Conclusions.

The Mediterranean Basin is often considered to be a uniform entity ecologically and culturally. However, any examination at the local level reveals one of the most diverse ecologically, politically and culturally areas in the world. The Mediterranean islands are just such examples of this diversification and complexity. The islands are truly microcosms of the larger entity of which they are part, and are in addition laboratories of biological and cultural processes in evolution. In geological time natural forces set the scene, but since the early Holocene onwards, another force majeure that of an intensifying human presence, has influenced geological, biological and climatic forces to shape the landscapes in evidence today. These natural and cultural forces operate at different temporal and spatial scales. However, disentangling the roles of the various components is almost impossible, as demonstrated by the Mediterranean Island landscapes examined in this volume. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]