The Nature Reserve of Spain 2010

 
The Spain Post  devoted to three nature reserves very different in their orographic characteristics and ecosystems and issued three stamp depicted the nature reserve  on July 19, 2010.

The Parque Nacional de Picos de Europa extends over the autonomous communities of Asturias, Cantabria and Castilla y León occupying a surface area of 64.660 hectares amongst the eastern, central and western massifs of the Picos de Europa. In the higher summits, Naranjo de Bulnes, Peña Vieja or Torrecerredo at 2.600 m high, only bushes adapted to the cold winter temperatures grow. Lower down, there are meadows and a large variety of trees such as oaks, birches, chestnut trees and beech trees. There are many protected animal species like the Cantabrian brown bear or the Iberian Wolf and the most representative animals are the Cantabrian chamois, foxes and roe deer. It was declared national park in 1995.

The Parque Nacional de Monfragüe is located in the towns of Plasencia and Trujillo (Cáceres) and expands over a surface area of 18.000 hectares. Alongside big and out-jutting rocks, this park is one of the most representative of Mediterranean forest and brushwood. In the shady areas there is a thick scrubland of strawberry tree, laurustinus and heather growing with blockhead trees and Portuguese oaks. In the sunny areas there are Holm oaks, wild olive trees, rosemary, rockrose and peduncle. Habitat in the park includes more than 250 vertebrate species including the black vulture, the Egyptian vulture, the Spanish Imperial eagle, owls and black storks. Amongst the mammals the habitat includes boars, roe deer, deer, lynx, genet cats and wild cats. It was declared national park in 2007.

The Parque Nacional de Sierra Nevada  located between the provinces of Granada and Almería, spreading over more than 70 villages .Due to the height difference between the different areas of the park ranging from 300 m to 3.484 m there is a wide variety of ecosystems in the mountain areas, forest and basins. In the highest levels only species endemic of these mountains can survive and at lower levels bushes of juniper and Spanish broom grow. In the mountain slopes there are oaks, pine trees, beech and juniper trees. The bird habitat includes Spanish imperial eagles, imperial owls and Bonelli’s eagle. Amongst the mammals there are badgers, foxes and wild cats. In the riverbanks there is a wide variety of birds, reptiles and amphibians. It was declared national park in 1999.