Valsain Mountains
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The Valsain Mountains (
Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...
: ''Montes de Valsaín'') are located in the
Valsain Valley Valsain Valley (Spanish: ''Valle de Valsaín'') is a valley of the northern slope of the Guadarrama mountain range (Sistema central mountain range). It is located in the southeastern part of the province of Segovia (Castilla y León, Spain), wit ...
, on the northern slope of the
Sierra de Guadarrama The Sierra de Guadarrama (Guadarrama Mountains) is a mountain range forming the main eastern section of the Sistema Central, the system of mountain ranges along the centre of the Iberian Peninsula. It is in Spain, between the systems Sierra de ...
and in the municipality of
Real Sitio de San Ildefonso San Ildefonso (), La Granja (), or La Granja de San Ildefonso, is a town and municipality in the Segovia (province), Province of Segovia, in the Castile and León autonomous region of central Spain. It is located in the foothills of the Sierra ...
, belonging to the
province of Segovia Segovia () is a province of central/northern Spain, in the southern part of the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is bordered by the province of Burgos in the north, Soria in the northeast, Guadalajara in the east, Madrid in the south, ...
(
Castilla y León Castile, Castille or Castilla may refer to: Places Spain * Castile (historical region), a vaguely defined historical region of Spain covering most of Castile and León, all of the Community of Madrid and most of Castilla–La Mancha * Kingdom o ...
,
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 ...
). They are formed by two mountains (called ''Montes'', in Spanish), Pinar and Matas, both of public utility and belonging to the
National Parks Autonomous Agency The National Parks Autonomous Agency (OAPN) is an List of agencies in Spain, autonomous agency of the Spanish Government of Spain, central government that manages the List of national parks of Spain, National Parks Network and the Spanish Biospher ...
, which manages it through the Centro Montes y Aserradero de Valsaín ("Valsain Mountains and Sawmill Center"). Three areas for recreation and dissemination of natural values have been enabled within its boundaries. These are: Boca de Asno—which has an interpretation center—Los Asientos, and El Robledo. The Centro Nacional de Educación Ambiental (CENEAM) also has its facilities there.


Description

The
Valsain Valley Valsain Valley (Spanish: ''Valle de Valsaín'') is a valley of the northern slope of the Guadarrama mountain range (Sistema central mountain range). It is located in the southeastern part of the province of Segovia (Castilla y León, Spain), wit ...
is located on the northern slope of the
Sierra de Guadarrama The Sierra de Guadarrama (Guadarrama Mountains) is a mountain range forming the main eastern section of the Sistema Central, the system of mountain ranges along the centre of the Iberian Peninsula. It is in Spain, between the systems Sierra de ...
crowned by the passes of
Navacerrada Navacerrada is a municipality of the Community of Madrid, Spain. It lies at an elevation of on the Reservoir Navacerrada and the entry of the valley of La Barranca in the Sierra de Guadarrama. Located from Madrid, it has only 2,500 permane ...
and
La Fuenfría LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second most populous city in the United States of America. La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music *La (musical note), or A, the sixth note *"L.A.", a song by Elliott Smit ...
, known as the historical pass of the sierra. The Sierra de Guadarrama covers it on the east side, while the mountain range of
La Mujer Muerta La Mujer Muerta (English translation: “The Dead Woman”) is a subrange of the Sierra de Guadarrama, Sistema Central, located in Segovia Province, Spain. The silhouette of the mountain range takes the shape of a reclining woman with when seen f ...
covers it on the west. Between them, the valley extends with an orientation from south to north, an average width of 6 km and an approximate length of 9 km. The altitude of the area varies between 1100 masl and the 2125 of
Siete Picos The Sierra de Guadarrama (Guadarrama Mountains) is a mountain range forming the main eastern section of the Sistema Central, the system of mountain ranges along the centre of the Iberian Peninsula. It is in Spain, between the systems Sierra de ...
. It is crossed by the rivers Eresma, Acebeda, and Peces. The soils are acid based on
granite Granite ( ) is a coarse-grained (phanerite, phaneritic) intrusive rock, intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly coo ...
and
gneiss Gneiss (pronounced ) is a common and widely distributed type of metamorphic rock. It is formed by high-temperature and high-pressure metamorphic processes acting on formations composed of igneous or sedimentary rocks. This rock is formed under p ...
. The surface occupied by the Valsain Mountains is 10 672 ha, of which 7622 are of Monte Pinar and 3046 of Monte Matas, both occupied by different tree species depending on the altitude. Scots pine is predominant and has received the nickname ''Pino de Valsaín'' ("Valsain Pine"). It produces excellent wood and has been exploited for a long time, being the economic engine of the valley. The environmental richness is very high as this is an area of little human activity and historically protected as a reserve and hunting ground by the Spanish monarchy. There is a great diversity of animal species, especially birds and plants. The valley and the mountains are crossed by the CL-601 regional road that connects
Segovia Segovia ( , , ) is a city in the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Castile and León, Spain. It is the capital and most populated municipality of the Province of Segovia. Segovia is located in the Meseta central, Inner Pl ...
with
Madrid Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...
through the Navacerrada pass. Another series of asphalted roads and highways (in different states of preservation) cross the area too; they are usually closed to vehicular traffic. Among these roads, the road that crosses the Fuenfría pass stands out, a historic pass through the mountain range that has been adapted over time to the different types of roads, from the mere prehistoric blacksmith road, the Roman road (of which there are important remains) to the asphalted road (whose last version was the road known as ''Carretera de la República'' or "Road of the Republic"). This pass has been closed to traffic and replaced by the pass of Navacerrada first and the
Alto del León The Guadarrama Pass (), also known as ''Alto del León'', is a mountain pass in Spain. It is located in the Sierra de Guadarrama, part of the Sistema Central system of ranges. Historically it has been an important communication line between Madrid ...
—and the corresponding tunnels—later.


Geology and landscape

Like the rest of the
Sistema Central The Central System, Spanish language, Spanish and , 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 north, ...
, the materials that form the soil of the valley in which the Valsain Mountains are located are of granite and gneiss origin. They are rigid materials that give the soil an outstanding acidity. These materials were broken following a series of fracture lines that formed the pits and mountain massifs. The physiognomy of the mountains is structured in three landscape units that are organized depending on altitude, orientation (one is on the sunny side and the other on the shady side), soil, water and prevailing winds, among other factors, where human intervention is one of the most important. These units are: the mountains, the valleys, and the ramps.


Hydrography

The main water courses that run through the
Valsain Valley Valsain Valley (Spanish: ''Valle de Valsaín'') is a valley of the northern slope of the Guadarrama mountain range (Sistema central mountain range). It is located in the southeastern part of the province of Segovia (Castilla y León, Spain), wit ...
—and with it its mountains—are the rivers Eresma, Acebeda and Peces, all of them in the upper part of their basins. These rivers are formed by the sum of a multitude of small streams that flow down from the mountains surrounding the valley. Annual rainfall usually ranges from 885 mm in the lowlands to 1170 mm in the highlands. It is very often in the form of snow, especially on the summits of the mountains where snow can be seen well into the spring. The Eresma river is formed by the streams that flow down the northern slopes of
Siete Picos The Sierra de Guadarrama (Guadarrama Mountains) is a mountain range forming the main eastern section of the Sistema Central, the system of mountain ranges along the centre of the Iberian Peninsula. It is in Spain, between the systems Sierra de ...
,
Alto del Telégrafo The musical term alto, meaning "high" in Italian (Latin: ''altus''), historically refers to the contrapuntal part higher than the tenor and its associated vocal range. In four-part voice leading alto is the second-highest part, sung in choruses ...
and Minguete, on its left side and the stream that flows down from Puerto de Cotos. The Acebeda river is formed by the waters that flow down the slopes of
Montón de Trigo Montón de Trigo is one of the most important and highest mountains of the Sierra de Guadarrama (mountain range belonging to the Sistema Central) and of the mountainous branch of La Mujer Muerta, located between the valleys of the Valle del río ...
and
La Pinareja La Pinareja is a mountain in Spain. Geography The mountain is located in El Espinar El Espinar is a Spanish population centre and a municipality located 65 kilometres away northwest from Madrid city centre, in the northern slope of the Sis ...
. The Peces river runs along the eastern edge of the Monte del Pinar.


Vegetation

The predominant tree species of this area is the
pinus sylvestris ''Pinus sylvestris'', the Scots pine (UK), Scotch pine (US), Baltic pine, or European red pine is a species of tree in the pine family Pinaceae that is native plant, native to Eurasia. It can readily be identified by its combination of fairly s ...
or Scots pine, that occupies the upper part of the mountains, above 1200 meters. Further down, the
Pyrenean oak ''Quercus pyrenaica'', also known as Pyrenean oak, or Spanish 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 Portu ...
can be found, and in the lower area there are patches of holm oak. On the banks of the rivers there are formations of
gallery forest A gallery forest is one formed as a corridor along rivers or wetlands, projecting into landscapes that are otherwise only sparsely treed such as savannas, grasslands, or deserts. The gallery forest maintains a more temperate microclimate above th ...
s, and we can also find holly, yew, poplar, sour cherry, ash and maple trees, which are combined with the
shrub A shrub or bush is a small to medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees by their multiple ...
s and bushes such as broom, rock rose steppe, juniper, and heather. The vegetation is complemented by meadows where cattle and horses graze. Therefore, we find a diversity that goes from the oak and holm oak groves at the bottom of the valley to the meadows of the summits. There are 867 catalogued species, of which only 69 are allochthonous (non-native) and are located in gardens and urbanized spaces. The main species that exist in the Valsain Mountains are the following:


Scots pine

The Scots pine (''
Pinus sylvestris ''Pinus sylvestris'', the Scots pine (UK), Scotch pine (US), Baltic pine, or European red pine is a species of tree in the pine family Pinaceae that is native plant, native to Eurasia. It can readily be identified by its combination of fairly s ...
'') forms the extensive pine forests that cover most of the mountains. It is located between 1200 and 1900 masl of altitude, this being the forest limit of the area. It reaches an average height of 25 meters and can sometimes exceed 30 meters. In the sunny areas the volume of the canopy is lower than in the shady areas. The undergrowth of the pine forests is usually composed of oak (''
Quercus pyrenaica ''Quercus pyrenaica'', also known as Pyrenean oak, or Spanish 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 Portu ...
'', this below 1400 masl) and ''retama'', juniper, broom, and brambles. In the clearings that open up in the pine forests, brambles abound. In the upper parts of the undergrowth there is juniper, broom, nightshade, and wild berries. And in the lower parts, retamas, rowan, blackthorn, hawthorn, heather, hazel, cherry and holly.


Pyrenean oak

The Pyrenean oak (''
Quercus pyrenaica ''Quercus pyrenaica'', also known as Pyrenean oak, or Spanish 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 Portu ...
'') occupies the lower part. It is located between 1000 and 1400 meters of altitude. It is very affected by the late and early snowfalls. Many times it plays the role of undergrowth species. In its forests there is an undergrowth composed mainly of steppe, blackthorn, blackthorn, privet, honeysuckle, broom, hawthorn and rose.


Holm oak

Holm oak (''
Quercus ilex ''Quercus ilex'', the holly oak, also (ambiguously, as many oaks are evergreen) evergreen oak, is a large evergreen oak native to the Mediterranean region. It is a member of the section (botany), section ''List of Quercus species#Section Ilex, Il ...
'') occupies two small areas in the Valsain Mountains. It is established between the altitudes of 1300 and 1350 meters in the area of the slopes of Cabeza Grande and between 1118 and 1225 meters in the northern wing of Cerro Matabueyes. Its understory is composed of steppe and similar species.


Grasslands

There are different types of grasslands. All of them are dotted with thorny woody species such as '' Rosa sp.'', ''
Crataegus monogyna ''Crataegus monogyna'', known as common hawthorn, whitethorn, one-seed hawthorn, or single-seeded hawthorn, is a species of flowering plant in the rose family, Rosaceae. It grows to about tall, producing plant sexuality, hermaphrodite flowers i ...
'', ''
Prunus spinosa ''Prunus spinosa'', called blackthorn or sloe, is an Old World species of flowering plant in the rose family, Rosaceae. It is locally naturalized in parts of the New World. The fruits are used to make sloe gin in Britain and patxaran in B ...
'', if heavily razed; and by shrubs such as steppe, but also by scotch broom (''
Cytisus scoparius ''Cytisus scoparius'' ( syn. ''Sarothamnus scoparius''), the common broom or Scotch broom, is a deciduous leguminous shrub native to western and central Europe. In Great Britain and Ireland, the standard name is broom; this name is also used fo ...
'') or broom (''
Genista florida ''Genista florida'', the floriferous greenweed, is a species of flowering plant belonging to the family Fabaceae. Description Very branched shrub that can reach up to 3 m. The stems have 8 to 10 slightly hairy T-shaped ribs. Leaves alternate e ...
''). The grasslands are: * Nardus: They are established above 1300 and 1400 meters of altitude, above the pine forest level. They are meadows composed of ''
Nardus stricta ''Nardus'' is a genus of plants belonging to the grass family, containing the single species ''Nardus stricta'', known as matgrass. It is placed in its own tribe Nardeae within the subfamily Pooideae. The name derives from ancient Greek ' () fro ...
'' accompanied by ''
Festuca rubra ''Festuca rubra'' is a species of grass known by the common name red fescue, creeping red fescue or the rush-leaf fescue. It is widespread across much of the Northern Hemisphere and can tolerate many habitats and climates. It is best adapted to w ...
, F. indigesta,
Anthoxanthum odoratum ''Anthoxanthum odoratum'' is a short-lived perennial plant, perennial grass, commonly known as sweet vernal grass, that is native to acidic grassland in Eurasia and northern Africa. It is grown as a lawn grass and a house plant, due to its swee ...
,
Lotus corniculatus ''Lotus corniculatus'' is a flowering plant in the pea family Fabaceae. Common names include common bird's-foot trefoil, eggs and bacon, birdsfoot deervetch, and just bird's-foot trefoil (a name also often applied to other ''Lotus'' spp.). It ha ...
,
Trifolium pratense ''Trifolium pratense'' (from Latin prātum, meaning meadow), red clover, is a herbaceous species of flowering plant in the bean family, Fabaceae. It is native to the Old World, but planted and naturalised in many other regions. Description ...
'' and ''
Trifolium repens ''Trifolium repens'', the white clover, is a herbaceous perennial plant in the bean family Fabaceae (otherwise known as Leguminosae). It is native to Europe, including the British Isles, and central Asia and is one of the most widely cultivated ...
''. They have a high production but poor bromatological quality. They are frequented by wildlife and equine livestock. * Montanan grazing lands: Between 1100 and 1300 meters of altitude, in hydrically poor soils, these continuous pastures are used by cattle and horses. These meadows can also be seen in oak and pine forest clearings. The most frequent species are ''Festuca elegans, F. ampla, Bromus rigidus, B. hordaceus, B. diandus,
Poa bulbosa ''Poa bulbosa'' is a species of grass known by the common names bulbous bluegrass or bulbous meadow-grass. It is native to Eurasia and North Africa, but it is present practically worldwide as an introduced species. It is widespread in the United ...
,
Aira praecox ''Aira praecox'' is a species of grass known by several common names, including early hair-grass, yellow hairgrass and spike hairgrass. It is native to Europe, where it is found in dry, sandy places, on rocky outcrops, and in heath grassland. It ...
,
Lolium perenne ''Lolium perenne'', common name perennial ryegrass, English ryegrass, winter ryegrass, or ray grass, is a grass from the family Poaceae. It is native to Europe, Asia and northern Africa, but is widely cultivated and naturalised around the world. ...
,
Lotus corniculatus ''Lotus corniculatus'' is a flowering plant in the pea family Fabaceae. Common names include common bird's-foot trefoil, eggs and bacon, birdsfoot deervetch, and just bird's-foot trefoil (a name also often applied to other ''Lotus'' spp.). It ha ...
,
Medicago sativa Alfalfa () (''Medicago sativa''), also called lucerne, is a perennial flowering plant in the legume family Fabaceae. It is cultivated as an important forage crop in many countries around the world. It is used for grazing, hay, and silage, as we ...
,
Ornithopus perpusillus ''Ornithopus perpusillus'' or little white bird's-foot, is a plant species of the genus ''Ornithopus ''Ornithopus'', the bird's-foot, is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family, Fabaceae. It includes six species and one natural hybrid ...
,
Phleum pratense Timothy (''Phleum pratense'') is an abundant perennial grass native to most of Europe except for the Mediterranean region. It is also known as timothy-grass, meadow cat's-tail or common cat's tail. It is a member of the genus '' Phleum'', cons ...
,
Plantago lanceolata ''Plantago lanceolata'' is a species of flowering plant in the plantain family Plantaginaceae. It is known by the common names ribwort plantain, narrowleaf plantain, English plantain, ribleaf, lamb's tongue, and buckhorn. It is a common weed on ...
, Trifolium strictum'' and ''T. campestre.'' * Siliceous grazing lands: These meadows of continuous pasture are used for sheep and cattle grazing due to their bromatological quality and good grazing characteristics. They are composed of ''
Poa bulbosa ''Poa bulbosa'' is a species of grass known by the common names bulbous bluegrass or bulbous meadow-grass. It is native to Eurasia and North Africa, but it is present practically worldwide as an introduced species. It is widespread in the United ...
,
Trifolium subterraneum ''Trifolium subterraneum'', the subterranean clover (often shortened to sub clover), subterranean trefoil, is a species of clover native to Europe, Southwest Asia, Northwest Africa and Macaronesia. The plant's name comes from its underground s ...
, Bromus hordaceus,
Lupinus angustifolius ''Lupinus angustifolius'' is a species of lupin known by many common names, including narrowleaf lupin, narrow-leaved lupin and blue lupin. It is native to Eurasia and northern Africa and naturalized in parts of Australia and North America. It h ...
, Eryngium tenue, Ornithopus compressus,
Medicago rigidula ''Medicago rigidula'', the Tifton burclover, is a species of annual herb in the family Fabaceae. They have a self-supporting growth form and compound, broad leaves. Individuals can grow to 0.50m tall. It is a secondary wild relative of the cultiv ...
'' and ''
Vulpia bromoides ''Vulpia bromoides'', squirreltail fescue, barren fescue or brome fescue, is a species of grass in the family Poaceae Poaceae ( ), also called Gramineae ( ), is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of monocotyledonous flowering plants com ...
''. * Vallicar: This is a grassland that is formed when the grazing lands are enclosed. They are typical of lowland areas and occur in humid soils. They are used for grazing livestock. They are composed of ''
Vulpia bromoides ''Vulpia bromoides'', squirreltail fescue, barren fescue or brome fescue, is a species of grass in the family Poaceae Poaceae ( ), also called Gramineae ( ), is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of monocotyledonous flowering plants com ...
, Ornithopus compressus,
Holcus lanatus ''Holcus lanatus'' is a perennial flowering plant in the grass family Poaceae. The specific epithet ' is Latin for 'woolly' which describes the plant's hairy texture. Common names include Yorkshire fog, tufted grass, and meadow soft grass. In Nor ...
,
Aira praecox ''Aira praecox'' is a species of grass known by several common names, including early hair-grass, yellow hairgrass and spike hairgrass. It is native to Europe, where it is found in dry, sandy places, on rocky outcrops, and in heath grassland. It ...
, Arrenatherum album, A. elatius,
Briza media ''Briza media'' is a perennial grass in the family Poaceae and is a species of the genus '' Briza''. Common name includes quaking-grass, common quaking grass, cow-quake, didder, dithering-grass, dodder-grass, doddering dillies, doddle-grass, ear ...
, Bromas hordaceus, Cynosorus echinatus, Dactilys glomerata'' and '' Trifolium striatum''.


Fauna

The catalog of the fauna of the Valsaín Mountains lists more than 210 species of vertebrate animals and 570 species of insects. Among the vertebrates we find the following distribution:


Birds

It is the most numerous group with 150 different species among which there are more than 100 nesting birds. The black vulture ('' Aegypus monachus'') and specimens of imperial eagle ('' Aquila adalberti'') stand out for their numbers. There are also griffon vulture (''
Gyps fulvus The Eurasian griffon vulture (''Gyps fulvus'') is a large Old World vulture in the bird of prey family Accipitridae. It is also known as the griffon vulture, although this term is sometimes used for the genus as a whole. It is not to be confuse ...
'') and other nocturnal and diurnal birds of prey. We also find an important community of forest birds:
tits TIT, Tit, Tits, or tit may refer to: Birds * Tit (bird) or Paridae, a large family of passerine birds ** Penduline tit or Remizidae, sometimes included in Paridae as Remizinae * Bearded tit, a small reed-bed passerine bird * Long-tailed tits o ...
,
piciformes Nine families of largely arboreal birds make up the order Piciformes (), the best-known of them being the Picidae, which includes the woodpeckers and close relatives. The Piciformes contain about 71 living genera with a little over 450 species, ...
, and several forest corvidae (
jay Jays are a paraphyletic grouping of passerine birds within the family Corvidae. Although the term "jay" carries no taxonomic weight, most or all of the birds referred to as jays share a few similarities: they are small to medium-sized, usually ...
s,
raven A raven is any of several large-bodied passerine bird species in the genus '' Corvus''. These species do not form a single taxonomic group within the genus. There is no consistent distinction between crows and ravens; the two names are assigne ...
s and
crow A crow is a bird of the genus ''Corvus'', or more broadly, a synonym for all of ''Corvus''. The word "crow" is used as part of the common name of many species. The related term "raven" is not linked scientifically to any certain trait but is rathe ...
s.)


Mammals

There are 45 species of mammals of which 15 are bats. You can find
wild boar The wild boar (''Sus scrofa''), also known as the wild swine, common wild pig, Eurasian wild pig, or simply wild pig, is a Suidae, suid native to much of Eurasia and North Africa, and has been introduced to the Americas and Oceania. The speci ...
s,
fox Foxes are small-to-medium-sized omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull; upright, triangular ears; a pointed, slightly upturned snout; and a long, bushy tail ("brush"). Twelve species ...
es, roe deers,
wild cats The wildcat is a species complex comprising two small wild cat species: the European wildcat (''Felis silvestris'') and the African wildcat (''F. lybica''). The European wildcat inhabits forests in Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus, while the ...
and
otter Otters are carnivorous mammals in the subfamily Lutrinae. The 13 extant otter species are all semiaquatic, aquatic, or marine. Lutrinae is a branch of the Mustelidae family, which includes weasels, badgers, mink, and wolverines, among ...
s. Among the bats: '' Myotis blythii nathalinae'' is an Iberian
endemism Endemism is the state of a species being found only 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 foun ...
, as are '' Sorex granarius'', '' Talpa caeca occidentalis'' and '' Microtus lusitanicus depressus (
Pitymys Pitymys is a subgenus of voles in the genus ''Microtus''. Species in this subgenus are: *Guatemalan vole (''Microtus guatemalensis'') *Tarabundí vole (''Microtus oaxacensis'') *Woodland vole (''Microtus pinetorum'') *Jalapan pine vole (''Microtu ...
)'' . The hedgehog (''
Erinaceus europaeus The European hedgehog (''Erinaceus europaeus''), also known as the West European hedgehog or common hedgehog, is a hedgehog species native to Europe from Iberia and Italy northwards into Scandinavia and westwards into the British Isles.Harris, S. ...
)'' is also abundantly present, as well as the red squirrel ''(
Sciurus vulgaris The red squirrel (''Sciurus vulgaris''), also called Eurasian red squirrel, is a species of tree squirrel in the genus ''Sciurus''. It is an arboreal and primarily herbivorous rodent and common throughout Eurasia. Taxonomy There have been o ...
'').


Reptiles

There are 15 different species of reptiles, the most relevant being the snub-nosed viper ('' Vipera latastei''), the ringed snake (''
Natrix natrix The grass snake (''Natrix natrix''), sometimes called the ringed snake or water snake, is a Eurasian semi-aquatic non-venomous colubrid snake. It is often found near water and feeds almost exclusively on amphibians. Subspecies Many subspecies ...
''), the cyren's rock lizard (''
Iberolacerta cyreni ''Iberolacerta cyreni'', commonly known as the Cyren's rock lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. The species is endemic to central Spain and is currently listed as endangered by the IUCN due to global warming. ''I. cyreni'' ...
'') and the Schreiber's green lizard (''
Lacerta schreiberi The Iberian emerald lizard (''Lacerta schreiberi''), also known commonly as Schreiber's green lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. The species is endemic to the Iberian Peninsula. Etymology The specific name, ''schreiberi'' ...
'').


Amphibians

There are 10 catalogued species of amphibians. They are found in wetlands and the most relevant are salamanders (''
Salamandra salamandra The fire salamander (''Salamandra salamandra'') is a common species of salamander found in Europe. It is black with yellow spots or stripes to a varying degree; some specimens can be nearly completely black while on others the yellow is dominant ...
bejarae''), newts and different species of frogs and toads such as the Iberian stream frog ('' Rana iberica'').


Fish

In the rivers of the mountains live 5 species of fish, the most abundant are the
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 ...
, the
gobies Gobiidae or gobies is a family of bony fish in the order Gobiiformes, one of the largest fish families comprising over 2,000 species in more than 200 genera. Most of gobiid fish are relatively small, typically less than in length, and the fam ...
and the bermejuela.


Insects

Among the more than 570 species of insects, we can find the emblematic greater stag beetle (''
Lucanus cervus ''Lucanus cervus'', known as the European stag beetle, or the greater stag beetle, is one of the best-known species of stag beetle (family Lucanidae) in Western Europe, and is the eponymous example of the genus. ''L. cervus'' is listed as Near T ...
'') and the butterflies '' Graellsia isabelae'', ''
Parnassius apollo The Apollo (''Parnassius apollo''), also called the mountain Apollo , is a butterfly of the family Papilionidae. Etymology The species is named in the classical tradition for the deity Apollo. Subspecies Subspecies include: * ''Parnassius apol ...
'', ''
Leptidea sinapis ''Leptidea sinapis,'' or the wood white butterfly of the family Pieridae, is a small white butterfly that is mainly found in England, Ireland, and Northern Europe. The butterfly has white wings with grey or yellow markings near the center or tip ...
'' and '' Boloria selene castellana''.


Management and uses

The management of the Valsaíi forests is carried out by the Centro Montes y Aserradero de Valsaín, which seeks to maintain the traditional use of the richness of the forests with their conservation. The management combines forest and livestock exploitation, the traditional use of the forests, with public use. The opening of the Valsain forests for the enjoyment and relaxation of the citizens also seeks to disseminate the natural values among the population. The activity generated around the Valsain Mountains has a very significant influence on the environment and on the municipality of
Real Sitio de San Ildefonso San Ildefonso (), La Granja (), or La Granja de San Ildefonso, is a town and municipality in the Segovia (province), Province of Segovia, in the Castile and León autonomous region of central Spain. It is located in the foothills of the Sierra ...
. It generates direct activity for more than 150 people a year and is the main driver of forestry and wood processing activity.


Public use

Aimed at the enjoyment of the mountains by the general public and the dissemination of natural values, three recreational areas have been set up. These are ''Boca de Asno'', ''Los Asientos'' and ''El Robledo''. All of them are on the edge of the road that crosses the valley, the CL-601 and have parking areas and different services. In the Boca del Asno area, there is an Interpretation Center, opened in 2004, which brings the mountains closer to visitors by showing their history, natural wealth and management. The center is structured in six parts: * Entrance: On display is the cutting of a century-old trunk of a pine tree, which shows the historical events that have taken place during its life and, once inside the building, there are several terrariums where you can observe cuts of the soil of the mountains. * Reception: It is the point of attention to the public and where you can acquire different publications with information about the area and also information about the different routes that can be taken, both free and guided. * Projection: A historical video about the mountains is shown in a projection room. It shows the link between the mountains and the monarchy and its impact on the inhabitants of Valsain and La Granja. * Scenographic exhibition: A virtual walk through the different ecosystems that can be found in the mountains. A full day that begins with a sunrise and sunset in the mountains. * Thematic exhibition: Information is displayed in different formats, from panels to computer screens, on different aspects of the Valsain Mountains and the different routes available. * Audiovisual room: Projection of an audiovisual showing, through the thread of the history of a pine tree, the process of pine forest management, and its interpellation with other species. A system of guided routes—free service—intends to disseminate the natural values and knowledge of the terrain. These routes start in the three recreation areas and other places in the mountains such as Cogorros, Puente de la Cantina, Puerto los Cotos and Pradera de Navalhorno. A dense network of roads and highways, with unauthorized access for unauthorized vehicles, allows any excursion or ascent to any of the mountains surrounding the valley, which in many cases exceed 2000 masl, with slopes of more than 1000 masl. The facilities of the Centro Nacional de Educación Ambiental (the CENEAM) are located within the lands occupied by the Valsain Mountains. The CENEAM is oriented to inform, educate and raise awareness about the environment. The center consists of several facilities among which the projection of a slideshow about life in the mountains during the seasons of the year stands out. There are several rooms showing the different peculiarities of the
Valsain Valley Valsain Valley (Spanish: ''Valle de Valsaín'') is a valley of the northern slope of the Guadarrama mountain range (Sistema central mountain range). It is located in the southeastern part of the province of Segovia (Castilla y León, Spain), wit ...
and the
Guadarrama mountain range The Sierra de Guadarrama (Guadarrama Mountains) is a mountain range forming the main eastern section of the Sistema Central, the system of mountain ranges along the centre of the Iberian Peninsula. It is in Spain, between the systems Sierra de ...
, which are complemented by an interactive walk through the pine forest surrounding the facilities. Among the different routes available to learn about the natural environment, the Pesquerías del Eresma ("Eresma Fisheries") is worth mentioning for its singularity and low difficulty (which makes it suitable for any type of person). The Pesquerías del Eresma is a route by the margins of the river that begins in Boca del Asno and ascends by the left bank using the adjustments made so that the kings could travel comfortably to go fishing.


Forest management

The Montes y Aserradero de Valsaín organization is responsible of managing the development of the Valsain forests, making their exploitation compatible with the traditional uses and the conservation and improvement of the different habitats in which the different species of fauna and flora develop, thus obeying the dictates of Law 43/2003 on Montes, which states: To achieve these objectives, the area of the Valsain forests is divided into different zones or quarters, in which lines of action are established depending on their characteristics. This means that there are areas dedicated to forestry exploitation, recreation, grazing or the protection of different species. The main harvesting activity is the logging of Scots pine. The management of forest resources is established in the following documents: * 6ª Revisión de la Ordenación del Monte Pinar de Valsaín (period of validity 2000–2009). * 2ª Rev. de la Ordenación del Monte Matas de Valsaín (period of validity 2004–2019). * 1ª Rev. de la Ordenación Silvopastoral de los Montes de Valsaín (period of validity 2000–2009). * IV Plan Cinegético del Coto Montes de Valsaín (period of validity 2006–07 to 2009–10).


Sistema de Gestión Forestal Sostenible de los Montes de Valsaín (SGFS)

Management is carried out in accordance with five basic documents that involve knowledge of the space to be managed and the long-term and short-term plans (the General Plan and the Special Plan) that determine the planning of environmental measures to act on the different agents such as the fauna, flora, territory, etc. The knowledge of the space to be managed is collected under different points of view or states, these are: * Legal Status. * Natural State. * Inventory Status. * Forestry Report. There is a permanent revision and correction of the plans, making comparative revisions with previous inventories and correcting undesired deviations. The surface of the forests has been divided into 25 different quarters, most of them destined to production, one of the quarters has been left out of the forestry exploitation with the objective of achieving a mature semi-naturalized pine forest surface. In the rest, restrictions are determined depending on their particular characteristics. The main species exploited is Scots pine, but there are also exploitations of other species. The following table shows the different volumes of wood of each species in each of the forests and their exploitation possibilities: With the exception of 50 ha, the main harvestable species in the Pinar Mountain is Scots pine. In the Matas mountain the
Pyrenean oak ''Quercus pyrenaica'', also known as Pyrenean oak, or Spanish 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 Portu ...
is also harvested.


Form of exploitation

In the pine forest, thinning is carried out successively by coppicing in order to replace mature trees with younger ones. In the oak grove, the dry and overgrown trees are eliminated. These activities are limited in terms of the way and time of cutting, in certain areas, for different reasons such as landscaping, non-interference in the awnings and headlands or in the reproduction of protected species. No harvesting is carried out in some areas and within a radius of 100 meters from the nesting areas of the black vulture and imperial eagle. Within a radius of 500 meters, harvesting is done at specific times. The pines are cut when they are 120 years old. The felling is done by cutting with a chainsaw, then the pines are removed from the forest with different means (horses, tractors or loaders) and are transported and stacked with crane trucks after being measured. The management is carried out using the ''Tramo Móvil'' method. This method divides the barracks into different ''cantones'' that are usually delimited by natural disaster areas or roads and in this area the number of trees and their characteristics are inventoried. Depending on the state of maturity of the tree, three sections are assigned: * Regeneration, when the trees are in the regeneration period. In this section, thinning cuts are made. * Improvement, when regeneration has been completed. Cutting of the "parent" trees that have been left for seed supply. * Preparation, when they are close to maturity. Sick and dry trees are cut, preparing the optimum density to achieve, when thinning is carried out, a new regeneration. One section is always left for thinning, another for protection without cutting and others with only improvement sections. There are 50 ha in the Revenga quarter where the aim is to achieve an adult mass of holly by thinning the undergrowth of the pine forest formed by holly. For the development of the different works within the Valsain Mountains there are 50 people working in different areas. There are field workers, administrative workers, sawmill workers, park rangers, guides, environmental agents, technicians... and there are also contracts with companies, both public and private.


El Pinar

The felling age of Scots pine is about 120 years. The traditional way of exploiting these forests is to thin the pine forests. In the clearings opened up by the felling of the adult pines, the light index rises, which facilitates the germination of the pine nuts and, thus, a new generation of pines. Over time, the mass of adult trees is replaced by new young pines, completely regenerating the pine forest. At the beginning, the mass of young pines is very dense and decreases by natural process and by human intervention that performs different cleanings and cuts until reaching the convenient density for an optimal development of the tree. In areas of special protection, where some endangered species live, no intervention is carried out in order to preserve the structure of the "tree canopy" and not to disturb with the movement of men and machines.


The sawmill

The forestry exploitation of the Valsain forests is carried out through El Aserradero ("The Sawmill"). This facility, located in Monte de Matas, next to the town of Valsain and the facilities of the Centro Nacional de Educación Ambiental, occupies an area of 12 ha. It was created in 1884 by the Royal House. In its beginnings the motive power was based on steam. The ownership of the sawmill followed the same fate as the forests. When, in 1945, the mountains became part of the
Patrimonio Nacional Patrimonio Nacional () is a Spanish autonomous agency, under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of the Presidency, Justice and Relations with the Cortes, that administers the sites owned by the Spanish State and used by the Monarch and the ...
, the sawmill also became part of the Patrimonio Nacional. On July 16, 1982, it came under the control of the Instituto Nacional para la Conservación de la Naturaleza (ICONA). In 1952, the facilities were enlarged and modernized, and were equipped with a head, a splitting machine, a pendulum saw and a galley. In 1985, the last reform was carried out in which the facilities were updated with modern machinery and automation. On October 1, 2005, it was affected by a fire that brought production to a standstill. The flames affected the machinery and the warehouse. In 2007, sawmilling operations were resumed with a mobile sawmill carriage and the reconstruction work continued, taking advantage of the same to equip the sawmill with the most modern lumber production technology. The production is marketed under the brand name ''Maderas de Valsaín'' ("Valsain Woods") and is adapted to market requirements. Sustainable forest management system certificates have been obtained. The FSC (SW-FM/COC-1441) was obtained in February 2005, issued by FSC Spain, and includes the chain of custody for the wood processed by the sawmill. And the PEFC (PEFC/14-23-00008) in November 2004, issued by PEFC España. There are plans to build a Wood Museum at the sawmill facilities, which would occupy the former facilities of the ''Real Taller de Aserrío Mecánico''.


History

Historically, the Valsain Mountains belonged to the city of
Segovia Segovia ( , , ) is a city in the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Castile and León, Spain. It is the capital and most populated municipality of the Province of Segovia. Segovia is located in the Meseta central, Inner Pl ...
and were managed by the ''Noble Junta de Linajes y al Común de su Tierra''. In 1579, hunting and fishing were prohibited in these areas, making them the first protected natural space. In 1761, the hunting richness of these areas led King Carlos III to acquire them for use as a hunting reserve. Between December 9 of 1869—date on which the ley de desvinculación y venta de bienes de la Corona ("law of dissociation and sale of Crown propert") was enacted—and the Law of June 1876, the mountains were in private hands. Their return to the Crown was not complete, leaving the Matas Pirón, Mata de la Saúca and Navalosar in private hands. With the arrival of the
Second Spanish Republic The Spanish Republic (), commonly known as the Second Spanish Republic (), was the form of democratic government in Spain from 1931 to 1939. The Republic was proclaimed on 14 April 1931 after the deposition of Alfonso XIII, King Alfonso XIII. ...
, they ceased to be the property of the Crown and became part of the State patrimony. In 1940 they became the property of
Patrimonio Nacional Patrimonio Nacional () is a Spanish autonomous agency, under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of the Presidency, Justice and Relations with the Cortes, that administers the sites owned by the Spanish State and used by the Monarch and the ...
and in 1982, by means of Law 23 of June 16, regulating the assets of Patrimonio Nacional, they were transferred to ICONA which, with its disappearance in 1985, became part of the
National Parks Autonomous Agency The National Parks Autonomous Agency (OAPN) is an List of agencies in Spain, autonomous agency of the Spanish Government of Spain, central government that manages the List of national parks of Spain, National Parks Network and the Spanish Biospher ...
(OAPN) until the present day. The first attempt to protect the environment took place in 1920 when an attempt was made to declare the entire
Sierra de Guadarrama The Sierra de Guadarrama (Guadarrama Mountains) is a mountain range forming the main eastern section of the Sistema Central, the system of mountain ranges along the centre of the Iberian Peninsula. It is in Spain, between the systems Sierra de ...
and the Valsain Mountains a national park. This attempt failed. Later, in 1930 three small areas were protected as Sitios Naturales de Interés Nacional, one of which was the Pinar de La Acebeda. In 1988, it was declared SPA, Special Protection Area,{{cite web , title=Entorno , url=http://www.tariflex.com/entorno.htm , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080703174149/http://www.tariflex.com/entorno.htm , archive-date=3 July 2008 , publisher=Tariflex S.L , location=Valsaín, Segovia (Spain) , language=spanish given the importance and uniqueness of the bird wealth with more than 100 nesting species and was included in the
Natura 2000 Network Natura 2000 is a network of nature protection areas in the territory of the European Union. It is made up of Special Areas of Conservation and Special Protection Areas designated under the Habitats Directive and the Birds Directive, respectively ...
of protected areas of the
European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...
in 1995, according to their conditions of SPA and SCI. The proposal for the declaration of
Site of Community Importance A Site of Community Importance (SCI) is defined in the European Commission Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC) as a site which, in the biogeographical region or regions to which it belongs, contributes significantly to the maintenance or restoration at ...
(SCI) was made in 1998. It is included in the Plan de Espacios Naturales Protegidos de Castilla y León since 2003.


Environmental provisions

* Special Protection Area (SPA). * ''Sitio Natural de Interés Nacional del Pinar de la Acebeda'' ("Natural Site of National Interest of the Acebeda Pine Forest") located on 587 ha of the Valsain Pine Forest (declared in 1930). * Critical Area SG -3 for the purposes of the Plan de Recuperación del Águila Imperial Ibérica en Castilla y León.


See also

*
Sistema Central The Central System, Spanish language, Spanish and , 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 north, ...
*
Valsain Valley Valsain Valley (Spanish: ''Valle de Valsaín'') is a valley of the northern slope of the Guadarrama mountain range (Sistema central mountain range). It is located in the southeastern part of the province of Segovia (Castilla y León, Spain), wit ...
*
La Mujer Muerta La Mujer Muerta (English translation: “The Dead Woman”) is a subrange of the Sierra de Guadarrama, Sistema Central, located in Segovia Province, Spain. The silhouette of the mountain range takes the shape of a reclining woman with when seen f ...
*
Sierra de Guadarrama The Sierra de Guadarrama (Guadarrama Mountains) is a mountain range forming the main eastern section of the Sistema Central, the system of mountain ranges along the centre of the Iberian Peninsula. It is in Spain, between the systems Sierra de ...
*
Montón de Trigo Montón de Trigo is one of the most important and highest mountains of the Sierra de Guadarrama (mountain range belonging to the Sistema Central) and of the mountainous branch of La Mujer Muerta, located between the valleys of the Valle del río ...


References

San Ildefonso (Segovia) Forests of Spain Mountains of Spain