The Urdaibai

estuary An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime enviro ...

is a natural region and a

Biosphere 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, funga, or features of geologic ...

Biscay Biscay ( ; ; ), is a province of the Basque Country (autonomous community), Basque Autonomous Community, heir of the ancient Lordship of Biscay, lying on the south shore of the Bay of Biscay, eponymous bay. The capital and largest city is Bilb ...

, Basque Country,

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

. It is also referred as Mundaka or Gernika estuary. Urdaibai is located on the

Bay of Biscay The Bay of Biscay ( ) is a gulf of the northeast Atlantic Ocean located south of the Celtic Sea. It lies along the western coast of France from Point Penmarc'h to the Spanish border, and along the northern coast of Spain, extending westward ...

coast, in the north of the

Iberian Peninsula The Iberian Peninsula ( ), also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in south-western Europe. Mostly separated from the rest of the European landmass by the Pyrenees, it includes the territories of peninsular Spain and Continental Portugal, comprisin ...

. Urdaibai covers an area of with some 45,000 inhabitants, most of them concentrated in the towns of

Bermeo Bermeo is a town and municipality in the ''comarca'' of Busturialdea. It is in the province of Biscay, which is part of the autonomous region of the Basque Country in northern Spain. With a population of 16,765, it is the most important fishing ...

and Gernika. The territory is characterized by a hydrographic basin of small streams that merge in a great salt

marsh In ecology, a marsh is a wetland that is dominated by herbaceous plants rather than by woody plants.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p More in genera ...

surrounded by high sheer cliffs. The surrounding countryside is occupied by meadowland,

oak An oak is a hardwood tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' of the beech family. They have spirally arranged leaves, often with lobed edges, and a nut called an acorn, borne within a cup. The genus is widely distributed in the Northern Hemisp ...

groves, leafy woods and specially by plantations of fast-growing

conifer Conifers () are a group of conifer cone, cone-bearing Spermatophyte, seed plants, a subset of gymnosperms. Scientifically, they make up the phylum, division Pinophyta (), also known as Coniferophyta () or Coniferae. The division contains a sin ...

s (

Pinus radiata ''Pinus radiata'' ( syn. ''Pinus insignis''), the Monterey pine, insignis pine or radiata pine, is a species of pine native to the Central Coast of California and Mexico (on Guadalupe Island and Cedros island). It is an evergreen conifer in t ...

). The coastal landscape is covered with

Cantabria Cantabria (, ; ) is an autonomous community and Provinces of Spain, province in northern Spain with Santander, Cantabria, Santander as its capital city. It is called a , a Nationalities and regions of Spain, historic community, in its current ...

n woods of Holm Oak and Strawberry Trees. In Urdaibai have been described 615 species of vascular plants and 318 species of

vertebrates Vertebrates () are animals with a vertebral column (backbone or spine), and a cranium, or skull. The vertebral column surrounds and protects the spinal cord, while the cranium protects the brain. The vertebrates make up the subphylum Vertebra ...

, 245 of which are birds. The area contains remnants of the

Prehistoric Prehistory, also called pre-literary history, is the period of human history between the first known use of stone tools by hominins million years ago and the beginning of recorded history with the invention of writing systems. The use o ...

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...

and the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

. Particularly notable is the Santimamiñe cave, which has yielded archeological artifacts from the

Mousterian The Mousterian (or Mode III) is an Industry (archaeology), archaeological industry of Lithic technology, stone tools, associated primarily with the Neanderthals in Europe, and with the earliest anatomically modern humans in North Africa and We ...

(Middle Paleolithic Age) to the

Iron Age The Iron Age () is the final epoch of the three historical Metal Ages, after the Chalcolithic and Bronze Age. It has also been considered as the final age of the three-age division starting with prehistory (before recorded history) and progre ...

. The economy is based on

metallurgy Metallurgy is a domain of materials science and engineering that studies the physical and chemical behavior of metallic elements, their inter-metallic compounds, and their mixtures, which are known as alloys. Metallurgy encompasses both the ...

, fishing, farming and forestry. An important tourist sector is based on the quality of the local beaches. Mundaka is especially appealing for

surfers Surfing is a surface water sport in which an individual, a surfer (or two in tandem surfing), uses a board to ride on the forward section, or face, of a moving wave of water, which usually carries the surfer towards the shore. Waves suita ...

around the world.

Description

The Oca river rises in the Oiz mountain and finishes in the Cantabric sea. The coast is rugged and with high cliffs and some islands, of which the most important is Izaro Island. Isla de Izaro

The development of forests reserves has allowed a degree of environmental conservation, which gives this area the most diverse landscape of the Basque Country.

Climate and temperature

The area of Urdaibai has an Atlantic climate, wet and warm and regulated by the sea (with temperature between 9 and 19 °C). The annual rainfall is heavy; the rainiest months are November and December, although it is distributed during all the year. Precipitation is generally rain. Because of the influence of the sea, the temperature is moderate during the year (the average temperature is 13/14 degrees).

Landscape

The landscape is formed with mountains, sea and sands, which are produced by the sediments of the estuary, where marshes are flooded by the tides. The rivers Laga and Artigas go directly to the sea. The first ends in Laga's beach, and the second one creates a small valley between the Sollube mountain and

Estuary

The estuary, together with Santoña's natural park, is arguably the most important wetland in the Iberian Peninsula. The estuary is the heart of the Biosphere Reserve, which is a habitat for a wide variety of migratory and resident birds. As regards migrating birds, the attractions of the biosphere reserve, and in particular the Urdaibai Bird Center in Gautegiz Arteaga, are promoted to birdwatchers as part of the international "Bird Flyway" project. The interior is defined by the mountains, and on their slopes are forest plantations of

Monterey Pine ''Pinus radiata'' (synonym (taxonomy), syn. ''Pinus insignis''), the Monterey pine, insignis pine or radiata pine, is a species of pine native to the Central Coast (California), Central Coast of California and Mexico (on Guadalupe Island and Ced ...

used to make wood. There also are a few forests with local trees, such as

Oak An oak is a hardwood tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' of the beech family. They have spirally arranged leaves, often with lobed edges, and a nut called an acorn, borne within a cup. The genus is widely distributed in the Northern Hemisp ...

; and near the coast are plantations of

Eucalyptus ''Eucalyptus'' () is a genus of more than 700 species of flowering plants in the family Myrtaceae. Most species of ''Eucalyptus'' are trees, often Mallee (habit), mallees, and a few are shrubs. Along with several other genera in the tribe Eucalyp ...

. On the central area, the land becomes flat and it is used in agriculture. This landscape is supported by livestock and agricultural development. The estuary extends from Guernica to Busturia, and a 5 km canal has been made in order not to dry up.

Mountains

The slopes of the mountains are covered by forests of Holm Oaks down to the sea's edge. The limestone nature of the bedrock has led to a kast system, where numerous caves and galleries may be found.

Coast

To the north, at the mouth of the estuary, the sands of Sukarrieta and Laida line the shore of the

Oka River The Oka (, ; ) is a river in central Russia, the largest right tributary of the Volga. It flows through the regions of Oryol, Tula, Kaluga, Moscow, Ryazan, Vladimir and Nizhny Novgorod and is navigable over a large part of its total length, ...

. To the west are the sands of Santa Katalina, Murgoa and Lamera. The Murgoa has a slope of a hundred meters, forming places like Trankilpunta and Kargaderua. After Bermeo are found the cliffs of Talape and Tonpoi. In the flysch that is made at the foot of the

cliff In geography and geology, a cliff or rock face is an area of Rock (geology), rock which has a general angle defined by the vertical, or nearly vertical. Cliffs are formed by the processes of weathering and erosion, with the effect of gravity. ...

can be found the "Arribolak", large stones which have been released from the wall and later rounded by the sea. To the east the sea stops being rough.

Flora and fauna

Protected areas

The biosphere reserve was designated in 1984.

Flora

The flora that is developed in Urdabai, is clearly an atlantic base. There are a lot of

meadows A meadow ( ) is an open habitat or field, vegetated by grasses, herbs, and other non-woody plants. Trees or shrubs may sparsely populate meadows, as long as they maintain an open character. Meadows can occur naturally under favourable condition ...

, oak groves, lush forests and especially plenty of

Monterey pine ''Pinus radiata'' (synonym (taxonomy), syn. ''Pinus insignis''), the Monterey pine, insignis pine or radiata pine, is a species of pine native to the Central Coast (California), Central Coast of California and Mexico (on Guadalupe Island and Ced ...

s. The coastal area is covered by cantabrian forests. The vegetable world that can be found here, is formed by 615 species of plants. Human activity has substantially modified the space, but the agricultural works have allowed the recuperation of original vegetation. The vegetation has, mainly in the marsh, a degree of singularity because of the specialization and also and its particular appearance. However, at the same time it has a high grade of diversity originated by the salinity. The area of Urdaibai is composed by different environments, each of which has its own vegetation and animals that create their own ecosystem. * The coast * Mountain on the left side * Middle tract of the Oka and its tributaries * Closed valleys from the Oka * Karstic area and the environment on the right side * The Guernica and Mundaka valleys

Fauna

The big variety of ecosystems that can be found in the Urdaibai make possible the faunistic wealth, with 318 species of

, apart from the number of different birds. * Fish: in the head of the river there are

trout Trout (: trout) is a generic common name for numerous species of carnivorous freshwater ray-finned fishes belonging to the genera '' Oncorhynchus'', ''Salmo'' and ''Salvelinus'', all of which are members of the subfamily Salmoninae in the ...

eels Eels are ray-finned fish belonging to the order (biology), order Anguilliformes (), which consists of eight suborders, 20 Family (biology), families, 164 genus, genera, and about 1000 species. Eels undergo considerable development from the earl ...

and

loach Loaches are ray-finned fishes of the suborder Cobitoidei. They are freshwater, benthic (bottom-dwelling) fish found in rivers and creeks throughout Eurasia and North Africa, northern Africa. Loaches are among the most diverse groups of fish; the ...

s mainly, while in the middle we found

barbels In fish anatomy and turtle anatomy, a barbel is a slender, whisker like sensory organ near the mouth (sometimes called whiskers or tendrils). Fish that have barbels include the catfish, the carp, the goatfish, the hagfish, the sturgeon, the z ...

. * Amphibians: although they are too much in danger, many

salamanders Salamanders are a group of amphibians typically characterized by their lizard-like appearance, with slender bodies, blunt snouts, short limbs projecting at right angles to the body, and the presence of a tail in both larvae and adults. All t ...

, toads and different kind of frogs are common in there. * Birds: the birds are the most important part of fauna in Urdaibai. Most of them emigrate from Europe to Africa and in the other way. Orueta wetland, located in the heart of Urdaibai, is a suitable place to observe the ornithological wealth. Moreover, Urdaibai Bird Center, an investigation center is available to visit and enjoy the Orueta wetland. Some of them are,

black stork The black stork (''Ciconia nigra'') is a large bird in the stork family Ciconiidae. It was first described by Carl Linnaeus in the 10th edition of his ''Systema Naturae''. Measuring on average from beak tip to end of tail with a wingspan, t ...

heron Herons are long-legged, long-necked, freshwater and coastal birds in the family Ardeidae, with 75 recognised species, some of which are referred to as egrets or bitterns rather than herons. Members of the genus ''Botaurus'' are referred to as bi ...

s, eagles.Scottish ospreys...
/ref> * Mammals: in this group we can difference little and big animals. The first ones are, for example:

mole Mole (or Molé) may refer to: Animals * Mole (animal) or "true mole" * Golden mole, southern African mammals * Marsupial mole Marsupial moles, the Notoryctidae family, are two species of highly specialized marsupial mammals that are found i ...

shrew Shrews ( family Soricidae) are small mole-like mammals classified in the order Eulipotyphla. True shrews are not to be confused with treeshrews, otter shrews, elephant shrews, West Indies shrews, or marsupial shrews, which belong to dif ...

dormice A dormouse is a rodent of the family (biology), 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 ...

...

Geography

There are four distinct areas of interest in the reserve: *The estuary. *The shores. *Holm Oak areas. *Archeologic areas. Geographically three distinct areas can be distinguished: The mountains, the marshes and the coast with its cliffs and beaches.

Human occupation

The population of the Busturialdea, which practically coincides with that of the protected Biosphere Reserve of Uradibai area is about 45,000 inhabitants are mainly located (80%), in the towns of Guernica Luno and Bermeo. Human presence has been ongoing in the area since prehistoric times, having testimonies based on findings from the Upper Paleolithic. Notable Roman remains, especially disrupted the necropolis with burials from the first century until the nineteenth century found in the church of San Martin de Tours of Forua. The two largest centres of population are the municipalities of Bermeo and Guernica. Bermeo is a village founded in 1236 and one of the most important fishing ports of Biscay. It is the most populous town in the region and was the capital of the Lordship of Biscay from 1476 until 1602. Guernica is formed by the union of the historical town of Guernica with Porch of Luno. Guernica, founded in 1366, is the historical seat of the General Assembly of Vizcaya and it is the House of Meetings with Tree of Guernica, a symbol of Basque privileges. It is also famous worldwide for the bombing suffered in the Spanish Civil War of 1936, the subject of Picasso's painting 'Guernica'. The remaining populations are small centers that cater to the historical political demarcation of the Lordship of Biscay in which the call Level Earth was organized porches. Mundaca and Elanchove are coastal populations, the first of which is at the mouth of the Oka. Both populations have a fishing origin although the current economic engine is tourism. The village is the residential unit and farming and ranching in which has traditionally been the livelihood of the region of Busturialdea. This type of interaction between man and the environment has produced the landscape of Atlantic countryside which makes up much of the area of Urdaibai. Within the territory of the Urdaibai there is a great variety and richness of villages, all of them examples of rural architecture and of great ethnographic value. The economy is based on metallurgy, fishing, agriculture and forestry. There is also a tourism sector, focusing mainly on local beaches and natural values of the reserve. Mundaca is especially attractive for surfers from around the world.

Maps

Image:Urdaibai.svg, Location of the Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve in Biscay. Image:Urdaibai detalle.png, Map of the reserve. Image:Urdaibai.png, Physical map.

References

Official Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve pageOfficial Biscay Government page
* ngel Domínguez. (1995). Urdaibai: avifauna de la ría de Guernica. Bilbao: Diputación Foral de Vizcaya.* ablo Aldai Agirretxe. (1998). Urdaibai Biosferaren Erreserba: giza ingurunearen eta paisaiaren gida historikoa. Vitoria-Gasteiz: Eusko Jaurlaritza.* amón Martín. (1993). Urdaibai Reserva de la Biosfera. Vitoria-Gasteiz: Eusko Jaurlaritza. {{Coord, 43, 19, 56, N, 2, 40, 19, W, display=title Geography of Biscay Estuaries of Spain Biosphere reserves of Spain Special Protection Areas of Spain Birdwatching sites in Spain Guernica Landforms of the Basque Country (autonomous community)