Environment of Spain

Spain is a country very affected by the drought. This is caused by the world climate change: during the period 1880-2000 more than half of those years were characterized as dry or very dry. In the 80s, seven years have been considered dry or very dry and five in the 90s. In the next decades, if nothing changes Spain will have very serious environmental problems and more extreme weather.

Fauna

The fauna of Spain has a wide diversity due to two factors, the geographical position of Spain between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea and between Africa and Eurasia, and a wide diversity of habitats, due to a considerable variety of climates and regions.

In Spain you can find also a number of species already extinct in other European countries. This is because it has been a poorly populated territory compared with countries such as Germany, Britain and Italy, all smaller in size, and a late industrialization. Note also the large number of species present due to the influence of African wildlife (chameleon, hedgehog, genet, purple swamphen, mongoose, etc.) And the number of endemic species present in the Balearic (majorcan midwife toad, Balearic Shearwater) and Canary Islands (laurel pigeons, canary wall gecko, canarian shrew, houbara bustard, Fuerteventura chat, barbary falcon)

Due to the geographical situation of the Iberian Peninsula, Balearic Islands and Canary Islands, Spain is also a key area in the migration of many animals, mainly fish and marine mammals, which is used as a transit between breeding and wintering areas or as a settlement during the period of any of those times.

Mammals

There are two species already exticted from many Western Europe countries, the brown bear, which lives on the Cantabrian Mountains and Pyrenees, and the Iberian wolf, endemic subspecies from the Iberian peninsula. Most iconic carnivore is undoubtedly the Iberian lynx, the most threatened felid in the European continent. The population of wildcat, red fox and mustelids: European badger, polecat and weasels is far more numerous, then otters, pine and beech martens. The viverridae are represented by the presence of the genet and the mongoose.

Herbivores are represented by species as some deers: red deer, fallow deer and roe deer. We can find endemic species as Iberian ibex in the Pyrenees and chamois in the Cantabrian area. Wild boar is also everywhere.

There is a great number of insectivores Mediterranean species: North African hedgehog, shrews, Spanish moles, the rare Pyrenean Desman; rodents: red squirrel, Garden dormouse, Mediterranean Pine Vole; lagomorphs (endemisms like the Granada Hare or the Broom Hare), Chiropters (Long-fingered Bat, Greater mouse-eared bat, Common Pipistrelle, European Free-tailed Bat, Noctule, Hypsugo savii) and less Pinnipeds and Cetaceans. There are also Anteaters and many Cetaceans around the Canary Islands.

Endemic species are wolves, lynxes, brown bears and Spanish Ibexes.

Domestic species are: Sheeps (Merinos, Xalda, Churras, Colmenar, Segureña, Ojalada, Sasi Ardi, Galician); Cattle (Spanish Fighting Bull, Caceres White, Ratinta, Pajuna, Tudanca, Galician Blond, Alistana-sanabresa, Morucha, Avila Black, Betizu, Canarian Cow, Palm Cow); goat (payoya, tinerfeña, retinta frontier, azpi gorri, goat pitiusa) and pig (Iberian pig, canary black pig, porco celta, Murcian, torbiscal wineglass).

Also several native races of donkeys (Andalusian-Cordovan, zamorano-from Leon Ass, Catalan, majorero donkey) exist, horses (Pottoka, asturcón, Navarrese horse Andalusian, jaca, race losina), doves (Colom gavatxut, Colom borino) and hens (utrerana, brown of Leon, Castilian black), as well as almost forty races of native dogs.

Fishes

Among the endemic species we can find the Anaecypris hispanica, the Spanish toothcarp, the Salinetas or Valencia toothcarp.

Amphibians and reptiles

Most of Spain's mainland and the Balearic Islands belong to the Mediterranean climate, so the environmental conditions favor the presence of a great number of species of lizards, geckos (Tarentola mauritanica, Hemidactylus turcicus), snakes (Malpolon monspessulanus, Coluber hippocrepis, Rinechis scalaris, Natrix maura, Natrix natrix, Coronella girondica, Macropodoton cucullatus), vipers (Vipera aspis, Vipera latasti, Vipera seoanei), slow worms (Anguis fragilis, skinks Chalcides bedriagai, Chalcides striatus Blanus cinereus blind snakes) and turtles (Mauremys leper, Emys orbicularis, Testudo hermanni, Testudo graeca). Several endemic species are: Aran lizard, red-tailed or Iberian lizard. In the Canary Islands, the Canary Island wall gecko and various species of Gallotia, and the endangered El Hierro giant lizard.

In terms of amphibians, indicate the presence of several aquatic species: frogs (Hyla meridionalis, Iberian Frog), toads (Discoglossus pictus, Alytes cisternasii, Pelodytes punctatus, Pelobates cultripes), newts and salamanders (the Iberian newt, the midwife toad or the Gold-Striped Salamander).

Birds

The number of bird species in Spain is very high compared to other European faunas, not only due to the Spanish geographical location or the regional diversity of biotopes, but also due to the fact that different native northern European or sub-Saharan species native hibernate in various parts of Spain.

There are large birds of prey like scavengers: Black Vulture and Bearded Vulture. Most common is the Egyptian Vulture. We can find the iconic and threatened Spanish Imperial Eagle, only around 220 pairs, Hawks, Goshawks, Black-winged Kite, Falcons, Golden Eagles, Bonelli's Eagles, Peregrine Falcon, Honey Buzzard, Hen Harrier, Black and Red Kite. There are also populations of Osprey, Eurasian Eagle-owl, Long-eared Owl, Short-eared Owl, Tawny Owl, Scops-owl and Little Owl, also passerines such as the Spanish Sparrow. Corvidae (crows) are also well represented: European Magpie, Eurasian Jay, Rook, Carrion Crow, Raven, Azure-winged Magpie, Chough, Alpine Chough and Jackdaw. The European Bee-eater and the European Roller reveal the proximity to Africa.

Ciconiiformes have a diverse set of herons (Purple Heron, Grey Heron, Cattle Egret, Little Egret, Squacco Heron, Great Egret, Black-crowned Night Heron) and two significant species: a big number of white storks and black storks, less frequent. Bustard, Little Bustard, Sandgrouse, Black-bellied Sandgrouse and the Eurasian Stone-curlew live in the arable plains and semi-arid landscapes of the Iberian steppes.

Coasts and rivers are home to a variety of waders or shorebirds, gulls, cormorants and ducks. Species like the Audouin's Gull, the Cory's Shearwater, the European Storm-petrel, the Red-knobbed Coot, the Common Murre and the Razorbill are numerous. Anatidae (ducks) have common species such as the Mallard or Wild duck, the Gadwall, the Common Teal, the Northern Pintail, the Ferruginous Duck, the Northern Shoveler and more rare ones as the Ruddy Shelduck or the Common Shelduck.

Endemic species are: the Bearded Vulture, the Spanish Imperial Eagle, the Black Stork y the Eurasian Eagle-owl.

Flora

The vegetation of Spain is very varied due to several factors including the diversity of topography, climate and latitude. Phytogeographical regions have their own characteristics and are the result of the interaction of several elements like the climate, topography and soil type.

Mediterranean flora. Influenced by the Mediterranean climate, with periods of drought, low rainfall and high temperature range. The most important type of vegetation is Sclerophyll, very well adapted to drought, with tough leaves, small and perennials. Divided into: forests, woodlands, and shrublands of Holm Oak and Maquis shrubland.

Eurosiberian flora. Located in the north of the Iberian Peninsula, oceanic climate with regular rainfall, which influences the vegetation.

Atlantic flora. Located on the north and northwest, from Galicia to the western limit of the Pyrenees. The vegetation is a dense forest with great green meadows.

Submediterranean flora. From the easternmost area of the Atlantic area. There are species that correspond to the Euro-Siberian and Mediterranean regions. Are based on the pre-Pyrenees and in very specific areas of the Baetic Cordillera. Wet and dry areas.

Boreoalpine flora. High mountain vegetation. Highly adapted to low temperatures and more rainfall than lower elevations.

Canary flora. It's a dry subtropical climate zone, characterized by rainfall, altitude, volcanic soil, temperature and human action.