Iberian conifer forests
| Iberian conifer forests | |
|---|---|
| Conservation | |
| Conservation status | critical/endangered |
| Protected | 15,229 km2 (44%)[1] |
The Iberian conifer forests is a Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub ecoregion in southwestern Europe. It includes the mountain forests of southern and central Spain.
The ecoregion has montane Mediterranean climate. Rainfall averages 1,100 mm annually, and can exceed 1,500 mm in some high-altitude areas. Below-freezing temperatures and snow are common in the winter months.[2]
Geography
The ecoregion covers higher elevations in several disconnected ranges in southern and central Spain.
The
The Sierra de Castril lies northeast of the Sierra de Baza, between the Andalucian and Iberian mountains.
The ecoregion covers the southern ranges of the Sistema Ibérico, including the Sierra de Gúdar, Sierra de Albarracín, and Sierra de Javalambre. It also includes the Sierra de Guadarrama, the eastern portion of the Sistema Central.
Flora
Pine forests are the characteristic plant community, with
Mixed forests of pines and broadleaf trees grow at middle to lower elevations in areas with deeper soils and higher humidity. Broadleaf trees include
Evergreen oaks, chiefly
Fauna
Spanish red deer (Cervus elaphus hispanicus) and roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) are widespread.[4] The Western Spanish ibex (Capra pyrenaica victoriae), a threatened subspecies of goat, was reintroduced to Sierra de Guadarrama National Park in 1991 from the Gredos Mountains further west, and has increased in numbers since.[5]
The Iberian wolf (Canis lupus signatus) lives in limited numbers in the northern ranges. An isolated southern population in the Sierra Morena dwindled in numbers and interbred with dogs, and may now be extinct.[6]
Protected areas
952 km2, or 35%, of the ecoregion is in protected areas.[7]
Protected areas include
External links
- "Iberian conifer forests". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund.
References
- ^ Eric Dinerstein, David Olson, et al. (2017). An Ecoregion-Based Approach to Protecting Half the Terrestrial Realm, BioScience, Volume 67, Issue 6, June 2017, Pages 534–545; Supplemental material 2 table S1b. [1]
- ^ "Iberian conifer forests". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund.
- ^ "Iberian conifer forests". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund.
- ^ "Iberian conifer forests". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund.
- ^ Refoyo, Pablo, Cristina Olmedo, Ignacio Polo, Paulino Fandos and Benito Muñoz (2015). "Demographic trends of a reintroduced Iberian ibex Capra pyrenaica victoriae population in central Spain". Mammalia 2015; 79(2): 139–145
- PMID 30074659.
- ^ Eric Dinerstein, David Olson, et al. (2017). An Ecoregion-Based Approach to Protecting Half the Terrestrial Realm, BioScience, Volume 67, Issue 6, June 2017, Pages 534–545; Supplemental material 2 table S1b. [2]