Corsica

Corsica (French: Corse; Corsican: Corsica) is the fourth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea (after Sicily, Sardinia, and Cyprus). It is located west of Italy, southeast of France, and north of the island of Sardinia.

Ecology

The island has a Mediterranean climate, with hot, dry summers and mild, rainy winters. The natural vegetation was Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and shrub. The coastal lowlands are part of the Tyrrhenian-Adriatic sclerophyllous and mixed forests ecoregion, in which forests and woodlands of evergreen sclerophyll oaks predominate, chiefly Holm Oak (Quercus robur) and Cork Oak (Quercus suber). The mountains are cooler and wetter, and home to the Corsican montane broadleaf and mixed forests ecoregion, which support diverse forests of oak, pine, and evergreen deciduous trees, with vegetation more typical of northern Europe on the highest peaks.

Related Topics:
Mediterranean climate - Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and shrub - Tyrrhenian-Adriatic sclerophyllous and mixed forests - Ecoregion - Evergreen - Sclerophyll - Oak - Holm Oak - Cork Oak - Corsican montane broadleaf and mixed forests

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Much of the coastal lowlands has been cleared for agriculture, and grazing and logging have reduced the mountain forests considerably.

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The island has a natural park (Parc Naturel Régional de Corse), which protects thousands of rare animal and plant species. The park was created in 1972 and includes the Golfe de Porto, the Réserve Naturelle de Scandola (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), and some of the highest mountains on the island. This park is protected and cannot be reached on foot, but sumptuous sails are available in order to discover unique landscapes. Two endangered subspecies of hoofed mammals, the mouflon (Ovis aries musimon) and Corsican red deer (Cervus elaphus corsicanus) inhabit the island; the Corsican red deer is endemic.

Related Topics:
Parc Naturel Régional de Corse - Golfe de Porto - Réserve Naturelle de Scandola - UNESCO - World Heritage Site - Mouflon - Corsican red deer - Endemic

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