Laguna Negra, Spain Photograph by Pedro Regato/ WWF MedPO   Southwest Europe: In the Pyrenees Mountains of Spain, France, and Andorra Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forests   10,000 square miles (25,900 square kilometers) -- about the size of Maryland Vulnerable

· Europe’s Biodiversity Hot Spot
· Special Features
· Did You Know?
· Wild Side
· Cause for Concern
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Europe’s Biodiversity Hot Spot

Where in Europe can you still find brown bears and mountain goats roaming freely in the wilderness? Throughout the Pyrenees Conifer and Mixed Forests ecoregion there are steep rocky slopes, amazing canyons, high plains, and high summits of more than 9,800 feet (3,000 m) that remain as wild today as they were thousands of years ago. From oak forests at lower elevations to high-mountain forests of beech, silver fir, and mountain pine, the diverse habitats here are filled with life. With about 3,500 vascular plant species, 64 species of mammals, and hundreds of bird species, the Pyrenees are considered one of the most important hot spots for biodiversity in Europe.

Special Features

The central range of the Pyrenees Mountains is composed of ancient rocks more than two hundred million years old. Evidence of the glaciers that once covered this region can be found in the ice-smoothed, U-shaped valleys and stunning cirques. In terms of climate, the Pyrenees are divided in three major sectors: The western one is affected by the mild and humid Atlantic air streams, the central continental sector experiences colder and drier weather, and the eastern one shows a Mediterranean influence, with a summer drought and warm season. Throughout this ecoregion, altitude has a major influence on forest types, with the dominant tree species changing as you ascend. And, at extremely high altitudes where trees cannot grow, alpine meadows dominate the landscape.

	Generally speaking, large herbivores are widely distributed in this ecoregion. But that was not true in the case of the Pyrenean endemic subspecies of ibex, which became extinct in early 2000.

Wild Side

The skies above the Pyrenees Conifer and Mixed Forests ecoregion are patrolled by a variety of vultures and eagles, including 40 pairs of lammergeiers. These very distinct and majestic vultures drop large bones from the air onto hard rocks to crack the bones so that they can get at the nutritious marrow inside. On rugged mountain slopes, mountain goats called chamois nibble on tender grasses and shoots. Brown bears move through the forests feeding on berries. High in the mountains, alpine meadows are filled with wood fescue and other grasses, interspersed with wildflowers and herbs. In these meadows, endangered birds such as the capercaillie and ptarmigan patrol the forest edges and open grasses.

Cause for Concern

Heavy human influences in this ecoregion have left fragmented wilderness areas in many valleys, canyons, and high slopes of the Pyrenees. Throughout the mountains, some of the best preserved forests are facing threats from intensive logging operations, clearing for ski runs and winter tourist resorts, road construction, and the construction of power stations and dams. These changes in the landscape have had devastating consequences for populations of native plants, birds, and other wildlife. In fact, forest fragmentation and road construction are leading to the extinction of brown bears in Spain. What’s more, air pollution associated with power stations has already caused major problems to important forest areas of the eastern Pyrenees.

For more information on this ecoregion, go to the World Wildlife Fund Scientific Report.