Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 5.9. Mediteranian subtropic or temperate landscape (photo E. Dahlquist).
best timber for building ships. Castanea sativa (Miller) or kastania in Greek is a tree with edible
fruits, and are found especially in the mountain areas of northern Greece. Quercus coccifera or
kermes is also relatively common in southern Europe. It is a good source for tannin, which is used
as a dyeing substance. The insect Coccus ilicis , which gives a red color dye, is often found under
these trees. Juglans regia or walnut is another tree with edible nuts. It is native from south-eastern
Europe over India to China. Ficus carica , has edible fruits while the almond tree gives nuts.
Pistacia terebinthus or the turpentine tree produces turpentine and while Pistacia vera produces
pistage nuts, a very tasty nut. This tree is found also further to the east and is commonly cultivated
in e.g. Iran. The most important oil tree in southern Europe is the olive tree or Olea europea . This
gives a green oil that is used extensively in the southern European cuisine. It is supposed to be
very healthy. Nerium oleander on the other hand is very common along the roads to stabilize the
soil from erosion, but it's milky juice is poisonous.
There are also many well-known herbs growing naturally in southern Europe. On example is
wild celery or Apium graveolens . This is the origin of the popular vegetable celery we have in our
gardens. fennel ( Foeniculum vulgare ), dill ( Anethum graveolens ), French lavender ( Lavandula
stoechas ), rosemary ( Rosmarinus officinalis ), sage ( Salvia officinalis ), wild thyme ( Thymus ser-
pyllum ), oregano ( Origanum heracleoticum ), mint ( Mentha viridis ) are other popular vegetables
or spices found wild in Greece and other south European countries (Niebuhr, 1970).
In the Alps, the climate is harsher or more similar to the climate in northern Europe, due
to higher elevations. This causes more snow wintertime normally, but during the last decades,
warmer climate is giving higher average temperatures in many mountainous areas. Glaciers are
withdrawing due to this. This is also the case in the Andes in SouthAmerica, where among others
a roughly 6000 meter high mountain close to El Alto previously had downhill skiing. Today the
lift is closed, as there is too little snow!
Still, we see higher mountains in the Alps compared to north and south of the Alps and thus
see much higher difference in climate between areas quite close to each other, but at different
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