field guide or flora – several English language ones are listed in the further reading at the end of the chapter. Box 4.2 gives the vegetation terms used in this book.
