According to American biology professor Osvaldo Sala, 20-25% of plant species in the Mediterranean will become extinct by 2050 because of climate change and changes in land use. This is one of the highest levels of predicted biodiversity loses (El Mundo).
Fascinating article by Clive Muir and Sue Eatock on the dangers of oleander (Nerium oleander) which at the start of summer flourishes luridly along Spain’s riverbeds and motorways. Despite its use in municipal planting schemes and private gardens this plant is extremely toxic.
They write “it contains numerous toxic compounds, many of which can be deadly to people - especially young children. The toxins include oleandrin and neriine, which affect the heart, and the bark contains rosagenin, which acts in a similar way to strychnine. The entire plant including the sap is harmful. Even after drying, the leaves are still dangerous. A single leaf holds enough poison to kill a small child. In the past crushed, dried leaves mixed with stale bread have been used as a very effective rat poison…” Read on Olve Press (not for the faint hearted!)
The largest tree in Andalucia has been listed by the Andalusian government in the Sierra de los Filabres, Almeria. This immense holm oak (encina) measuring 16 metres wide and 25 metres high is believed to be a remnant of an ancient Mediterranean forest. The tree is known as ‘La Peana’ (El Mundo)
Come falcon watching at the Sagrada Família, Barcelona this Sunday 18th May. Plaça Sagrada Família with Thalassia, Galanthus and Iberianature. 10:00-13:00.
This article from the latest Environment and History makes fascinating reading.
Spanish Wood Pasture: Origin and Durability of an Historical Wooded Landscape in Mediterranean Europe
Spanish dehesas, the most extensive wood pastures in Mediterranean Europe, are a vivid example for demonstrating that the impact of rural communities on forests has not always been a bad thing. Environmental history is vital for understanding this cultural landscape. This article first analyses the origin of the dehesa. The border logic and the medieval Reconquest are elements that undoubtedly played a decisive part in its genesis; but, for the significance of Roman influence in Spain, it is necessary to consider the question of the possible existence of dehesas in Antiquity. The second aspect concerns the spreading of this landscape from the Middle Ages onwards. Dehesas are usually linked to the large properties owned by military orders, but most of all the spreading of the dehesa was favoured by the rise of transhumance from the thirteenth century onwards. Finally, the article emphasises that the durability of the Spanish wood pasture can be explained by a combination of several factors: insecurity along the border, the fact that transhumance was the most important industry in Spain for many centuries, and the protective laws adopted by the rural communities in order to protect their dehesas. Vincent Clément See also dehesa
I've put together this collection of videos from Google Video and YouTube of documentaries and news items on wolves in Spain. there also a link to a radio programme on wolves from Félix Rodríguez de la Fuente. Enjoy.
I enjoyed doing these Spanish geography quizzes. The rivers of Spain is fiendishly difficult. You may also enjoy these Spanish natural history quizzes I did last year.
Scientists from Barcelona University have discovered that bears produce an inhibitor that prevents loss of muscle tissue during hibernation. While their body temperature stays constant and they neither eat, drink nor defecate, proteins in the body produce a potent inhibitor that allows their muscle mass to remain as it was prior to hibernation leaving them able to move normally when they exit their dens in spring. The discovery could lead to a breakthrough in human medical care.
From terra.es
One of the lammergeyers released in the Sierra de Cazorla as part of the reintroduction programme has been found shot dead in the nearby Sierra de Castril (Granada). Its body was found thanks to the satellite tagging system fitted to all the released birds. The female was born at the lammergeyer breeding centre in Guadalentín (Jaén) where another 14 birds have been born. This is the first bearded vulture to be shot since the reintroduction programme began. The programme is to go ahead and three more birds are to be released in May. El País
