What

1
Whats the climate of Cyprus?

• The climate of Cyprus is of course mediterranean.
• The characteristics of this climate are
• Mild winters
• Hot and dry summers
• Rainfall mainly during fall and winter
• 80 of the total rainfall occurs during the
  winter months
• The remaining 20 occurs during the rest of the
  year

2
The climate of Cyprus supports two types of
vegetation...

• The two typical mediterranean vegetation types
  are
• Maquis-Shrublands
• This vegetation consists of tall bushes
• Quercus alnifolia, Arbutus andrachne, Juniperus
  phoenicea
• Phrygana-garrigue-Scrublands
• This vegetation consists of low scrubs
• Thymus capitatus, Thymus integer, Zizyphus lotus,
  Nonea mucronata

3
Maquis
4
Garrigue
5
Cyprus has always been affected by droughts...

• The average annual rainfall during the past few
  years has been 470mm only!

6
Cyprus vegetation is adapted to the dry conditions

• The two most common types of vegetation are
  maquis (shrubs) and garrigue (scrubs).
• Scrubs are short bushes that are found in
  mountainous and semi-mountainous locations of low
  altitude and low rainfall.
• In order for them to survive, they have evolved
  ways of reducing transpiration and at the same
  time means of finding water.
• How do they do that?
• They are round and thick bushes
• This shape ensures less exposure to the sun and
  therefore less evaporation
• They produce ethereal oils
• They minimize transpiration from the leaves
• They have small cylindrical leaves
• The leaves have less stomata and therefore less
  transpiration takes place
• They have hairs on their leaves
• They cover the stomata minimizing transpiration
• They have deep roots
• To find water below the ground surface