LEGUMES IN THE FIRE-PRONE MEDITERRANEAN REGIONS - AN EXAMPLE FROM GREECE

Mediterranean climate ecosystems of the Mediterranean rim are rich in legumes, both as woody shrubs of the late successional stages and as s hort-lived, pioneer herbaceous plants. In a survey of the floras of nu merous geographic regions of Greece, legumes in Mediterranean parts ar e found to contribute considerably more (11-16% of the total number of species) than in non-Mediterranean regions (6-8%). Legume presence is also notable in other Mediterranean-type ecosystems of the world; nev ertheless most leguminous taxa of the Mediterranean basin are herbs in contrast to a significant contribution of shrubs in California and Ch ile. Due to their long-lived soil banks of hard coated seeds herbaceou s legumes are usually among the early post-fire colonizers in the Medi terranean and may play a significant role in the succession of fire-pr one communities.