Arribes del Duero Natural Park

The Natural Park Arribes del Duero (Spanish: Parque Natural de Arribes del Duero ) is a on 11 April 2002 launched the called by the Junta de Castilla y León protected landscape area in the west of the Spanish provinces of Salamanca and Zamora in the autonomous community of Castile - León the border with Portugal.

• 2.1 Population development
• 2.2 communities

• 6.1 Fauna
• 6.2 Flora

Geography

Location and extent

The partly inhabited, partly agricultural and partly untouched reserve extends approximately 80 km in a north-south direction on the formed by the rivers Douro and Agueda border with Portugal. He is an average of only about 15 to 20 km wide and covers an area of ​​about 106 square kilometers. On the Portuguese side adjacent to a similarly sized Natural Park ( Parque natural do Douro Internacional).

Geology

The substrate is formed of very old granite rock of volcanic origin, which appears in several places on the surface and partly forming spectacular rock formations. Other rocks of the region are gneiss and schist.

Landscape

The landscape is dominated by canyons formed by rivers that have entrenched themselves in the course of several million years in an interspersed with granite plateau. The slopes of the steep Schuchten are forested, while operating on the plateaus field crops and grazing management.

Rivers and reservoirs

The area of ​​the Park is crossed by several rivers - the largest being the River Duero, the Río Tormes and the Rio Agueda. Five reservoirs ( presas ) of the Duero reservoirs ( Saltos de Duero ) with connected hydro power plants with an annual output of about 5,000 GWh are located wholly or partly in the area of the nature park: Aldeadávila, Almendra, Castro, Saucelle and Villalcampo; they are fed by the rivers Duero and Tormes - the latter leads to the west of the nature reserve with the Portuguese Barca d' Alva place in the Duero. There are also three dams that are in Portuguese responsibility.

Traffic

The nature park is from the cities of Salamanca and Zamora on different roads reached, the further outcome often leads to Portugal. Between the towns in the park there are smaller roads in north-south direction.

Climate

The mostly located at altitudes between 600 and 800 meters and relatively high rainfall area of ​​the Park has a rather temperate climate, with summer daytime temperatures rarely reach above 30 ° C; at night it cools down - depending on the sky - significantly. In winter, the day temperatures reach 10 to 15 ° C; at night the thermometer often falls below the frost line. Almost every year falls on a few days of snow, the remains are rarely long time. In the deep river valleys there is a rather subtropical Mediterranean microclimate.

Landscape at Badilla

Waterfall at Pereña de la Ribera

River landscape at Castro de Alcañices

' Thick rocks ' at La Peña

Winter landscape in Hinojosa de Duero

Spring landscape with Masueco

Population

Demographics

The continuously declining population depend primarily together with the loss of jobs due to the increasing mechanization of agriculture.

Communities

Ahigal de los Aceiteros, Aldeadávila de la Ribera, Almendra, Barruecopardo, Bermellar, La Bouza, Cabeza de Caballo, Cerezal de Peñahorcada, La Fregeneda, Hinojosa de Duero, Lumbrales, Masueco, Mieza, La Peña, Pereña de la Ribera, Puerto Seguro, Saldeana, San Felices de los Gallegos, Saucelle, Sobradillo Trabanca, Villarino de los Aires, Vilvestre and La Zarza de Pumareda

Argañín, Fariza, Fermoselle, Fonfría, Gamones, Moral de Sayago, Moralina, Pino del Oro, Torregamones, Villadepera, Villalcampo, Villar del Buey and Villardiegua de la Ribera

Badilla, Carbajosa, Cabeza de Framontanos, Castro de Alcañices, Corporario, Cozcurrita, Fuentes de Masueco, Fornillos de Fermoselle, Formariz, Mámoles, Palazuelo de Sayago, Pinilla de Fermoselle, Salto de Aldeadávila, Salto de Castro, Salto de Saucelle, Salto de Villalcampo, Tudera and Zafara

Economy

The region has since time immemorial exclusively oriented agriculture, with both arable farming and pastoralism are operated. In addition, there are mainly in the south scattered vineyards, olive and fruit tree plantations. In recent decades, tourism revenues have been added, but due to the location away from all main roads to keep the numbers of visitors of the nature park within limits: In 2010, there were nearly 40,000.

History

Before the Romans, the area was inhabited by the Celtic people of Vettones; the Romans annexed the area south of the Duero in the province of Lusitania, while the north of the province Tarragonensis was slammed. Later, the region belonged to the Visigothic kingdom, after the Islamic Al -Andalus. The Reconquest ( Reconquista ) of the almost deserted land stroke was largely bloodless vonstatten. Following his re - - or better - resettlement ( repoblación ) in the 11th and 12th centuries the area was south of the Duero long time between the Kingdom of Portugal and the Kingdom of León ( later the Kingdom of Castile ) controversial: in 1295 it occupied the Portuguese King Dinis; Two years later, the border between the two kingdoms in the Treaty of Alcañices has been set. The Castilian king handed over the territory in 1340 to the care of individual landowners ( señores ), which henceforth took over border security until the 15th century, the Catholic Monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella, it transferred the Dukes of Alba.

Attractions

Although landscape and nature are at the forefront of visitor interest, as well as some important cultural and historical artifacts such as ( kelt ) can be found in the region but Iberian animal figures ( verracos ), Roman or Gallo-Roman grave stelae and medieval castles, churches and bridges.

Stele with Latin characters in Hinojosa de Duero

Roman Bridge ' at Tudera

Tower of Sobradillo

Church of Fermoselle

Church of Aldeadávila de la Ribera

Church of Villadepera

Baroque bell tower of the Church of Fariza

Ecosystem

The only sparsely populated nature park with its diverse landscape offers diverse forms of retreat and breeding sites of rare animal and bird species. The area is designated as the European bird sanctuary since 1990.

Fauna

Among the breeding birds include the White Stork and its now rare - sweltering in forests - relative, the black stork and a variety of birds such as goose and Egyptian vultures, stone and Bonelli's eagle, red kite, peregrine falcon and eagle owl. In addition, several crows birds, rocks and Rötelschwalben, Blue Rock Thrush, Alpine Swift, see etc.

Griffon

Woodcock

Long-tailed Tit

Among the mammals, 14 species of bats are to be emphasized, besides also the endangered wildlife and genets. Near the rivers and reservoirs live rare otter. Even wild boar, the European badger and various marten and dormouse species, rabbits etc. find reasonably intact habitats.

Genet

Weasel

Garden Dormouse

The many different species of fish are mostly due to human intervention (creation of reservoirs). Other native fish and migratory fish species such as the European sturgeon, salmon and eels are, however, almost extinct. Among the water-loving amphibians are found toads, frogs and newts; living in the wealthy rock lizards, snakes and tortoises.

Marbled newt

European Tree Frog

Ocellated

Flora

Among the indigenous wild trees include cedar - juniper and cork oak, which usually thrive in closed forest areas along the deeply incised rivers. The flatter areas to the south of the nature park, however, are covered by vineyards, olive and fruit trees.

Cork oak

Rebenfeld at Aldeadávila de la Ribera

Olive trees at Mieza