Parklands and Wood pastures in Andalusia (Dehesas)
The natural and cultural identity mark of the middle mountains framing Southwest Iberian.
Dehesa (wood pasture) is a Mediterranean is a forest ecosystem close to parkland or wood pasture. It is even the traditional Iberian ecosystem par excellence, typical of the southwestern part of the peninsula and whose extension covers up to four million hectares (40,000 km², the area of Extremadura), mainly in Salamanca, Extremadura, Andalusia (Sierra Morena) and Alentejo in Portugal.
It is primarily an agro-silvo-pastoral exploitation system developed in forests of the Quercus genus, especially holm oaks (Quercus ilex = Quercus rotundifolia = Quercus ballota) or cork oak (Quercus suber). In summary, wood pasture is an open forest thanks to the presence of breed (mostly Iberian pig that consumes the acorn or merino sheep) and in some cases planted with forage crops or cereals, not forgetting the use of forest products, mainly firewood and cork. Those lands can be private or communal (Dehesa Boyal).
Wood pastures resemble, in their physiognomy, the disappeared forests of the plains where the large herds of wild herbivorous mammals grazed and that our ancestors witnessed.
Holm oak is THE Iberian oak par excellence, adapted to a large number of climates and soil conditions, and particularly abundant in the southwest of the Peninsula. For this reason, the wood pastures of holm oaks are the most representative and common. Nevertheless, dehesa of all forest species can be discovered, and even curiosities such as tamarisk or terebinth pistachio trees pastures.
In other areas of Europe, similar ecosystems exist, although of lesser extent, for example, apple orchards from western France, Änge in Sweden, parklnds, etc.
Wood pastures in Andalusia, the most iconic Spanish ecosystem.
The dehesa tree par excellence is the holm oak (Quercus ilex). A curiosity to be tasted in moderation: the acorn-based liqueur distilled in Extrémadoure.
Common cranes (Grus grus) are large consumers of acorns during their Iberian winter.
Dehesas are very varied depending on the characteristics of the management of the forests, in particular the density of trees and the main uses.
Depending on the degree of intensity of the farm, the diversity of plants of herbaceous species can be important.
In winter, cranes (Grus grus) that reproduce mainly in Scandinavia migrate to spend the season and consume acorns.
In spring and summer, the tree canopy provides shade for the animals and delays water stress of herbaceous plants that grow around it.
Common cranes counts at Sierra Boyera in the middle of winters… and the surprise of photographing Aino, a telemarked crane, the first known individual to descend through eastern Europe and ascend through Spain.
Wood pastures in Andalusia, the most iconic Spanish ecosystem.
Dehesa (wood pasture) is a Mediterranean is a forest ecosystem close to parkland or wood pasture. It is even the traditional Iberian ecosystem par excellence, typical of the southwestern part of the peninsula and whose extension covers up to four million hectares (40,000 km², the area of Extremadura), mainly in Salamanca, Extremadura, Andalusia (Sierra Morena) and Alentejo in Portugal.
It is primarily an agro-silvo-pastoral exploitation system developed in forests of the Quercus genus, especially holm oaks (Quercus ilex = Quercus rotundifolia = Quercus ballota) or cork oak (Quercus suber). In summary, wood pasture is an open forest thanks to the presence of breed (mostly Iberian pig that consumes the acorn or merino sheep) and in some cases planted with forage crops or cereals, not forgetting the use of forest products, mainly firewood and cork. Those lands can be private or communal (Dehesa Boyal).
The dehesa tree par excellence is the holm oak (Quercus ilex). A curiosity to be tasted in moderation: the acorn-based liqueur distilled in Extrémadoure.
Wood pastures resemble, in their physiognomy, the disappeared forests of the plains where the large herds of wild herbivorous mammals grazed and that our ancestors witnessed.
Holm oak is THE Iberian oak par excellence, adapted to a large number of climates and soil conditions, and particularly abundant in the southwest of the Peninsula. For this reason, the wood pastures of holm oaks are the most representative and common. Nevertheless, dehesa of all forest species can be discovered, and even curiosities such as tamarisk or terebinth pistachio trees pastures.
In other areas of Europe, similar ecosystems exist, although of lesser extent, for example, apple orchards from western France, Änge in Sweden, parklnds, etc.
Common cranes (Grus grus) are large consumers of acorns during their Iberian winter.
Dehesas are very varied depending on the characteristics of the management of the forests, in particular the density of trees and the main uses.
Depending on the degree of intensity of the farm, the diversity of plants of herbaceous species can be important.
In winter, cranes (Grus grus) that reproduce mainly in Scandinavia migrate to spend the season and consume acorns.
In spring and summer, the tree canopy provides shade for the animals and delays water stress of herbaceous plants that grow around it.
Common cranes counts at Sierra Boyera in the middle of winters… and the surprise of photographing Aino, a telemarked crane, the first known individual to descend through eastern Europe and ascend through Spain.