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The Northwest Iberian montane forests is a
Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub is a biome defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature. The biome is generally characterized by dry summers and rainy winters, although in some areas rainfall may be uniform. Summers are typically hot in ...
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 ...
in southwestern Europe. It lies in the northwestern
Iberian Peninsula The Iberian Peninsula (), ** * Aragonese and Occitan: ''Peninsula Iberica'' ** ** * french: Péninsule Ibérique * mwl, Península Eibérica * eu, Iberiar penintsula also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in southwestern Europe, def ...
, includes inland mountains, foothills, and plateaus in northwestern Spain and northeastern Portugal.


Geography

The ecoregion rings the upper basin of the Douro River, and the Douro River valley separates the northern and southern portions of the ecoregion. The northern portion includes the southern foothills of the
Cantabrian Mountains , etymology=Named after the Cantabri , photo=Cordillera Cantábrica vista desde el Castro Valnera.jpg , photo_caption=Cantabrian Mountains parallel to the Cantabrian Sea seen from Castro Valnera in an east-west direction. In the background, ...
, extending east to the northern portion of the
Iberian Mountains Iberian refers to Iberia. Most commonly Iberian refers to: *Someone or something originating in the Iberian Peninsula, namely from Spain, Portugal, Gibraltar and Andorra. The term ''Iberian'' is also used to refer to anything pertaining to the fo ...
, and west to the Mountains of León. The humid and temperate
Cantabrian mixed forests The Cantabrian mixed forests is a temperate broadleaf and mixed forests ecoregion in southwestern Europe. It extends along the coastal Cantabrian Mountains and Galician Massif of Northern Spain, extending south into northern Portugal Portuga ...
lie to the north and west. The southern portion lies in the western
Sistema Central The Central System, Spanish and pt, Sistema Central, is one of the main systems of mountain ranges in the Iberian Peninsula. The 2,592 m high Pico Almanzor is its highest summit. The Central System is located just north of the 40th parallel a ...
, which separates the
Douro River The Douro (, , ; es, Duero ; la, Durius) is the highest-flow river of the Iberian Peninsula. It rises near Duruelo de la Sierra in Soria Province, central Spain, meanders south briefly then flows generally west through the north-west part o ...
and
Tagus River The Tagus ( ; es, Tajo ; pt, Tejo ; see below) is the longest river in the Iberian Peninsula. The river rises in the Montes Universales near Teruel, in mid-eastern Spain, flows , generally west with two main south-westward sections, to ...
basins, and extends from the
Serra da Estrela Serra da Estrela () is the highest mountain range in Continental Portugal. Together with the Serra da Lousã it is the westernmost constituent range of the Sistema Central and also one of the highest in the system. It includes mainland Portugal's ...
in Portugal to the Sierra de Gredos in central Spain. The
Iberian sclerophyllous and semi-deciduous forests The Iberian sclerophyllous and semi-deciduous forests is a Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub ecoregion in southwestern Europe. It occupies the interior valleys and plateaus of the Iberian Peninsula. The ecoregion lies mostly in Spain, an ...
lie in the Douro and Tagus lowlands, and in the
Ebro River , name_etymology = , image = Zaragoza shel.JPG , image_size = , image_caption = The Ebro River in Zaragoza , map = SpainEbroBasin.png , map_size = , map_caption = The Ebro ...
valley to the northeast. A few mountaintop enclaves lie further south, in the Serra de São Mamede in Portugal, and the Sierra de las Villuercas and Sierra de San Pablo in Spain.


Climate

The ecoregion has a
Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate (also called a dry summer temperate climate ''Cs'') is a temperate climate sub-type, generally characterized by warm, dry summers and mild, fairly wet winters; these weather conditions are typically experienced in the ...
– dry summers and rainy winters. Winters are cold, particularly at higher elevations.


Flora

The plant communities in the ecoregion vary with elevation and soils. Evergreen broadleaf
sclerophyll Sclerophyll is a type of vegetation that is adapted to long periods of dryness and heat. The plants feature hard leaves, short internodes (the distance between leaves along the stem) and leaf orientation which is parallel or oblique to direct ...
ous trees, typical of Mediterranean lowland forests, predominate on low foothills and in river canyons. These include '' holm oak'' (''Quercus rotundifolia''), ''
cork oak ''Quercus suber'', commonly called the cork oak, is a medium-sized, evergreen oak tree in the section ''Quercus'' sect. ''Cerris''. It is the primary source of cork for wine bottle stoppers and other uses, such as cork flooring and as the core ...
'' (''Quercus suber''), ''
Olive The olive, botanical name ''Olea europaea'', meaning 'European olive' in Latin, is a species of small tree or shrub in the family Oleaceae, found traditionally in the Mediterranean Basin. When in shrub form, it is known as ''Olea europaea'' ' ...
'' (''Olea europaea''), ''
Arbutus unedo ''Arbutus unedo'' is an evergreen shrub or small tree in the family Ericaceae, native to the Mediterranean region and western Europe. The tree is well known for its fruits, which bear some resemblance to the strawberry — hence the common na ...
'', '' sweet bay'' (''Laurus nobilis''), ''
Rhamnus alaternus ''Rhamnus alaternus'' is a species of flowering plant in the buckthorn family Rhamnaceae, known by the common names Italian buckthorn or Mediterranean buckthorn. It is a hardy medium-sized evergreen shrub with fragrant flowers. Etymology The s ...
'', ''
Pistacia terebinthus ''Pistacia terebinthus'' also called the terebinth and the turpentine tree, is a deciduous tree species of the genus ''Pistacia'', native to the Mediterranean region from the western regions of Morocco and Portugal to Greece and western and s ...
'', ''
Pistacia lentiscus ''Pistacia lentiscus'' (also lentisk or mastic) is a dioecious evergreen shrub or small tree of the genus '' Pistacia'' native to the Mediterranean Basin. It grows up to tall and is cultivated for its aromatic resin, mainly on the Greek is ...
'', ''
Erica arborea ''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 o ...
'', ''
Erica scoparia ''Erica scoparia'', the green heather, is a shrubby species of heath in the flowering plant family Ericaceae. It is native to the western Mediterranean Basin in the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal), Northwest Africa (Morocco, Algeria and Tu ...
''. Riparian areas with year-round moisture are refuges for ''
Celtis australis ''Celtis australis'', the European nettle tree, Mediterranean hackberry, lote tree, or honeyberry, is a deciduous tree native to Southern Europe, North Africa, and Asia Minor. The tree was introduced to England in 1796.Hillier Nurseries Ltd. (19 ...
'' and other less drought-adapted trees. Forests of deciduous oaks, including ''
Quercus pyrenaica ''Quercus pyrenaica'', commonly known as Pyrenean oak, is a tree native to southwestern Europe and northwestern North Africa. Despite its common name, it is rarely found in the Pyrenees Mountains and is more abundant in northern Portugal and nor ...
'', '' Quercus faginea'' and
English oak ''Quercus robur'', commonly known as common oak, pedunculate oak, European oak or English oak, is a species of flowering plant in the beech and oak family, Fagaceae. It is a large tree, native plant, native to most of Europe west of the Caucasus ...
(''Quercus robur'') are predominant at middle and higher elevations. On dry and rocky slopes, forests 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 ...
'' grow in pure stands, or mixed with deciduous oaks. Forests of '' Stone pine'' (''Pinus pinea'') grow in the eastern part of the ecoregion. Woodlands of juniper (''
Juniperus oxycedrus ''Juniperus oxycedrus'', vernacularly called Cade, cade juniper, prickly juniper, prickly cedar, or sharp cedar, is a species of juniper, native across the Mediterranean region from Algeria and Portugal, north to southern France, east to westernm ...
'', ''
Juniperus thurifera ''Juniperus thurifera'' (Spanish juniper) is a species of juniper native to the mountains of the western Mediterranean region, from southern France (including Corsica) across eastern and central Spain to Morocco and locally in northern Algeria.A ...
'', and '' Juniperus phoenicea'') are found on high rocky outcrops. At high elevations forests of ''
Scots pine ''Pinus sylvestris'', the Scots pine (UK), Scotch pine (US) or Baltic pine, is a species of tree in the pine family Pinaceae that is native to Eurasia. It can readily be identified by its combination of fairly short, blue-green leaves and orang ...
'' (''Pinus sylvestris''), '' Black pine'' (''Pinus nigra salzmannii''), ''
Betula pubescens ''Betula pubescens'' (syn. ''Betula alba''), commonly known as downy birch and also as moor birch, white birch, European white birch or hairy birch, is a species of deciduous tree, native and abundant throughout northern Europe and northern As ...
'', and ''
Populus tremula ''Populus tremula'' (commonly called aspen, common aspen, Eurasian aspen, European aspen, or quaking aspen) is a species of poplar native to cool temperate regions of Europe and Asia, from Iceland and the British IslesJames KilkellIrish native ...
'' grow together with
heaths A heath () is a shrubland habitat found mainly on free-draining infertile, acidic soils and characterised by open, low-growing woody vegetation. Moorland is generally related to high-ground heaths with—especially in Great Britain—a coole ...
dominated by '' Heather'', ''
Ulex ''Ulex'' (commonly known as gorse, furze, or whin) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Fabaceae. The genus comprises about 20 species of thorny evergreen shrubs in the subfamily Faboideae of the pea family Fabaceae. The species are na ...
'' and ''
Juniperus communis ''Juniperus communis'', the common juniper, is a species of small tree or shrub in the cypress family Cupressaceae. An evergreen conifer, it has the largest geographical range of any woody plant, with a circumpolar distribution throughout the coo ...
''.


Fauna

The ecoregion is home to the Iberian wolf (''Canis lupus signatus''). In 2014, rare wild Retuerta horses were released in the Campanarios de Azaba Biological Reserve in
Salamanca Province Salamanca () is a province of western Spain, in the western part of the autonomous community of Castile and León (Castilla y León). It is bordered by the provinces of Zamora, Valladolid, Ávila, and Cáceres, and on the west by Portugal. It ha ...
near the border with Portugal, in the southern part of the ecoregion. The reserve is owned by Fundación Naturaleza y Hombre, a Spanish conservation NGO. Retuerta horses were once widespread in Iberia, but over centuries have been reduced to a single small population in
Doñana National Park Doñana National Park or Parque Nacional y Natural de Doñana is a natural reserve in Andalucía, southern Spain, in the provinces of Huelva (most of its territory), Cádiz and Seville. It covers , of which are a protected area. The park is an ...
in southwestern Spain.


Protected areas

15,628 km², or 27%, 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 ...
s.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

/ref> Protected areas include Sil Canyon, Cañón de Sil, Sierra de Cebollera Natural Park, Lago de Sanabria Natural Park, and Sierra de Gredos Regional Park in Spain, and Montesinho Natural Park, Serra da Estrela Natural Park, and
Serra da Malcata Natural Reserve Serra da Malcata Nature Reserve is a Portuguese nature reserve. It was created in 1981 as a way to protect the then existent populations of Iberian Lynx The Iberian lynx (''Lynx pardinus'') is a wild cat species endemic to the Iberian Peninsula ...
in Portugal.


External links

*


References

{{reflist Ecoregions of Europe Ecoregions of Portugal Ecoregions of Spain Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub Montane forests Palearctic ecoregions Ecoregions of the Mediterranean Basin Sclerophyll forests