Over a quarter of the 1,992 vascular plant species found on the Canary Islands are endemic to these islands. The Canary Islands support a high number of endemic taxa. Canarian endemic pine forests are found almost at sea level in southern areas but in the north, are found from 1,200 to 2,400 m in elevation.Ĭanary Island date palm. Endemic Macronesian heaths grow from 500 to 1,700 m. Some 20 million years ago, this evergreen forest covered large areas of the world. Humid and shady laurisilva forest grows between 500 and 1,400 m in elevation, with some species reaching more than 20 m in height. Precipitation in coastal zones is between 100 and 350 mm per year, increasing to 650 mm per year at higher elevations and at elevations above 600 m, annual rainfall is approximately 400 mm. This is caused by several factors such as elevation and orientation, but particularly due to the influence of northeast to southwest sea winds, called alisios. The Canaries show a wide range of different microclimates. This ecoregion includes the five western islands: La Palma, Hierro, Gomera, Tenerife, and Gran Canaria. The Canary Archipelago is a group of volcanic islands and rock islets located in the Atlantic Ocean, 115 km from the northwest coast of Africa. The flagship species of the Canary Islands Dry Woodlands and Forests ecoregion is the Canary Islands chiffchaff. For example, the La Gomera Giant Lizard lives only on the Island of La Gomera, on one hectare of inaccessible cliff edge. Many reptile and bird species or sub-species are found exclusively on one island due to years of isolation allowing evolutionary adaption to occur. Today, smaller relatives of these reptiles can be found in cliffs and crevices of islands, like El Hierro, La Gomera, and Tenerife. Giant lizards (near 150 cm long), now extinct, once roamed these islands. From laurel forests to giant lizards, the biodiversity of these unique volcanic islands is endemic, unusual and relict. Despite its small size, the Canary Island Archipelago is one of the world’s most biodiverse parts of the temperate regions.
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