Sierra Nevada National Park (Spain)
37.2 - 3.25Koordinaten: 37 ° 12 '0 "N, 3 ° 15 ' 0 " W
The Spanish Sierra Nevada National Park, in Spanish Parque Nacional de Sierra Nevada, protects a large part of the Sierra Nevada in the provinces of Granada and Almería of the Autonomous Community of Andalusia. The national park was established in 1999 and covers an area of 86.208 hectares. He is regarded as representative of the middle and high registers of a mountain range in the Mediterranean. With the 3,482 m high Mulhacen is also the highest mountain of the Iberian Peninsula. Above 2000 meters fall three-quarters of precipitation as snow. Winters are cold and summers are hot and dry. The Sierra Nevada National Park is known for its rich flora with many endemic species as well as for the existence of Iberiensteinbocks.
Vegetation
In the area of the National Park grow about 2,100 different species of plants, of which 116 are considered threatened. 80 plant species are endemic, they are found only in the Sierra Nevada. At the height level 1700-1900 meters holm oak forests dominate, sometimes we find such French maple, snowball maple, Portuguese oak (Quercus faginea ) or the Pyrenean oak. Along the rivers are black alder, willow, ash, elm and poplar trees.
Between 1900 and 2800 meters altitude are pines and Spanish juniper, with increasing height of the forest is in bushland ( Matorral ) above. The most common is the Enebral - Piornal type of Matorral, characterized by juniper (Spanish enebro ) and Geißklee Cytisus purgans ( spanish serrano piorno ). Characteristic of this plant community and the fescue Festuca species indigesta, the chickweed Arenaria imbricata and the endemic species Genista versicolor, Arenaria pungens and the cinquefoil Potentilla nevadensis. In the high mountain stage of 2800 meters above any trees or shrubs thrive more. The alpine grassland there can be up to 70 % endemic plants as well as plants with a wide distribution such as the Alpine gentian. On " Borreguiles " said wet lawns at the base of the glacier Karen regarded as the symbol of the park plantain Plantago nivalis and the kind Butterwort Pinguicula nevadensis grow. On screes more endemic species can be found, like the violet - kind Viola crassiuscula or saxifrage Saxifraga nevadensis - type.
Wildlife
The Iberiensteinbock is frequent and easily observed in the park. Above 2,500 meters survived the snow mouse. The Iberian lynx is in the Sierra Nevada no longer present, but the wildcat.
Because of the summer heat missing in the Sierra Nevada some of the other occurring in mountains of Europe birds. For many migratory birds which extends in the east-west direction Sierra Nevada is an obstacle that must be circumnavigated. In the Sierra Nevada National Park 84 breeding bird species were counted. In addition to the golden eagle can be observed in high altitude Alpine accentor, Wheatear, Black Redstart, Red-billed Chough and Rock Thrush. In subalpine Matorral live among other Tawny Pipit, Skylark, Linnet, Rock Bunting, Ortolan Bunting, Stonechat and the red-legged partridge.