ZEPA (Zona Especial Protección para las Aves) (1979)
Points of interest
The Natural Park of Cornalvo and Sierra Bermeja is situated close to Mérida, the capital of Extremadura.
It consists mainly of oak dehesas, (open oak woodland rotated with pasture and cereal crops) on rolling hills with the small mountain ranges of the Sierra del Moro and Sierra Bermeja on the western flank. The highest point is “Pico Terrero” at 546 m above sea level.
The Tajo International natural park is a relatively recently registered park in Extremadura which was initially partly covered by an area of special protection for birds ZEPA in 2000.
The area is predominantly waterways with steep banks and therefore a haven for wildlife. Two birds in particular that need this tranquility are the Black vulture and Black stork, both of which are endangered species in Spain.
Mediterranean woodland covers the hills with rich vegetation along the water courses.
Despite a substantial multi million-Euro investment in Doñana, the remaining national parks in Spain grapple with a spectrum of challenges, spanning from drought and unbridled tourism to wildfires and the encroachment of invasive species.
The parkland of Sierras de Tejeda Almijara y Alhama is limited in the south east by the Mediterranean sea and rises in craggy mountains towards the north west. 52% of the park is in Granada province with 48% in Málaga province. The combination of altitudes and from sea shore to the peak of La Maroma at 2,080m encourages a diversity of vegetation, including some endemic species.
Add to this that the geological structure changes between limestone giving rise to dolomitic marble, quartzite and gneiss, which each hold different plant ranges. When the marble is eroded by the weather a very fine white sand is left.
Promo video from the Sedella town hall in the Sierras de Tejeda Almijara y Alhama natural park.
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