PROTECTED SPACES

PICOS DE EUROPA

The Picos de Europa National Park is located in the Cantabrian Mountains, between the provinces of Asturias, León and Cantabria.
The Picos de Europa ("Peaks of Europe", also the Picos) are a mountain range extending for about 20 km, forming part of the Cantabrian Mountains in northern Spain. The range is situated in the Autonomous Communities of Asturias, Cantabria and Castile and León. The highest peak is Torre de Cerredo, at an elevation of 2650 m.

Plant Life
Large rocky areas, virtually devoid of vegetation, are the dominant feature in the landscape of the Picos de Europa, especially above 1,500 metres. At lower altitudes, shrubs and grassland are interspersed with remnants of wooded vegetation. In areas with ​​ potential for forestry, the predominant types of wood are beech, pedunculate oak, mixed forest and holm oak. Linden trees offer up their medicinal flower to the residents of Caín and varieties of flowers that blossom under extreme conditions bring colour to the hidden trails of the peaks.

The characteristics of the Picos de Europa correspond to those of high mountain climates, with temperatures ranging around 8°C at mid-mountain and below 0°C in the peaks, where precipitation increases and there is heavy snowfall, mainly in winter.

Wildlife
A great variety of different landscapes come together in this setting which are home to a peculiar animal kingdom of singular importance in the whole of the Iberian Peninsula.

It is common to observe the flight of the golden eagle dominating the mountain; vultures and owls nesting on the steep walls of the mountains; capercaillie in wooded areas and mallards fishing in the Lakes of Covadonga, alongside the coots in Lake Ercina and the alpine choughs that find food under the protection of visitors.

Going deeper into the crags of the high mountains, it is easy to come across unkempt chamois who shed their coat in spring until turning a deep reddish brown. The deer, an emblematic animal of these forests, coexist alongside the partridge and wild boar.

The rivers that cut through the Picos de Europa vibrate with the unruly presence of otters, trout, salmon, alpine newts and the Seoane viper.

Large populations of bats live in the numerous limestone caves and a great number of owls awaiting dusk to go hunting are easily distinguished in the abandoned high mountain pastures.

More information:


DOÑANA

Doñana Natural Area is considered one of the most important natural protected areas in Europe. A key crossroads for migratory bird routes between Africa and Europe, it is also the last refuge for many endangered species.

The spectacular landscape of its flat plains is shaped by two primary ecosystems: pine forests and Mediterranean shrubs that grow in mostly sandy soil, and vast clay-lined marshes, subject to a highly seasonal water cycle.

County Doñana is located in the south-west of the Iberian Peninsula between the mouths of the rivers Tinto and Guadalquivir. Its southern tip is shaped by extensive untouched beaches washed by the Atlantic Ocean. The territory is home to fourteen municipalities in the provinces of Huelva, Seville and Cadiz.

Over 100,000 hectares of the County are protected as a National Park and a Nature Park. Another attraction is the village of El Rocío, which sits right next to the National Park and serves as its gateway.

The National Park is the most important protected area within Doñana Nature Area. Since time immemorial, these lands were famous for their natural wealth. Formerly popular with the Royal family and aristocracy as hunting grounds, the need to protect the area was not explored seriously until the 1960s, based on a number of scientific studies.

The National Park was created in 1969, and later expanded in 1978. Designated a World Heritage Site, among many other recognitions, it is now regarded a treasured natural gem. With over 100,000 hectares of protected land, Doñana is a global hotspot for the survival of many species.

Doñana is unquestionably the natural space with the highest biodiversity in Europe, in particular bird species, which are the most important and numerous. Over 300 bird species inhabit this territory, of which nearly 130 breed here. Given that most are waterfowl, their preferred habitat is the extensive marshes in the Park. There are also 37 mammal species, including the Iberian lynx, 21 reptile species, 11 amphibian species and 20 freshwater fish species. Neither can we forget the thousands of invertebrate species (insects, annelids, arachnids, etc.) that inhabit the Park, many of which have yet to be classified.

More information:


CABAÑEROS

Main attractions.
Cabañeros is much more than a national park: is an unique place in the world because the great Mediterranean forest of Europe survives here, where visitors can still see themselves surrounded by the most threatened Iberian fauna, and see fossils with more than 500 million years old. Its exceptional conservation allows visitors to enjoy the great Iberian natural reserve.

What we’ll see.
In its landscape of mounds and open forest, large mammals live, such as the Spanish ibex, the Spanish imperial eagle and the cinereous vulture, in addition to the red deer. Its more than 1,000 plant species, its Ordovician fossils and the cabins of coal miners (carboneros), which give name to the park, are only a small part of its appeal.

Access.
Cabañeros National Park is in the northwest of the province of Ciudad Real, occupying an area of the southwest of the province of Toledo. The road that goes until the park entrance is CM-4017. From Toledo, it can be taken after the road CM-4013 and from Ciudad Real, it's the turnoff after the road CM-403.

Most suitable visit time. What to take.
It is essential to organise your journey from one of the visitors centres.  Any season is suitable to visit Cabañeros, with dry and hot summer, and cold and wet winters. It is an ideal place to visit with children, and whoever that wishes to be in touch with Nature.
News bulletin of Cabañeros National Park. 

More information:


ACTIVITY

You have to search information about your protected space and aswer the following quiestions:

1. Where is located?

2. What is the date os declaration national park or natural reserve?

3. General information about it.

4. What kind of animals live in that area?

5. Find something curious about that space.

Comentarios

  1. Casino Nightlife Map & Directions - Las Vegas, NV
    Casino Nightlife Map and Directions. Casino 화성 출장샵 Nightlife is located on the 강릉 출장샵 south side 수원 출장마사지 of the Las Vegas Strip and the center of 김해 출장샵 the 안양 출장샵 Las Vegas Strip.

    ResponderEliminar

Publicar un comentario

Entradas populares de este blog