Coniferous forest of the Iberian Peninsula

He Coniferous forest of the Iberian Peninsula It is an ecoregion of the paleartic ecozone, defined by WWF, which extends by much of the Iberian Peninsula, mostly by the mountains of the center and east of peninsular Spain.

Description [ To edit ]

It is an ecoregion of Mediterranean forest that occupies 34,400 square kilometers in the mountainous systems of the center and east of the peninsula: Sierra de Gredos, Sierra de Guadarrama, Picos de Urbión, Sierra de Gúdar, Serranía de Cuenca, Javalambre, Sierra de Segura, Sierra de Sierra Nevada and Sierra de Baza.

Each year, the ecoregion receives 1100 mm of rainfall, but in some particularly high areas this value can exceed 1500 mm. During winter, snowfall are frequent and minimal temperatures do not exceed a medium freezing point (-5-0 ° C). From the geological point of view, the Iberian system belongs to Alpine Orogeny, and has a very complex lithological composition. The Mesozoic Dolomites and the limestone predominate the eastern massifs; while other important substrates are formed by sets, marls and conglomerates. On the central system, crystalline metamorphic substrates prevail, especially granites, quartzites and shales. The landscape is characterized by soft reliefs and the abundance of deep cannons and other carsh areas in calcareous massifs.

The great altitudinal variety of this ecoregion makes it possible to identify two main types of forest: a coniferous area, typical of the highest areas (approximately at a height between 1200 and 2500 m), and an area of ​​mixed deciduous tree trees, present in middle altitudes and on the plain.

The dominant trees in mountain coniferous forests are the endemic Pino Salgareño ( Pinus nigra subsp salzmannii ), the wild pine ( Pinus sylvestris ) and the sea pine ( Pinus Pinaster ). Remains of a kind of pine typical of the Alps and the Pyrenees ( Pinus Uncinata ) They are present in two small areas of mountain massifs of the Eastern Peninsular Half (Sierra de Gúdar and Urbion Picos). Sabina Albar forests ( Juniperus Thurifera ) They are numerous on the highest plateaus surrounding the central and oriental limestone mountains. It is worth mentioning the only one (and threatened) species of endemic fir of the Peninsula: the pinsapo, which only grows in high areas of the Sierra de las Nieves and Sierra de Grazalema (in southern Spain).

Expipe forests predominate mixed with medium-low altitude conifers, in areas characterized by deep soils of slopes, valleys and cannons. In these middle areas, the pine pine, resine and Carrasco. They are characterized by a rich association of trees, shrubs and herbaceous species such as: Quercus faginea , Quercus Pyrenaica , Ulmus smooth , Ash angustifolia , Account for spp ., Sorbus spp. and Acer spp . Gangs hold important relict species such as Baccata Taxus , Tilia platyphyllos and People trembling . The holm oaks, ( Quercus ilex ), abound in the dry and rocky areas towards the south, in the strip of the border between the deciduous forests and the coniferous forests.

The endemism rate of this ecoregion varies between 15 and 20% in the central and Iberian system (Sierra de Gredos, Sierra de Guadarrama, Sierra de Gúdar, Sierra de Javalambre) to more than 40% of the heights of the Bética mountain range (Sierra Nevada, Sierra de Baza, Sierra de Segura), in the southeast of the country. These southeast mountains host more than 3,000 vascular plants, approximately half of the plant species throughout Spain, and represent about half of the country’s endemic plants. In addition, these mountains constitute the richest area in endemic species throughout Europe.

Ecoregion houses great fauna diversity, especially with respect to birds. More than 150 species of birds have been studied in some mountain ranges, including numerous large endangered species such as the Iberian imperial eagle ( Eagle Adalbert ), the real eagle ( Aquila chrysaetos ), the black vulture ( Aegypius monk ), the listed vulture ( Gyps yellow ), common elanio ( Elanus green ), the black stork ( White black ) and the beatee hacking ( Pushes with apivorus ).

Large in danger of extinction are represented by the endemic mountain goat of Gredos ( Capra pyrenaica victory ) and the Iberian wolf ( Dog wolf sealed ). The common deer ( A deer Elaphus ) and the roe ( Capreolus capreolus ) They are widely extended throughout the ecoregion. Among small mammals there are a lot of species, such as the Tartero Heel ( Chionomys Nivalis ).

In high mountain lakes, meadows and rocky areas there are a lot of species of amphibians and reptiles, including the Pyrenean lizard ( Iberolacerta Cyreni ), Common salamandra ( Salamandra salamandra ) and the common toad ( Bufo bufo ).

The kind of butterflies ( Lepidoptera ) It is also quite high. Some mountain massifs (for example, the Sierra de Gredos and the Sierra de Guadarrama) host more than 130 species, which represent a quarter of the total European species and half of the Spanish species.

It is one of the richest European regions in plant endemisms.

Among the mammals, the Gredos goat stands out ( Capra pyrenaica victory ).

There are also two endemic subspecies of amphibians: the toad of Gredos ( GREDOSICALLA BUFO BUFO ) and the salamandra del Almanzor ( Salamandra Salamandra almanzorensis ).

Vulnerable. The main threats are the commercial logging of forests, grazing, forest fires and the construction of ski stations, however, the conservation and repopulation actions carried out in recent decades have made important advances.

See also [ To edit ]

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