brown bear vs Cilician Fir

Ursus arctos compared with Abies cilicica

Key Differences

  • brown bear is Extinct while Cilician Fir is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank brown bear Cilician Fir
Kingdom Animalia (Animals) Plantae (Plants)
Phylum Chordata (Chordates) Coniferophyta (Conifers)
Class Mammalia (Mammals) Pinopsida (Conifers)
Order Carnivora (Carnivorans) Pinales (Pines & Allies)
Family Ursidae (Bears) Pinaceae (Pine Family)
Genus Ursus (Bears) Abies
Species Ursus arctos Abies cilicica

Conservation Status

brown bear

EX — Extinct

Population: ~200.0K

Trend: Stable →

Cilician Fir

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute brown bear Cilician Fir
Diet Omnivore —
Average Lifespan 25 years —
Average Length 2.0 m —
Average Weight 300.0 kg —

Habitat & Geographic Range

brown bear

Habitat

Typically found in a wide range of habitat types.

Range

Found across Europe (6 countries).

Cilician Fir

Habitat

Typically found in temperate and boreal forests, often at higher elevations.

Range

Found in Sweden. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

brown bear

The world's most widely distributed bear species, brown bears range from North America and Europe across Russia to Japan, occupying forests, tundra, and alpine meadows. Adults can weigh up to 700 kg in coastal Alaskan populations. Omnivores that consume berries, roots, fish, and carrion, brown bears are a keystone species that distribute nutrients across landscapes. Most populations are stable, though some subspecies are threatened.

Cilician Fir

Cilician fir (Abies cilicica) is a large conifer in the family Pinaceae, native to the Taurus and Anti-Taurus mountains of southern Turkey and the mountain ranges of Lebanon and Syria, including Mount Lebanon and the Ansariyah range. It grows at elevations between approximately 1,000 and 2,400 meters in cool, moist montane forests, often forming pure stands or mixing with cedar of Lebanon (Cedrus libani), oriental beech (Fagus orientalis), and other conifers. Trees can reach 30 meters in height with a conical crown and upswept branches bearing glossy, dark green needles. The species is classified as Near Threatened by the IUCN, reflecting ongoing habitat pressures including deforestation, overgrazing, charcoal production, and the long-term effects of climate change reducing precipitation in the eastern Mediterranean. Populations in Syria and Lebanon have been severely reduced by historical forest clearance and remain highly fragmented. Turkish populations in the Taurus and Anti-Taurus are more extensive and partly protected within national parks and forest reserves. Cilician fir forests provide critical watershed protection, biodiversity habitat, and climate regulation services in a region facing intensifying water stress. Reforestation efforts using native seed sources and protection of remaining natural stands are priority conservation actions. The species is occasionally cultivated as an ornamental in European gardens.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 1 countries:

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