Archive for the ‘Andalucia’ Category
Rain in Andalucia
Saturday, March 6th, 2010
The rains keep falling. Rainfall in Andalucia in February, after a very wet January, was THREE times as high as average in the last thirty years. Parts of Cadiz received more than 200mm. Recent records have been smashed across the region. More from El Periodico
See also Rainy Spain
Aznalcóllar and the Cretaceous extinction
Tuesday, February 16th, 2010
Researchers from the University of Granada have compared the disaster caused by the infamous Aznalcóllar spillage in the Doñana National Park in Andalusia 11 years ago with the biggest species extinction known to date during the Cretaceous period (65 million years ago). The aim of comparing this seemingly disparate pair of disaster events is to look at how ecosystems recover following mass extinctions. Read more
Death of the macho ibérico
Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010
Garfio, the Iberian lynx who was captured in 2003 and begat the first brood of lynx cubs to be bred in captivity, has died this week from a chronic renal infection at the age of ten. In all he sired 11 little lynxes. El País
Photo of Garfio in action from Lynxexsitu.es. Thanks to TP on the forum who I’ve paraphrased here.
Long legged buzzard in Spain
Monday, February 1st, 2010
A pair of long-legged buzzards (Buteo rufinus) have established themselves in the Tarifa area in Andalucia. Although the species is occasionally spotted as vagrant, this is the first time since records began that a pair has settled in Spain. Long-legged buzzards are an African species, present across the Straits in Morocco. It is thought that warming temperarures have brought them further north. El Mundo
Mongoose video
Tuesday, January 5th, 2010This video of a mongoose (meloncillo) interacting with a wild boar in Doñaña is interesting. Found on Naturablog.
First lynxes released in the wild
Thursday, December 17th, 2009
An important step has been taken this week with the release into the wild of the first Iberian lynx bred in captivity. The two animals were set free in Guadalmellato, Cordoba in the Sierra Morena. Three more are to be released soon.
Photo from El Mundo of one of the released lynx as it bounds into the freedoms of the Cordoban hills.
Earthquake in Andalucia and Extremadura
Thursday, December 17th, 2009
An earthquake of 6.3 on the Rictar scale with its epicentre 100km off Cabo de San Vicente, Portugal hit Andalucia and Extremadura. Although, there are no reports of injuries, its intensity is a reminder of the small potential of a large quake striking southern Iberia.
See also earthquakes in Spain
Latest lynx news
Friday, December 4th, 2009
The transfer of captive Iberian lynx from Spain to Portgual has been completed with the arrival of two males, bringing to a total of 16 animals (11 males and 5 females) at the new breeding centre in Silves in the Algarve.
According to the latest figures from the Andalucian government, there are now some 223 lynxes in the wild in Andalucia, 63 in Doñana and 160 in the Sierra Morena. This is remarkable increase from the low point of an estimated 120 animals in 2004 (42 in Doñana and 78 in Sierra Morena). This year 21 cubs were raised in Doñaña with a total of 16 female territories. As far I know, these total figures do not include the 15 odd animals recently discovered in Castilla-La Mancha.
As for the recent deaths of two female lynxes, it seems that a violent death has been ruled out in both cases. El País
- More lynx images here from the Ex-situ Conservation Programme from where the above photo is taken.
Sierra Nevada selected for world climate change studies
Sunday, November 29th, 2009
The Sierra Nevada is one the most vulnerable sites in Europe to climate change thanks to its position between the Europe and Africa, between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, and because of its mountainous nature, with huge changes in habitat in just a few kilometres. The Park’s Observatorio de Cambio Global (above photo) has now been selected by Unesco as one of ten sites in the world for its climate change studies. Temperatures are expected to rise by 2 degrees in the next 40 years with a fall in rainfall if 10%, reducing significantly the amount of snow with serious affects on the ski industry, irrigtation and biodiversity. El País
The Sierra Nevada is one of the most important biodiversity hotspots in Europe. All five of Spain’s bioclimatic zones are present here from Mediterranean up to crioromediterraneo, supporting up to 2,100 plant species of the total of 7,000 recorded for Spain. The fact that the whole of the British Isles only support some 1,900 plants will give you some idea of why botanists get so excited about the place. More
See also (2004)
The unique plant communities of the high Sierra Nevada appear to be under threat from rising temperatures. According to the Andalucian government, a rise of 1.2ºC has been detected in the province of Granada over the last 20 years, which although not much in itself has been enough to endanger 65 endemic plants, most of which are only to be found in the highest altitudes of the range. Like its African and Andean counterparts, the pseudo-alpine habitat, known cumbersomely as crioromediterraneo in Spanish, is extremely sensitive to changing temperatures, and gradually plants are being forced ever higher in search of cold enough conditions. More
The Torcal de Antequera
Thursday, October 22nd, 2009
Here is the first in iberianature’s new series of the best landscapes in Spain: El Torcal de Antequera in Malaga is one of the most impressive karst landscapes in Europe. Photo by Jakub Botwicz from Wikipedia.
Andalusian fields from space
Friday, October 2nd, 2009
Image captured by Nasa’s Earth Observatory satellites last month
In a patchwork of agricultural fields outside Seville, Spain, two towers rise above the plain (at the centre of the top of the image). Nearby arrays of mirrors reflect light onto the towers, illuminating the water vapor and dust suspended in the air and creating visible beams. Within the towers, the thermal energy from the concentrated light creates steam, and the steam powers turbines to generate electricity. Known as PS10 and PS20, the mirror-tower networks are part of a larger project intended to meet the energy needs of some 180,000 homes roughly the energy needs of Seville by 2013, without greenhouse gas emissions
Latest lynx brief
Tuesday, September 29th, 2009Here’s the latest lynx brief by Dan Ward. This edition includes news about the Iberian Lynx captive breeding programme, the use of poison in Spain, and proposals for lynx reintroductions “, it is hoped that proposed lynx reintroductions of between 20-40 individuals per year can begin in 2010. Essential reading. Here
See also Dan’s lynx blog
Iberian lynx could expand into abandoned agricultural land
Sunday, September 20th, 2009
Scientists have developed a model to identify the agricultural areas with the greatest potential for restoring the habitat of the Iberian lynx. A study by The Instituto de Investigación y Formación Agraria y Pesquera looked at the impact and risk of mountain olive groves being abandoned, in order to come up with an appropriate management system for them (conventional, mixed or organic), or to suggest they should be reconverted to Mediterranean forest. El Mundo and here.
2009 Iberian lynx population
Friday, August 7th, 2009
According to the latest survey there are now 150 lynxes in the Sierra Morena in Andújar and Cardeña-Montoro.With the 50 in Doñana this brings the total population up to 200 animals, a remarkable increase form the 100-120 nadir of 2002. Ideal Digital
See also Spain to cede 20 lynxes to Portugal (El Mundo)
Flamenco chick count at Fuente de Piedra
Wednesday, July 22nd, 2009
The Guardian has this nice slideslow of images and text on this year’s flamingo chick count at the Fuente de Piedra lagoon, near Malaga. Around 600 of the 5,000 chicks born at the lagoon this year were ringed. Fuente de Piedra is the most important breeding ground for flamingos in the Iberian Peninsula.
And check out a post on this on the forum by Peter
“The ringing of Greater Flamingo chicks is a highly organised affair and run with military precision. The group of volunteers, numbering somewhere over 300, embark during cover of darkness slowly and silently encircling the nursery of young. As dawn arrives the nursery is slowly and safely encouraged towards a fence line and bell mouth shaped entrance to a holding corral. Read
