A very varied terrestrial fauna
The Peneda-Gerês National Park, on the Spanish border in northern Portugal, is home to a wide variety of animals that are not always easy to spot. As you stroll through the park's mountain ranges, look out for the footprints of wild rabbits, squirrels, roe deer, red deer... and wild boar, also found in the Alentejo plains and inland. Garranos wild horses live in this environment. This breed originated in the Minho and Trás-os-Montes regions. For many years, they were used as pack horses and for farm work. The EquiCampo Tourism Center, located in Terras de Bouro, offers excursions on horseback. The park is home to around 200 Iberian wolves, whose population is currently stable. Protection associations ensure that the species is not threatened with extinction. In the sky, the golden eagle often accompanies the traveller as he explores the national park.
In the other nature parks, but also outside, live muflon, shrew and fallow deer. The genet, originally from Africa, has integrated well into this ecosystem. It is one of Portugal's most abundant nocturnal animals. It resembles a European cat coupled with a raccoon, and prefers wooded areas close to waterways. In the south of the peninsula, the spectacular Mediterranean chameleon, which turns from bright yellow to jet-black, is hard to spot. It feeds mainly on locusts and hibernates from December to March. In spring, curious little bodiless red eyes may be watching you unawares.
Saving the lynx
On May 5, 2016, the first Iberian lynx was born in the wild, in the Guadiana Valley Nature Park in the south of the country. A first in 40 years! The species, which lives mainly in Spain and southern Portugal, was on the brink of extinction due to the decline in its main food source, wild rabbits. The Iberlince protection program was set up to rehabilitate the Iberian lynx territorially in Spain and Portugal. In 2010 and 2011, births took place in captivity, but all the young died. In 2012, one litter survived, including the female Jacaranda, who gave birth to this lynx cub after being reintroduced into the wild on December 16, 2014. Around twenty other lynx still live at the Silves breeding center. Of the 404 Iberian lynxes living in the wild, 10 individuals reside in the Guadiana Valley, including 4 females, with the rest in Andalusia (Spain). The animal has been removed from the "critically endangered" list by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature). However, it remains vulnerable and "endangered".
The Algarve and the Tagus estuary, privileged territories of migratory birds
Dolphins swim freely in the estuary of the River Sado, in Setúbal near Lisbon. To see them up close, you can climb aboard a catamaran. White storks breed in this area, while their more shy neighbors, the black storks, live on the banks of the Tagus. Its estuary, a very wet area, is appreciated by many aquatic species for its larder. The reeds provide a hiding place for the species most vulnerable to predators. Ducks include majestic flamingos, warblers and the superb great crested grebe. The favorable climate for certain migratory birds means that, if you're lucky, you can spot the fierce hoopoe on the banks of the Tagus. The hoopoe is an excellent indicator of the ecological quality of the environment in which it chooses to settle, as it avoids areas where too many insecticides are spilled.
Migratory birds (birds of prey, cranes, geese, passerines) on their way to or from Africa stay mainly in the ria Formosa nature reserve, near Cape St. Vincent in Sages. In the International Douro, birds of prey such as the Egyptian vulture shape the wildlife landscape.
Flora
Did you know that the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed March 21 "International Forest Day"? On this occasion, forests and plants are celebrated all over Portugal. Some municipalities even distribute tree seedlings. One third of the country's surface area is covered by forests. A major reforestation project took place in Portugal in the 20th century. Maritime pines were first planted along the coast, where dunes were forming, to prevent them from advancing. These conifers are found naturally throughout the country, with their own specific characteristics depending on their geographical position. But the majority are cork oaks, as they represent a financial windfall for Portugal. Their wood and bark are used to make cork for wine corks and local crafts, as well as paper pulp. They predominate in the dry plains of the Alentejo. Note that a cork oak plantation is called a suberaie.
Eucalyptus, another bastion of the Portuguese economy, has been planted extensively. Portugal now boasts some 800,000 hectares of eucalyptus. They are highly controversial, between those who want them to expand and those who want them to stop, given that they burn easily and cause fire-related deaths every year.
Preservation of the flora
A third of Portugal's plant species have been imported over the course of history: vines, lemon trees, quince trees... This is also true of the jacaranda, imported from Mexico. This tree blooms purple-blue in May-June. Like the cherry blossom in Japan, the jacaranda in Lisbon is a sight to behold. The olive tree, although it prefers the southern sun, has acclimatized to certain northern regions.
In the sunny provinces of the Algarve and Alentejo, Mediterranean flowers (orchids, iris, lupine, etc.) embrace the landscape in spring, while fruit trees and agaves grow almost year-round.
The Antonio Luis Belo Correia seed bank in Lisbon has been working since 2001 to conserve and protect plants native to Portugal. It preserves 3,700 seed samples from over 1,200 endemic plant species and subspecies that are in danger of disappearing. This seed bank is not the only one in the country, but it is the largest.
