Mediterranean terrestrial ecosystems: research priorities on global change effects

Ecosystems of the Mediterranean Basin are suggested as model regions for global change research, particularly in relation to the importance of land use changes. The large body of preexisting ecological knowledge should facilitate progress on complex issues relating to interactions among multiple drivers of global change, including climate, atmospheric, land use and socio-economic changes. Four research areas appear as priorities in relation to pressing needs for prediction: (1) fire regimes and effects; (2) feedbacks from the land to the atmosphere; (3) water availability and quality; and (4) changes in ecological diversity. We summarize current knowledge and present future directions for research in these areas. While a number of the topics outlined as priorities are presently addressed by ongoing studies, some of the future challenges will lie in appropriate coordination and synthesis of that research. We suggest that this structuring effort could serve as an example to be applied in other MTEs and across MTEs.