Northeastern Spain and Southern France Mediterranean forests
The Northeastern Spain and Southern France Mediterranean forests is a Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub ecoregion in southwestern Europe. It occupies the Mediterranean coastal region of northeastern Spain and Southern France, and the Balearic Islands. Geography. The ecoregion extends along the Mediterranean coastal region of northeastern Spain, including the coastal Valencian and Catalonian regions and the Balearic Islands, and the coastal Languedoc and Provence regions of southeastern France. It includes coastal plains, hills, and mountains. Climate. The ecoregion has a Mediterranean climate. The ecoregion has hot and dry summers, and mild temperate and  rainy winters. Average annual temperature ranges from 10 to 17º C. The coldest winter temperatures average 5 to 10º C. Average annual rainfall varies from 350 to 800 mm. Interior Spain to the west has a more continental Mediterranean climate with colder winters. Central France to the north has a more humid, temperate, and continental climate, with rainier summers and colder winters. Flora. The plant communities of the ecoregion are varied, and include forests, woodlands, shrublands, and grasslands. Broadleaf forests are principally of oaks, including evergreen holm oak ("Quercus ilex") and cork oak ("Quercus suber"), and deciduous oaks – "Quercus pubescens  in southern france, and Quercus faginea" in mainland Spain, together with "Quercus canariensis" in northern Catalonia's coastal mountains. Oak forests on the Balearic Islands. Mixed forests of oaks and stone pine ("Pinus pinea") grow on rocky silicaceous coastal mountain slopes. Forests of maritime pine ("Pinus pinaster") grow on sandstone-derived soils in some coastal mountains. Mixed forests of Aleppo pine ("Pinus halepensis") and holly oak ("Quercus coccifera") are found on soils derived from limestone and marl. High shrublands, known as maquis or mattoral, are common. They are composed of low trees and woody shrubs, with an understory of herbs  and grasses. Dominant maquis/matorral trees are wild olive ("Olea europaea") and carob ("Ceratonia siliqua"). Low shrubland, known as garrigue, grows on dry rocky slopes, often near the seacoast. Garrigue is characterized by low aromatic and medicinal shrubs, along with herbs and grasses. Maquis of stone pines and the shrubs "Juniperus phoenicea, Pistacia lentiscus, Myrtus communis", and "Chamaerops humilis" grow on stabilized coastal dunes. The ecoregion has wetlands, particularly in the Rhone and Ebro deltas. Freshwater and semi-saline wetlands are characterized by "Agropyron" spp., "Puccinellia" spp., and "Juncus maritimus". Saline wetlands are dominated by "Salicornia herbacea" and "Arthrocnemum fruticosum