Mediterranean soil

The term "Mediterranean soil" refers to soils found in regions with a Mediterranean climate. This climate is characterized by mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers.1

In the maritime areas of the Asiatic Mediterranean, such as Anatolia and the Levant, soils are predominantly brown. These soils accumulate iron due to intense chemical weathering during wet winters and upward soil solution flow in dry summers. They are often found under xerophytic vegetation like maquis and shiblyak. In the West Asian semidesert highlands, soils transitional between brown soils and sierozems are common, associated with low-growing, thorny vegetation.2

Soil formation is influenced by climate, topography, hydrology, organisms, and time. In Mediterranean regions, the distinct wet and dry seasons significantly impact soil properties, particularly through water availability and chemical weathering processes.31