The life and development of living organisms on Earth take place in biomes. Mediterranean Basin, also known as the Mediterranean woodlands and scrub biome, is one of the largest world’s biomes currently characterized by severe biodiversity issues and the presence of numerous endangered species.
Biodiversity as such can be defined as “the wide variety of plant and animal species found on the planet” In the Mediterranean Basin, the biodiversity situation is rather problematic as more than 30 species of birds, animals, and plants are under the threat of extinction in this area. This fact makes it natural that the Mediterranean Basin is referred to as a hotspot, i.e., the territory where the bulk of the endemic species of plants and animals are either endangered or threatened or extinct. This fact attracts considerable public attention and makes the processes of preservation and nature conservation of prominent importance for the environmentalists of the Mediterranean Basin.
The major animal species that are currently considered endangered in the Mediterranean Basin include such representatives of the local fauna as Salamander, Sardinian Mountain Newt, North African Fire Salamander, Luschan’s Salamander, Pelobates Frog, Azores Bullfinch, Spanish Imperial Eagle, Azores Noctule, Lilford’s Wall Lizard, and many other species. The reasons for the above species being endangered or even extinct include the introduction of other animal species that cannot co-exist with the endemic Mediterranean species and the human activity, which is rather extensive in the area.
Thus, the Mediterranean Basin is a biome with a considerable number of biodiversity issues, which make the area one of the hotspots for the task of biodiversity protection. However, even though over 30 species are endangered in the biome, considerable environmentalist measures are taken to save the species in question, and the first step towards this purpose is the public attention to the issue and its overall media coverage. When one knows the problem, it becomes easier to solve it, and this gives hope for saving the endangered species of the Mediterranean Basin.