The Crete Mediterranean forests is a terrestrial ecoregion that encompasses Greek the island of Crete. The island has a Mediterranean climate, and is in the Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub biome found in the lands in and around the Mediterranean Sea. Crete's diverse habitats, from shrublands to forests, sustain 1600 species of plants, including dozens of endemic species. The island was once characterized by forests, but centuries of human habitation have transformed the landscape, converting much of the original forest into shrublands, woodlands, fields, orchards, and pastures.