The Madeira evergreen forests is a

laurissilva Laurel forest, also called laurisilva or laurissilva, is a type of subtropical forest found in areas with high humidity and relatively stable, mild temperatures. The forest is characterized by broadleaf tree species with evergreen, glossy and elo ...

ecoregion An ecoregion (ecological region) or ecozone (ecological zone) is an ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than a bioregion, which in turn is smaller than a biogeographic realm. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of l ...

of southwestern Europe. It covers the archipelago of

Madeira ) , anthem = ( en, "Anthem of the Autonomous Region of Madeira") , song_type = Regional anthem , image_map=EU-Portugal_with_Madeira_circled.svg , map_alt=Location of Madeira , map_caption=Location of Madeira , subdivision_type=Sovereign st ...

and some nearby islands (

Desertas The Desertas Islands ( pt, Ilhas Desertas, , "Deserted Islands") are a small archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, part of the larger Portuguese Madeira Archipelago. The archipelago is located off the coast of Morocco. Deserta Grande Island is loca ...

and Selvagens) in the Atlantic Ocean.

Laurel forest Laurel forest, also called laurisilva or laurissilva, is a type of subtropical forest found in areas with high humidity and relatively stable, mild temperatures. The forest is characterized by broadleaf tree species with evergreen, glossy and elo ...

, known as laurissilva, once covered the islands. Over centuries the

laurel forests Laurel forest, also called laurisilva or laurissilva, is a type of subtropical forest found in areas with high humidity and relatively stable, mild temperatures. The forest is characterized by broadleaf tree species with evergreen, glossy and elo ...

were mostly cleared. Madeira's remaining forests are now protected.

Geography

The islands are an autonomous region of

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...

. They lie southwest of the Portuguese mainland in the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...

, southwest of

Lisbon Lisbon (; pt, Lisboa ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 544,851 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2. Grande Lisboa, Lisbon's urban area extends beyond the city's administr ...

and west of Morocco. Madeira is the largest island and highest island, with an area of . The island extends east–west approximately , and is at its widest point. A mountainous spine runs the length of the island, and

Pico Ruivo Pico Ruivo is the highest peak on Madeira Island. It can be reached only by foot, usually either from Pico do Arieiro (3rd highest) after a strenuous hike, or from Achada do Teixeira via a shorter, easier trail. There is an additional trail leadin ...

, the highest peak, reaches above sea level.

Porto Santo Island Porto Santo Island () is a Portuguese island northeast of Madeira Island in the North Atlantic Ocean; it is the northernmost and easternmost island of the archipelago of Madeira, located in the Atlantic Ocean west of Europe and Africa. The muni ...

, which lies northeast of Madeira. is the second-largest island with an area of . The

Desertas Islands The Desertas Islands ( pt, Ilhas Desertas, , "Deserted Islands") are a small archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, part of the larger Portuguese Madeira Archipelago. The archipelago is located off the coast of Morocco. Deserta Grande Island is loca ...

are a chain of three narrow islands about southeast of Madeira, covering an area of . The Selvagens are a group of small islands lying south of Madeira, and north of the

Canary Islands The Canary Islands (; es, Canarias, ), also known informally as the Canaries, are a Spanish autonomous community and archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, in Macaronesia. At their closest point to the African mainland, they are west of Morocc ...

. The Selvagens have a total area of . The islands are volcanic in origin.

Basalt Basalt (; ) is an aphanite, aphanitic (fine-grained) extrusive igneous rock formed from the rapid cooling of low-viscosity lava rich in magnesium and iron (mafic lava) exposed at or very near the planetary surface, surface of a terrestrial ...

and volcanic ash are common substrate rocks, with some areas of uplifted limestone of marine origin. The volcanic soils are generally fertile, sustaining both the native forests and agriculture on the two larger islands."Laurisilva of Madeira". World Heritage Data Sheet, February 1999. Updated 4-1999, 10-1999, 12-2009, May 2011. Accessed 8 August 2020

/ref> The islands of Madeira and Porto Santo are inhabited. The archipelago has a population of 289,000 (2016 estimate), mostly on Madeira.

Funchal Funchal () is the largest city, the municipal seat and the capital of Portugal's Madeira, Autonomous Region of Madeira, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean. The city has a population of 105,795, making it the sixth largest city in Portugal. Because of ...

, on Madeira's south shore, is the islands' largest city and principal port.

Climate

The climate of Madeira is subtropical and maritime. The average annual temperature ranges between 15 and 20°C at sea level. The climate becomes more temperate with elevation, and frost and snow occur most winters on Madeira's high elevations. Average annual precipitation ranges from . Prevailing winds are from the northeast, and rainfall is higher on the windward north side of the island. The mountain slopes are frequently shrouded in orographic clouds and fog, sustaining cloud forests in the wettest areas.

Flora

Madeira has about 1,226 native species of vascular plants. 66 vascular plant species are

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

to the islands, including two endemic genera, ''

Chamaemeles ''Chamaemeles'' is a monotypic genus of flowering plants in the family Rosaceae. Its only species, ''Chamaemeles coriacea'', is endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an isla ...

'' and '' Musschia''. Madeiran endemics include ''Polystichum maderensis, Cerastium vagans, Armeria maderensis, Goodyera macrophylla, Viola paradoxa, Crambe fruticosa,

Matthiola maderensis ''Matthiola maderensis'' is a flowering plant species of the family Brassicaceae. It is endemic to the Madeira Archipelago.Sorbus maderensis, Cytisus maderensis, Senecio maderensis, Phalaris maderensis,

Pittosporum coriaceum ''Pittosporum coriaceum'' is a species of plant in the Pittosporaceae family. It is endemic to Macaronesia, and due to extinction in the Canary Islands, it is now restricted to the Portuguese Madeira Islands. ''Pittosporum coriaceum'' is a Cri ...

'', and ''Musschia wollastonii''. Another 54 species are endemic to

Macaronesia Macaronesia (Portuguese: ''Macaronésia,'' Spanish: ''Macaronesia'') is a collection of four volcanic archipelagos in the North Atlantic, off the coasts of Africa and Europe. Each archipelago is made up of a number of List of islands in the At ...

. Over half of Madeira's plant species are also found in the Mediterranean Basin. Before Madeira was settled,

laurel forest Laurel forest, also called laurisilva or laurissilva, is a type of subtropical forest found in areas with high humidity and relatively stable, mild temperatures. The forest is characterized by broadleaf tree species with evergreen, glossy and elo ...

s, known as ''laurissilva'' covered most of the island. Laurissilva now covers 16 of the island, and is found between elevation on the Madeira's wet north-facing slopes, and from elevation on the south-facing slopes. Laurissilva is characterized by evergreen trees with glossy leaves, and trees in the laurel family (

Lauraceae Lauraceae, or the laurels, is a plant family that includes the true laurel and its closest relatives. This family comprises about 2850 known species in about 45 genera worldwide (Christenhusz & Byng 2016 ). They are dicotyledons, and occur ma ...

) are prominent. The laurissilva is similar to the ancient subtropical forests of the Mediterranean Basin, prior to its climate cooling and drying during the

ice ages An ice age is a long period of reduction in the temperature of Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental and polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers. Earth's climate alternates between ice ages and gree ...

. The paleobotanical record of Madeira reveals that laurissilva forests has existed in this island for at least 1.8million years. The

and

Azores ) , motto =( en, "Rather die free than subjected in peace") , anthem= ( en, "Anthem of the Azores") , image_map=Locator_map_of_Azores_in_EU.svg , map_alt=Location of the Azores within the European Union , map_caption=Location of the Azores wi ...

are home to smaller areas of laurissilva. The laurissilva of Madeira is of two main types. Moist laurisilva is found on north-facing slopes and canyons. The predominant trees are ''

Laurus azorica ''Laurus azorica'', the Azores laurel or Macaronesian laurel, is a small, evergreen tree in the laurel family (Lauraceae), found only on the Azores island group in the North Atlantic. Description The Azores laurel is a small dioecious tree, grow ...

Ocotea foetens ''Ocotea foetens'', commonly called til or stinkwood is a species of tree in the family Lauraceae. It is evergreen and grows up to 40 m tall. It is a common constituent of the laurisilva forests of Madeira and the Canary Islands. Leaf fossils of ...

Persea indica ''Persea indica'' is a large, evergreen tree in the laurel family (Lauraceae), native to humid uplands on Madeira and the Canary Islands in the North Atlantic. It belongs to the genus ''Persea'', a group of evergreen trees including the avocado. ...

'', and ''

Clethra arborea ''Clethra arborea'', commonly known as the lily-of-the-valley-tree, is a flowering plant in the genus '' Clethra''. It is found in Macaronesia where it is native to Madeira, extinct in the Canary Islands, and considered an introduced species ...

''. Trees are covered with

epiphytic An epiphyte is an organism that grows on the surface of a plant and derives its moisture and nutrients from the air, rain, water (in marine environments) or from debris accumulating around it. The plants on which epiphytes grow are called phoroph ...

mosses and lichens. Dry laurisilva is found on south-facing slopes, and predominant trees are ''

Apollonias barbujana ''Apollonias barbujana '', the Canary laurel or barbusano, is perhaps the only species of flowering plants belonging to the genus ''Apollonias'' of the laurel family, Lauraceae. It is endemic to the Macaronesian islands of Madeira and the Canary ...

, Laurus azorica,

Picconia excelsa ''Picconia excelsa'' is a species of '' Picconia'', endemic to Macaronesia, occurring on the Canary Islands (Spain) and Madeira (Portugal). Description ''Picconia excelsa'' is an evergreen shrub or small tree growing to 10 m tall, usually sur ...

, Visnea mocanera'', and ''Clethra arborea''. Other laurissilva plants include the trees ''

Heberdenia excelsa ''Heberdenia excelsa'' is a species of plant in the family Primulaceae. It is found in the Macaronesian archipelagoes of Madeira and the Canary Islands. It is threatened by habitat loss Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habi ...

Laurus nobilis ''Laurus nobilis'' is an aromatic evergreen tree or large shrub with green, glabrous (smooth) leaves. It is in the flowering plant family Lauraceae. It is native to the Mediterranean region and is used as bay leaf for seasoning in cooking. ...

'', and '' Rhamnus glandulosa'', and the large shrubs ''

Ilex perado ''Ilex perado'', the Macaronesian holly, is a species of holly endemic to Macaronesia, distributed throughout the Azores, Madeira and Canary islands. It is an important component of the natural high-altitude Macaronesian rainforest, known as 'l ...

'' and '' Ilex canariensis''. The laurissilva has an understory of shrubs, ferns, herbs, mosses, and liverworts. Understory plants include the giant

cranesbill ''Geranium'' is a genus of 422 species of annual, biennial, and perennial plants that are commonly known as geraniums or cranesbills. They are found throughout the temperate regions of the world and the mountains of the tropics, but mostly in ...

Geranium maderense ''Geranium maderense'', known as giant herb-Robert or the Madeira cranesbill, is a species of flowering plant in the family Geraniaceae, native to the island of Madeira. It is sometimes confused with another Madeira endemic, '' Geranium palmatum ...

'', the Madeiran squill (''Scilla madeirensis''), and the endemic

orchid Orchids are plants that belong to the family Orchidaceae (), a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant. Along with the Asteraceae, they are one of the two largest families of flowering ...

s ''

Dactylorhiza foliosa ''Dactylorhiza foliosa'', the Madeira orchid or leafy orchid, is a species of flowering plant in the family Orchidaceae, endemic to the Portuguese Island of Madeira in the eastern Atlantic Ocean. It is a tuberous herbaceous perennial growing to ...

'' and ''Goodyera macrophylla''. Mountain heathland grows on the high ridges and mountains above the laurissilva. Characteristic shrubs are

tree heath ''Erica arborea'', the tree heath or tree heather, is a species of flowering plant (angiosperms) in the heather family Ericaceae, native to the Mediterranean Basin and Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania in East Africa. It is also cultivated as an or ...

(''Erica arborea''), besom heath (''Erica platycodon'' ssp. ''maderincola''), and Madeira juniper (''Juniperus cedrus''). Along the southern coast, low forests dominated by the endemic wild olive tree (''Olea europaea cerasiformis'') and the shrubs ''

Maytenus umbellata ''Maytenus umbellata'' is a species of plant in the family Celastraceae. Common names include Buxo-da-rocha and Madeira shrubby bittersweet."Maytenus umbellata (R. Br.) Mabb." José do Canto Botanical Garden. Accessed 9 April 2021/ref> It is End ...

coriacea'' (a Madeiran endemic), ''

Dracaena draco ''Dracaena draco'', the Canary Islands dragon tree or drago, is a subtropical tree in the genus '' Dracaena'', native to the Canary Islands, Cape Verde, Madeira, western Morocco, and is thought to be introduced in the Azores. Its closest living ...

'', and '' Asparagus scoparius'' survive in coastal ravines up to elevation. A secondary coastal shrubland of '' Euphorbia piscatoria, Echium nervosum''. and ''

Globularia salicina ''Globularia salicina'' is a shrub native to the archipelago of Madeira and to the central and western Canary Islands. Description Erect shrub up to 2 m high with slender branches. Leaves 3.5-7 x 0.5–3 cm, alternate, narrowly to broadly ...

'' forms in disturbed areas. Low forests dominated by marmolano (''Sideroxylon mirmulans'') occur along the northern shore, and in pockets above the south shore ''Olea'' forests from elevation. Other coastal plant communities include low shrubland, perennial grassland, and annual grassland.Capelo, Jorge, Miguel Sequeira, Roberto Jardim, Sandra Mesquita, and José Carlos Costa (2005). "The vegetation of Madeira Island (Portugal). A brief overview and excursion guide". ''Quercetea'' 7: 95-122, 2005 ALFA, Lisboa, Portugal.

Fauna

The laurissilva forests of the island of Madeira have been recognised as an

Important Bird Area An Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) is an area identified using an internationally agreed set of criteria as being globally important for the conservation of bird populations. IBA was developed and sites are identified by BirdLife Int ...

(IBA) by

BirdLife International BirdLife International is a global partnership of non-governmental organizations that strives to conserve birds and their habitats. BirdLife International's priorities include preventing extinction of bird species, identifying and safeguarding ...

. Some 295 bird species and subspecies have been recorded on the Islands, and 42 of them breed here.

Endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

bird species include the

Trocaz pigeon The trocaz pigeon, Madeira laurel pigeon or long-toed pigeon (''Columba trocaz'') is a pigeon which is endemic to the island of Madeira, Portugal. It is a mainly grey bird with a pinkish breast; its silvery neck patch and lack of white wing marki ...

(''Columba trocaz''),

Zino's petrel Zino's petrel (''Pterodroma madeira'') or the freira, is a species of small seabird in the gadfly petrel genus, endemic to the island of Madeira. This long-winged petrel has a grey back and wings, with a dark "W" marking across the wings, and a ...

(''Pterodroma madeira''),

Desertas petrel The Desertas petrel (''Pterodroma deserta'') is a small seabird in the gadfly petrel genus which breeds on Bugio Island in the Desertas off Madeira. The gadfly petrels in the genus ''Pterodroma'' are seabirds of temperate and tropical oceans. M ...

(''Pterodroma deserta''), and Madeira firecrest (''Regulus maderensis''). The

Madeiran chaffinch The Madeiran chaffinch (''Fringilla coelebs maderensis'') is a small passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae. It is a subspecies of the common chaffinch that is endemic to the Portuguese island of Madeira, part of Macaronesia in the Nor ...

(''Fringilla coelebs madeirensis'') is an endemic forest subspecies of the

common chaffinch The common chaffinch or simply the chaffinch (''Fringilla coelebs'') is a common and widespread small passerine bird in the finch family. The male is brightly coloured with a blue-grey cap and rust-red underparts. The female is more subdued in ...

Berthelot's pipit Berthelot's pipit (''Anthus berthelotii'') is a small passerine bird which breeds in Madeira and the Canary Islands. It is a common resident in both archipelagos. Berthelot's pipit is found in open country. The nest is on the ground, with 3-5 eg ...

(''Anthus bertheloti'') and

Atlantic canary The Atlantic canary (''Serinus canaria''), known worldwide simply as the wild canary and also called the island canary, common canary, or canary, is a small passerine bird belonging to the genus ''Serinus'' in the finch family, Fringillidae. It ...

(''Serinus canaria'') are Macaronesian endemics. ''Tyto alba schmitzi'' is a Madeiran subspecies of

Western barn owl The western barn owl (''Tyto alba'') is usually considered a subspecies group and together with the American barn owl group, the eastern barn owl group, and sometimes the Andaman masked owl make up the barn owl. The cosmopolitan barn owl is re ...

, ''Accipiter nisus granti'' is a Macaronesian subspecies of

Eurasian sparrowhawk The Eurasian sparrowhawk (''Accipiter nisus''), also known as the northern sparrowhawk or simply the sparrowhawk, is a small bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. Adult male Eurasian sparrowhawks have bluish grey upperparts and orange-barred ...

, and ''Falco tinnunculus canariensis'' is a Macaronesian subspecies of

common kestrel The common kestrel (''Falco tinnunculus'') is a bird of prey species belonging to the kestrel group of the falcon family Falconidae. It is also known as the European kestrel, Eurasian kestrel, or Old World kestrel. In the United Kingdom, where no ...

. The

plain swift The plain swift (''Apus unicolor'') is a medium-sized swift. Although this bird is superficially similar to a barn swallow or house martin, it is not related to those passerine species. The resemblances between the groups are due to convergent ev ...

(''Apus unicolor'') breeds on Madeira and the Canary Islands, and ranges over northwestern Africa. Two extinct species of rail, the Madeira rail (''Rallus lowei'') and Porto Santo rail (''Rallus adolfocaesaris''), once inhabited the archipelago, on Madeira and Porto Santo islands respectively. Zino's petrel is a Madeiran breeding endemic, and the Desertas petrel breeds only on the Desertas islands. Other seabirds include the

Madeiran storm petrel The band-rumped storm petrel, Madeiran storm petrel, or Harcourt's storm petrel (''Hydrobates castro'') is of the storm petrel family Hydrobatidae. Description The band-rumped storm petrel is 19–21 cm in length with a 43–46 cm wi ...

(''Oceanodroma castro''),

Fea's petrel The Fea's petrel (''Pterodroma feae'') is a small seabird in the gadfly petrel genus, '' Pterodroma''. It was previously considered to be a subspecies of the soft-plumaged petrel (''P. mollis''), but they are actually not closely related at al ...

(''Pterodroma feae''),

little shearwater The little shearwater (''Puffinus assimilis'') is a small shearwater in the petrel family Procellariidae. Despite the generic name, it is unrelated to the puffins, which are auks, the only similarity being that they are both burrow-nesting s ...

(''Puffinus assimilis baroli''),

white-faced storm petrel The white-faced storm petrel (''Pelagodroma marina''), also known as white-faced petrel is a small seabird of the austral storm petrel family Oceanitidae. It is the only member of the monotypic genus ''Pelagodroma''. Description The white-faced ...

(''Pelagodroma marina hypoleuca''), and

yellow-legged gull The yellow-legged gull (''Larus michahellis'') is a large gull found in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, which has only recently achieved wide recognition as a distinct species. It was formerly treated as a subspecies of either the Cas ...

(''Larus michahellis''). Regular visitors include the little egret (''Egretta garzetta''),

cattle egret The cattle egret (''Bubulcus ibis'') is a cosmopolitan species of heron (family Ardeidae) found in the tropics, subtropics, and warm-temperate zones. It is the only member of the monotypic genus ''Bubulcus'', although some authorities regard it ...

(''Bubulcus ibis''), Eurasian whimbrel (''Numenius phaeopus''),

dunlin The dunlin (''Calidris alpina'') is a small wader, formerly sometimes separated with the other "stints" in the genus ''Erolia''. The English name is a dialect form of "dunling", first recorded in 1531–1532. It derives from ''dun'', "dull brown ...

(''Calidris alpina''), and

ruddy turnstone The ruddy turnstone (''Arenaria interpres'') is a small cosmopolitan wading bird, one of two species of turnstone in the genus ''Arenaria''. It is now classified in the sandpiper family Scolopacidae but was formerly sometimes placed in the plov ...

(''Arenaria interpres''). Two bats inhabit the islands – the

Madeira pipistrelle The Madeira pipistrelle (''Pipistrellus maderensis'') is a species of vesper bat. It is endemic to Azores ) , motto =( en, "Rather die free than subjected in peace") , anthem= ( en, "Anthem of the Azores") , image_map=Locator_map_of_Azores_ ...

(''Pipistrellus maderensis''), a Macaronesian endemic, and a subspecies of

lesser noctule The lesser noctule, Leisler's bat or the Irish bat (''Nyctalus leisleri''), is a species of insectivorous bat belonging to the vesper bat family, Vespertilionidae. The species was named to honour the naturalist Johann Philipp Achilles Leisler ...

(''Nyctalus leisleri verrucosus''). The islands have two endemic lizards. The

Madeiran wall lizard The Madeiran wall lizard (''Teira dugesii'') is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. It is the only species in the genus ''Teira''. The species is endemic to the Madeira Archipelago, Portugal. In the Azores, this lizard has become natura ...

(''Teira dugesii'') lives on Madeira, Porto Santo, the Desertas, and the Selvagens. The islands have over 500 terrestrial invertebrate species, including insects, spiders, and molluscs.

Human impacts

Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...

settlers arrived after 1420, and are the first known settlers. The islands' trees were cut for their timber, and ''Persea indica'' was the most sought-after. In the 16th and 17th centuries the southern side of Madeira was converted to

sugarcane Sugarcane or sugar cane is a species of (often hybrid) tall, Perennial plant, perennial grass (in the genus ''Saccharum'', tribe Andropogoneae) that is used for sugar Sugar industry, production. The plants are 2–6 m (6–20 ft) tall with ...

plantations. A system of ''levadas'', water channels wide, was constructed of stone and later concrete to irrigate the sugarcane fields. Forests and shrublands were denuded to provide charcoal for the islands' sugar mills. Goats, sheep, and cows were introduced to the islands, and forests were converted to pasture land, and the forest understory was grazed intensively. Many exotic plants and animals have been introduced to the islands. A few are invasive. Plantations of ''

Pinus pinaster ''Pinus pinaster'', the maritime pine or cluster pine, is a pine native to the south Atlantic Europe region and parts of the western Mediterranean. It is a hard, fast growing pine bearing small seeds with large wings. Description ''Pinus pina ...

'' and ''

Eucalyptus globulus ''Eucalyptus globulus'', commonly known as southern blue gum or blue gum, is a species of tall, evergreen tree endemic to southeastern Australia. This ''Eucalyptus'' species has mostly smooth bark, juvenile leaves that are whitish and waxy on ...

'' were planted at middle elevations. Eucalyptus has spread extensively on the south slope of Madeira, displacing native species.

Conservation and protected areas

Approximately of laurissilva remain on Madeira, mostly on the northern side of the island. 90% of the laurissilva is primary forest, and includes trees up to 800 years old that predate settlement of the islands. The remaining 10% is secondary growth in areas that were last cut during the mid-20th century. (60%) of the ecoregion is in

protected area Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural, ecological or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the ena ...

Madeira Natural Park The Madeira Natural Park ( pt, Parque Natural da Madeira) is a large biological reserve in Madeira with a unique endemic flora and fauna. It was created in 1982 to safeguard the natural heritage of the archipelago, and contains a number of enda ...

, established in 1982, protects an area of , covering most of Madeira including the island's remaining laurissilva forests. From the 1980s goats and sheep were removed from the forests and the non-forested areas of the park, which has allowed the forest understory and shrublands to recover. The Madeira Islands laurel forest was designated a

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

in 1999, covering an area of . The Selvagens were made a nature reserve in 1971, and the Desertas in 1990.UNEP-WCMC (2020). Protected Area Profile for Portugal from the World Database of Protected Areas, August 2020. Available at: www.protectedplanet.net

References

External links

* {{Paleartic temperate broadleaf and mixed forests Ecoregions of Portugal Environment of Madeira Macaronesia Palearctic ecoregions Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests Important Bird Areas of Madeira