The Tabernas Desert ( es, Desierto de Tabernas) is one of

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' ( Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...

semi-arid A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There are different kinds of semi- ...

deserts, located within Spain's south-eastern

province of Almería Almería (, also , ) is a province of the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. It is bordered by the provinces of Granada, Murcia, and the Mediterranean Sea. Its capital is the homonymous city of Almería. Almería has an area of . With ...

. It is in the interior, about north of the provincial capital

Almería Almería (, , ) is a city and municipality of Spain, located in Andalusia. It is the capital of the province of the same name. It lies on southeastern Iberia on the Mediterranean Sea. Caliph Abd al-Rahman III founded the city in 955. The city gr ...

, in the Tabernas municipality in

Andalusia Andalusia (, ; es, Andalucía ) is the southernmost autonomous community in Peninsular Spain. It is the most populous and the second-largest autonomous community in the country. It is officially recognised as a "historical nationality". The ...

. Due to its high

elevation The elevation of a geographic location is its height above or below a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface (see Geodetic datum § ...

and inland location, it has slightly higher annual rainfall (more than per year) and lower annual average temperature than coastal areas of Almeria. A

nature reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or ...

(protected area), it spans .

Climate

The Tabernas Desert is defined mainly by a

cold semi-arid climate A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There are different kinds of semi-a ...

and a

cold desert climate The desert climate or arid climate (in the Köppen climate classification ''BWh'' and ''BWk''), is a dry climate sub-type in which there is a severe excess of evaporation over precipitation. The typically bald, rocky, or sandy surfaces in deser ...

. Situated between the Sierra de los Filabres to the north and the Sierra de Alhamilla to the south-southeast, it is isolated from the humid winds of the

Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the ...

, in an area with little rainfall known as Levante. In the lowest elevations of the Tabernas basin (about above

sea level Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical datuma standardise ...

), the average annual temperature is close to . Due to its relative proximity to the coast and its relatively high altitude, temperatures in winter vary between in the higher altitudes to in the lower altitudes while temperatures in the summer vary from in the higher altitudes to in the lower altitudes. The annual average precipitation is (depending on the zone) with only one-third falling in the hot season (May to October). The average annual sunshine is about 2900 hours. Thus the climate, from , is

of "

Syrian Syrians ( ar, سُورِيُّون, ''Sūriyyīn'') are an Eastern Mediterranean ethnic group indigenous to the Levant. They share common Levantine Semitic roots. The cultural and linguistic heritage of the Syrian people is a blend of both indig ...

" type, which means that the dry season occurs during the hot season (the six hottest months of the year). This characteristic is also aggravated by the foehn effect. Above about 800–900 meters the precipitation increases, thus reducing the dry summer season, while the temperature drops. At these elevations, the Tabernas basin climate is not semi-arid any more but

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on th ...

Geology and biology

Almeria Desierto de Tabernas by Maksym Abramov

The little rainfall that occurs is usually torrential, so that the ground, consisting of marls and

sandstone Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks. Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates ...

with little vegetation, is unable to retain moisture. Instead, the rain causes

erosion Erosion is the action of surface processes (such as water flow or wind) that removes soil, rock, or dissolved material from one location on the Earth's crust, and then transports it to another location where it is deposited. Erosion is di ...

, forming the characteristic landscape of

badland Badlands are a type of dry terrain where softer sedimentary rocks and clay-rich soils have been extensively eroded."Badlands" in '' Chambers's Encyclopædia''. London: George Newnes, 1961, Vol. 2, p. 47. They are characterized by steep slopes, ...

s. Arroyos formed by torrential rain harbor the scarce vegetation, as well as

fauna Fauna is all of the animal life present in a particular region or time. The corresponding term for plants is ''flora'', and for fungi, it is '' funga''. Flora, fauna, funga and other forms of life are collectively referred to as ''biota''. Zoo ...

such as

swift Swift or SWIFT most commonly refers to: * SWIFT, an international organization facilitating transactions between banks ** SWIFT code * Swift (programming language) * Swift (bird), a family of birds It may also refer to: Organizations * SWIFT ...

hedgehog A hedgehog is a spiny mammal of the subfamily Erinaceinae, in the eulipotyphlan family Erinaceidae. There are seventeen species of hedgehog in five genera found throughout parts of Europe, Asia, and Africa, and in New Zealand by introduct ...

s, jackdaws, pin-tailed sandgrouse, blue rock thrushes, stone curlews, trumpeter finches, and crested larks.

Flora and fauna

The desert is well endowed with vegetation for a desert. Plants such as the sea lavender ('' Limonium insignis''), which are teetering on the verge of extinction, manage to flourish in the semi-arid environment of the desert. In winter, the landscape of the desert turns white when the toadflax linaria (''

Nigricans lange Nigricans, a Latin word meaning ''black'', may refer to : * Acanthosis nigricans, a brown to black, poorly defined, velvety hyperpigmentation of the skin * '' Ulmus americana 'Nigricans, an American elm cultivar * '' Ulmus glabra 'Latifolia Nigr ...

'') flowers. There are specimens of yellow scorpions (''

Buthus occitanus ''Buthus occitanus'', the common yellow scorpion, is a species of scorpion in the family Buthidae. It occurs in the Middle East, North Africa and Europe. ''B. occitanus'' is 60–80 mm in length, has a yellow or yellow-brown color and is ve ...

''), tarantulas (''

Lycosa tarentulla ''Lycosa'' is a genus of wolf spiders distributed throughout most of the world. Sometimes called the "true tarantula", though not closely related to the spiders most commonly called tarantulas today, ''Lycosa'' spp. can be distinguished from comm ...

'') and black widows ('' Latrodectus tredecimguttatus'') although it's not deadly as the American black widow. Coastal areas have lesser weevers such as '' Echiichthys vipera'' and '' Tachinus dracco'', which usually live under the sand.

Reptiles and amphibians

The reptilian population of the desert includes ladder snakes, spiny-footed lizards and ocellated lizards.

Marsh frog The marsh frog (''Pelophylax ridibundus'') is a species of water frog native to Europe and parts of western Asia. Description The marsh frog is the largest type of frog in most of its range, with males growing to a size around 100 mm (3.9 ...

natterjack toad The natterjack toad (''Epidalea calamita'') is a toad native to sandy and heathland areas of Europe. Adults are 60–70 mm in length, and are distinguished from common toads by a yellow line down the middle of the back and parallel paratoid ...

s and terrapins inhabit the moist areas of the desert. File:Rhinechis scalaris cropped.jpg, A ladder snake File:Timon Lepidus danelu.jpg, Ocellated lizard

Birds

Birds of prey Birds of prey or predatory birds, also known as raptors, are hypercarnivorous bird species that actively hunt and feed on other vertebrates (mainly mammals, reptiles and other smaller birds). In addition to speed and strength, these predato ...

such as the

Bonelli's eagle The Bonelli's eagle (''Aquila fasciata'') is a large bird of prey. The common name of the bird commemorates the Italian ornithologist and collector Franco Andrea Bonelli. Bonelli is credited with gathering the type specimen, most likely from an ...

s and

peregrine falcon The peregrine falcon (''Falco peregrinus''), also known as the peregrine, and historically as the duck hawk in North America, is a cosmopolitan bird of prey ( raptor) in the family Falconidae. A large, crow-sized falcon, it has a blue-grey ...

s roam the desert's skies. Lesser hunters include

kestrel The term kestrel (from french: crécerelle, derivative from , i.e. ratchet) is the common name given to several species of predatory birds from the falcon genus ''Falco''. Kestrels are most easily distinguished by their typical hunting behaviour ...

s and eagle owls. Species such as the blue rock thrush, rock sparrow,

rock bunting The rock bunting (''Emberiza cia'') is a passerine bird in the bunting family Emberizidae, a group now separated by most modern authors from the finches, Fringillidae. The genus name ''Emberiza'' is from Old German ''Embritz'', a bunting. T ...

inhabit the rocky areas of the desert whereas

warblers Various Passeriformes (perching birds) are commonly referred to as warblers. They are not necessarily closely related to one another, but share some characteristics, such as being fairly small, vocal, and insectivorous. Sylvioid warblers T ...

goldfinch Goldfinch or The Goldfinch may refer to: Birds * European goldfinch, ''Carduelis carduelis'' * Some species of the genus '' Spinus'': ** American goldfinch, ''Spinus tristis'' ** Lawrence's goldfinch, ''Spinus lawrencei'' ** Lesser goldfinc ...

es, golden orioles and serins prefer the ramblas near the dry river beds. Image:Dohle (Corvus monedula) d1.jpg, A jackdaw File:Bonelli's Eagle.jpg, Bonelli's eagle

Mammals

The desert does not have a great number of mammalian species, with the total number a meager 20. The

Algerian hedgehog The North African hedgehog (''Atelerix algirus'') or Algerian hedgehog, is a mammal species in the family Erinaceidae native to Algeria, Libya, Malta, Morocco, Spain, and Tunisia. Little is known about this hedgehog, even though the most common b ...

, besides significant

rabbit Rabbits, also known as bunnies or bunny rabbits, are small mammals in the family Leporidae (which also contains the hares) of the order Lagomorpha (which also contains the pikas). ''Oryctolagus cuniculus'' includes the European rabbit s ...

hare Hares and jackrabbits are mammals belonging to the genus ''Lepus''. They are herbivores, and live solitarily or in pairs. They nest in slight depressions called forms, and their young are able to fend for themselves shortly after birth. The g ...

and

dormouse A dormouse is a rodent of the family Gliridae (this family is also variously called Myoxidae or Muscardinidae by different taxonomists). Dormice are nocturnal animals found in Africa, Asia, and Europe. They are named for their long, dormant hib ...

species, is one of the most important mammals inhabiting the area. File:Atelerix algirus.jpg, The Algerian, or North African, hedgehog (''Atelerix algirus'')

Cinema

Because of its similarities to deserts in the southwestern

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...

, northern

Mexico Mexico ( Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guate ...

, northern

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

, and

Arabia The Arabian Peninsula, (; ar, شِبْهُ الْجَزِيرَةِ الْعَرَبِيَّة, , "Arabian Peninsula" or , , "Island of the Arabs") or Arabia, is a peninsula of Western Asia, situated northeast of Africa on the Arabian Plate. ...

, Tabernas has been a popular area to shoot many films since the 1950s. The

Spaghetti Western The Spaghetti Western is a broad subgenre of Western films produced in Europe. It emerged in the mid-1960s in the wake of Sergio Leone's film-making style and international box-office success. The term was used by foreign critics because most ...

s were shot at the three main studios, Texas Hollywood, Mini Hollywood, and Western Leone.Simmons, Bob & Passingham, Kenneth. ''Nobody Does It Better: My 25 Years of Stunts With James Bond and Other Stories,'' 1987, Blandford The sixth season of the TV series ''

Game of Thrones ''Game of Thrones'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss for HBO. It is an adaptation of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', a series of fantasy novels by George R. R. Martin, the firs ...

'' was shot in locations from Andalusia to

Catalonia Catalonia (; ca, Catalunya ; Aranese Occitan: ''Catalonha'' ; es, Cataluña ) is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a '' nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy. Most of the territory (except the Val d'Aran) lies on the no ...

, including the desert, which is the Dothraki Sea, a gigantic steppe in Essos, the largest continent.

References

External links

{{Deserts Deserts of Europe Deserts of Spain Geography of the Province of Almería Protected areas of Andalusia Nature reserves in Spain