"Mediterranean forests have played a crucial role in the rise of some of the oldest civilisations. Environmental impacts from ancient times are still visible but are overshadowed by massive development of the past 200 years. The last 4 decades in particular have seen rapid degradation.

In European countries, forest degradation is mainly the result of urban development and coastal and high mountain tourism. In the Southern Mediterranean countries, forests are under pressure from competition for agricultural land, firewood collection, overgrazing, wildlife hunting and unsustainable plant harvesting.
Apart from this, between 600,000 and 800,000 ha of Mediterranean forest burns every year (an area about the size of Crete or Corsica), and 95% of these fires are caused by arson or negligence.

About 300,000 km2 of land in the European coastal zone of the Mediterranean is undergoing desertification, affecting the livelihoods of 16.5 million people.

Chronic water deficit is another critical issue related mainly to soil degradation and overexploitation of water resources".
coutesy........
http://www.panda.org/about_wwf/where_we_work/mediterranean/about/forests/index.cfm