Northern Cyprus hosts
over 1600 plant specia of which 22 are endemic, 350
species of birds, of which 7 are endemic, and 26
different species of reptile and amphibia.
The two
main reasons for this amazing diversity are, firstly,
that Cyprus was not affected by the last ice-age (which
wiped out many species from areas further north), and
secondly, that Cyprus forms a resting and nesting
station for birds migrating between Africa and Eastern
Europe.
TRNC has an intense Mediterranean climate with the
typical seasonal rhythms strongly marked in respect of
temperature, rainfall and weather generally. Hot, dry
summers from mid-May to mid-October and rainy, rather
changeable winters from mid-November to mid-March are
separated by short autumn and spring seasons of rapid
change in weather conditions. The long narrow Besparmak
mountain range, play an important part in the
meteorology of TRNC. The predominantly clear skies and
extensive sunshine give large seasonal and daily
differences between temperatures of the sea and the
interior of the island which also cause considerable
local effects especially near the coast.At Latitude 35
degrees north and Longitude 33 degrees east, TRNC has a
change in day-length from 9.8 hours in December to 14.5
hours in June. In summer the TRNC is mainly under the
influence of a shallow trough of low pressure extending
from the great continental depression centered over
southwest Asia. It is a season of high temperatures with
almost cloudless skies. Rainfall is negligible but
isolated thunderstorms sometimes occur giving rainfall
amounting to less than 5% of the total in the average
year. In winter, TRNC is near the track of fairly
frequent small depressions which cross the Mediterranean
Sea from west to east between the continental
anti-cyclone of Eurasia and the generally low pressure
belt of North Africa. These depressions give periods of
disturbed weather usually lasting for a day or so and
produce most of the annual precipitation, the average
amount from December to February being nearly two thirds
of the year`s total.
Streams in
Cyprus
There are not flowing streams on the island.
The rivers used to flow both in winter
and summer. But now they flow only in
rainy winters. Kanlidere and Yayla are
the two important streams in TRNC.
Natural Vegetation
Vegetation is surprisingly variable an
psentiful although Cyprus is a small island.
Some parts of the island are ithout vegetation
whereas some are covered with forests.
The main reasons are the climate, altitude,
soils etc. on mountainous areas where
the rate of the rainfall is high and the
temperature is cooler, the vegatation
is sirch. However, in the plains the vegetation
is poor, as the rate of rainfall is low
and the temperatures too highNatural vegatation
of Cyprus can be divided into four groups:
1. Forests large areas of Troodos Mountains
and Borthern slopes of Besparmak Mountains(before
the 1995 forest fire) were covered with
forests. The most common tree is Aleppo
pine(Pinus halepensis brutia) followed
by Troodos pine(pinus nigra), cedar trees,
cypress trees and Cyprus oak (Laca- quercus
alnifolia). Aleppo pine covers 90% of
the forests in Cyprus. About 17% of the
whole island is being classified as woodland.
Where the forest has been destroyed, tall
shrub communities of arbutus and rachne,
pistacia terebinthus, olea europea, quercus
coccifera and styrax officinalis may survive,
but such maquis is uncommon. Over most
of the island untilled ground bears a
grazed covering of garigue, largely composed
of low bushes of cistus, genista sphacelata
calycotoime villosa, lithospermum hispidulum,
phaganalon rupestre and, locally, pistacia
lentiscus. Where grazing is excessive
this covering is soon reduced, and an
impoverished batha remains, consisting
principally of thymus capitatus, sarcopoterium
spinosum, and a few stunted herbs.TRNC
has a variety of natural vegetation. This
includes forests of hardwood, evergreen
and broadleaved trees such as pinus latepensis,
cedar, cypressus and oak.
2. Maquis Maquis are small evergreen trees
or shrubs. Typical examples are wild olive,
myrtle, wild carob, turpentine tree etc.
they represent a degeneration of the evergreen
forests. They are impenetrable, thorny
shrubs rising to aa height of not more
than 3 m. In TRNC between Yenierenköy
and Dipkarpaz and in the South around
Akrotiri best examples could be seen.
3.Garrigues Garrigues occur when further
degeneration occurs. They are lowgrowing,
spiny scrubs. They grow in very dry areas
where the soil is derived from limestone.
Thyme and Mazi are typical garrigues.
They are found in Southern slopes of Besparmak
and Troodos mooountains.
4. Steppes This type of vegetation grows
basically in Mesarya plain where seasonal
variations in temperature and low rainfall
is common. Trees are rare, and the landscape
is one off various species of grasses
and bulbous plants. Following the rains
in winter the growth starts, but lasts
only 2-3 months. In summer and autumn
only hardy bushes and thorny plants shows
signs of life. Gonnara and Catrez are
typical examples.
Birds and
Animals
TRNC has been endowed with a rich fauna
including a large number of endemic birds,
reptiles and animals. Because of its position,
TRNC is also a vital stop-over for thousands
of migratory birds which find the island
an ideal place for both feeding and refuge.
Among the animals the moufflon occupies
an outstanding position and is considered
as one of the natural treasures of the
island. The moufflon belongs to the sheep
family but this species is unique in the
world. This animal has long been in danger
of extinction, but today is a fully protected
species.
Environmental
Issues
Water resource problems: no natural reservoir
catchments, seasonal disparity in rainfall,
sea water intrusion to island`s largest
aquifer, increased salination in the northern
(TRNC) part.
Rainfall
The narrow ridge of the Besparmak range,
stretching 100 miles from east to west
along the extreme north of the island,
produces a relatively small increase of
rainfall to nearly 550 millimetres along
its ridge at about 1,000 metres. The average
annual rainfall is about 500 millimetres
but it was as low as 213 millimetres in
1972/73 and as high as 800 millimetres
in 1968/69. Statistical analysis of rainfall
in Cyprus reveals a decreasing trend of
rainfall amounts in the last decades.
Snow occurs rarely in the lowlands and
on the Besparmak range.
Hail and Thunder
Hail is reported on an average two or
three times a year in the lowlands and
probably three times as frequently on
the mountains, usually between November
and May, in most districts of Cyprus.
Months most liable to have hailstorms
are December to April but can occur, although
rarely, in early summer and autumn, causing
considerable damage to fruit crops. Thunder
is rare from June to September but in
other seasons is heard on average on four
or five days per month from October to
January and two or three days per month
from February to May.
Air Temperatures
TRNC has a hot summer and mild winter
but this generalization must be modified
by consideration of altitude, which lowers
temperatures by about 5 degrees C per
1,000 metres, and of marine influences
which give cooler summers and warmer winters
near most of the coastline and especially
on the west coast.The seasonal difference
between mid-summer and mid-winter temperatures
is quite large at 18 degrees C in the
inland areas and about 14 degrees C on
the coasts. Differences between day maximum
and night minimum temperatures are also
quite large especially in the inland areas
in summer. These differences are in winter
8 degrees C to 10 degrees C on the lowlands
and 5 degrees C to 6 degrees C on the
mountains increasing in summer to 16 degrees
C in the central plain and 9 degrees C
to 12 degrees C elsewhere.In July and
August the mean daily temperature ranges
between 29 degrees C on the central plain
and 24 degrees C on the costal range,
while the average maximum temperature
for these months ranges between 36 degrees
C and 31 degrees C respectively. In January
the mean daily temperature is 10 degrees
C on the central plain and 12 degrees
C on the costal range with an average
minimum temperature of 5 degrees C and
9 degrees C respectively. Frosts are rarely
severe but are frequent in winter and
spring inland and sometimes affect the
economically important production of early
vegetable crops and main citrus.
Sea Temperatures
In the open sea, temperatures rise to
27 degrees C in August and are above 22
degrees C during the six months from June
to November. During the three coolest
months, January to March, average sea
temperature falls only to 16 degrees C
or 17 degrees C. Near all coasts, in water
three or four metres deep, temperatures
are very similar to those of the open
sea and lie within the range 15 degrees
C to 17 degrees C in February and 23 degrees
C to 28 degrees C in August.There is no
significant daily change of sea water
temperature except on the coast in very
shallow waters of less than one metre
depth.
Soil Temperatures
Seasonal change in mean soil temperatures
is from about 10 degrees C in January
to 33 degrees C in July at 10 centimetres
depth and from 14 degrees C to 28 degrees
C at one metre. Absorption of large amounts
of solar energy during the day and high
radiation losses with clear skies at night
cause a wide daily range of soil temperatures
in summer. At the soil surface the daily
variation on a typical July day in the
lowlands is between 15 degrees C near
dawn to about 60 degrees C in mid afternoon.
At only 5 centimetres depth the variation
is reduced to between 24 degrees C and
42 degrees C and at 50 centimetres depth
there is no daily temperature change.
Relative Humidity
of the Air
Elevation above mean sea level and distance
from the coast have considerable effects
on the relative humidity which to a large
extent are a reflection of temperature
differences. Humidity may be described
as average or slightly low at 65% to 95%
during winter days and at night throughout
the year. Near midday in summer it is
very low with values on the central plain
usually a little over 30% and occasionally
as low as 15%. Fog is infrequent and usually
confined to the early mornings but there
are longer periods in the mountains in
winter when cloud often envelopes the
highest peaks. Visibility is generally
very good or excellent but on a few days
each spring the atmosphere is very hazy
with dust brought from the Arabian and
African deserts.
Sunshine
All parts of TRNC enjoy a very sunny climate.
In the central plain and eastern lowlands
the average number of hours of bright
sunshine for the whole year is 75% of
the time that the sun is above the horizon.
Over the whole six summer months there
is an average of 11.5 hours of bright
sunshine per day whilst in winter this
is reduced only to 5.5 hours in the cloudiest
months, December and January. Even on
the mountains the cloudiest winter months
have an average of nearly 4 hours of bright
sunshine per day and in June and July
the figure reaches 11 hours.
Winds
Over the eastern Mediterranean generally
surface winds are mostly westerly or southwesterly
in winter and northwesterly or northerly
in summer. Usually of light or moderate
strength, rarely reaching of that of gale
force.Over the island of Cyprus winds
are quite variable in direction with orography
and local heating effects playing a large
part in the determination of local wind
direction and strength. Differences of
temperature between sea and land which
are built up daily in predominant periods
of clear skies in summer cause considerable
sea and land breezes. Whilst these are
most marked near the coasts they regularly
penetrate far inland in summer reaching
the capital, Lefkosa and often bringing
a welcome reduction of temperature and
also an increase in humidity.
Gales are infrequent over TRNC but may
occur especially on exposed coasts with
winter depressions. Small whirlwinds are
common in summer appearing mostly near
midday as "dust devils" on the hot dry
central plain. Very rarely vortices, approaching
a diameter of 100 metres or so and with
the characteristics of water spouts at
sea and of small tornadoes on land, occur
in thundery weather. Localised damage
caused by these has been reported on a
few occasions but in general Cyprus suffers
relatively little wind damage
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