Parc natural de s'Albufera de Mallorca
| Parc natural de s'Albufera de Mallorca | |||
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 S'Albufera
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| Location: | Balearic Islands , Spain | ||
| Next city: | Alcúdia | ||
| Surface: | 16.4648 km² | ||
| Founding: | 1988 | ||
The Parc natural de s'Albufera de Mallorca ( Castilian Parque natural de la Albufera de Mallorca , 'Natural Park s'Albufera von Mallorca') is a nature reserve in the northeast of the Spanish Balearic island of Mallorca , in the region ( comarca ) Plà de Mallorca .
The 1646.48 hectare large nature park was introduced by Decree 4/1998 of the Government of the Balearic Islands ( Govern de les Illes Balears provided) in 1988 under protection. It is considered a natural area of special interest ( Àrea natural d'especial interès / ANEI) according to Law 1/91 of the Balearic Parliament and as a special bird protection zone ( Zona de Especial Interés para la Avifauna / ZEPA) according to Directive 79/409 / EEC of the European Commission . It also has the status of a nature reserve of international importance according to the Ramsar Convention .
geography
Geographical location
With s'Albufera , whose name is derived from the Arabic word for lagoon "al-buhayra" , it is the wetland of a silted lake, which is separated from the sea at the Badia d'Alcúdia ("Bay of Alcúdia") by dunes was. The accumulation of sediments led to the settlement of marsh plants on the lake bed , which was becoming increasingly shallow. The beginning of the formation of the wetland is assumed to be an interglacial period about 100,000 years ago, when the sea was separated from the sea to the east by the creation of a coastal bank. In times of highest water levels of the last 10,000 years, s'Albufera reached in the north to near the site of the ancient theater of Pollentia . Even at the time that Mallorca belonged to the Roman Empire , the water level was about two to three meters higher and in the area of today's marshland there were several lakes connected by canals.
The former 2850 hectare marshland with a diameter of 32 kilometers was partially drained at its edges by a British company from 1863 . In addition to the reclamation of land for agricultural use, which began as early as the 17th century with the construction of parcels ( "marjals" ) surrounded by canals , the drainage served to combat malaria . However, the British engineers Frederic Bateman and William Hope failed to drain the core area of s'Albufera because of the seawater that was constantly entering. Your company went bankrupt. From the beginning of the 20th century, rice was grown on some areas of the wetland and a paper mill was built at sa Roca within the reeds , until the onset of tourism with the accompanying construction of hotel settlements ( "Urbanizaciónes" ) in the entire northern part of s'Albufera and displaced these branches of the economy again along the eastern coast in the 1960s.
The remaining wetland of around 1650 hectares was declared a nature reserve in 1988. It lies almost entirely in the territory of the municipality of Muro , only a small part in the northwest belongs to Sa Pobla . At s'Oberta , the confluence of the Gran de s'Albufera Canal with the Badia d'Alcúdia south of the ses Fotges settlement, and at es Comú de Muro, the nature park stretches to the Mediterranean. The coastal settlements of Platges de Mallorca and es Braç south of s'Oberta are left out . The northern boundary of the nature park forms the settlement of las Gaviotas, to the south it extends almost to the municipal boundary of Muro to the Can Picafort district of Santa Margalida . The places are connected by the coastal road MA-12 from Alcúdia to the north to Artà . The western border of the nature reserve is on the Canal des Polls near son Mieres, between Can Blau in the north and Font de Son Sant Joan .
climate
The area of the Parc natural de s'Albufera de Mallorca has a Mediterranean climate with an average annual temperature of a little over 16 ° C and an average rainfall of 600 to 700 mm per m 2 within a year. Most of the rainfall is concentrated in autumn.
Creature
Plant kingdom
The bottom land of s'Albufera , which constitutes the largest part of the area of the reserve, is fed from the tributaries of the torrential Torrent de Muro and Torrent de Sant Miquel . The fresh water is distributed in the man-made canals. The largest of these artificial drainage ditches are the Canal Gran de s'Albufera , the Canal des Sol and the Canal sa Siurana in the center of the natural park, the Canal d'en Pujol , which cuts through the natural park from north to south, the Canal des Polls on its western border, as well as the Canal de Molines and the Canal d'en Pep in the south. In the summer months with little rainfall, the freshwater influx dries up and seawater penetrates from the Badia d'Alcúdia into the s'Albufera . Depending on the location, this results in different salt contents in the soil, which has an impact on the plant species that settle there, of which more than 400 different occur in the nature reserve.
The wetlands of s'Albufera, which are less influenced by salt water, are populated by various grasses such as rushes ( Juncus ), reeds ( Phragmites australis ), ravenna grass ( Saccharum ravennae ) and cattails ( Typha ). On the banks of the canals there are often gallery forests made of elm ( ulmus ) and poplar ( populus ). Common hawthorn ( Crataegus monogyna ), blackberry bushes ( Rubus fruticosus ), medium periwinkle ( Vinca difformis ) and creeping cinquefoil ( Potentilla reptans ) thrive in its shade . The waters of the canals contain pondweed ( Potamogeton ), horn leaf ( Ceratophyllum ) and various types of chandelier algae ( Characeae ), the surface of the calm waters is partially covered with duckweed ( Lemna ) and watercress ( Rorippa amphibia ).
In addition to rushes, samphire ( Salicornia ) and everlasting flowers ( Helichrysum ) grow on the salty areas near the sea . Elevations are made with ball ledges ( Scirpoides holoschoenus ), plantain trees ( Plantago ) and various types of orchids ( Orchidaceae ). Trees such as elms, tamarisks ( Tamarix ) and white poplars ( Populus alba ) also tolerate the salty soil. From the Mediterranean is s'Albufera shielded by one dune, on the beach side Dune pancratium ( Pancratium maritimum ), pennyroyal germander ( Teucrium polium ,) Ordinary beach grass ( Ammophila arenaria ) and large-fruited juniper ( Juniperus macrocarpa occur). Inland in front of the marshland there is a forest strip of Aleppo pines ( Pinus halepensis ), among which are mastic bushes ( Pistacia lentiscus ), rosemary ( Rosmarinus officinalis ), multi-flowered heather ( Erica multiflora ), bindweed ( Smilax ) and an endemic sparrow's tongue ( Thymelaea ) spread.
Wildlife
An important reason for establishing the nature park was the protection of the bird populations occurring there , which in s'Albufera, with 271 different species observed, make up more than two thirds of all bird species occurring on the Balearic Islands . A distinction must be made between the native birds nesting in s'Albufera de Mallorca , the migratory birds that use the area as a transit station and other species that occur there, which nest elsewhere but fly to the nature park as a source of food.
To the Parc natural de s'Albufera breeding 61 species include the mallard ( Anas platyrhynchos ), the coot ( Fulica atra ), which is very rare in Europe red-knobbed coot ( Fulica cristata ), the moorhen ( Gallinula chloropus ), the little grebe ( Tachybaptus ruficollis ), the blue tit ( Cyanistes caeruleus ), the little bittern ( Ixobrychus minutus ), the stilt ( Himantopus himantopus ) and the reed warbler ( Acrocephalus schoenobaenus ). White-headed Ruddy Ducks ( Oxyura leucocephala ) were also used in s'Albufera to preserve the species . Among the migratory birds, cormorants ( Phalacrocorax carbo ), gray herons ( Ardea cinerea ), wigeons ( Anas penelope ), teals ( Anas crecca ), shovelers ( Anas clypeata ) and pochard ( Aythya ferina ) spend the winter here .
As a transit station in spring and autumn, s'Albufera is used by flamingos (Phoenicopteriformes, Phoenicopteridae), night herons ( Nycticorax nycticorax ) and waders (Charadriiformes) such as sandpipers ( Calidris ), plover (Charadriidae), curlews ( Numenosa arquata ) and curlews ( Numenosa arquata ) limosa ), more rarely used by storks (Ciconiidae). At raptors come marsh harrier ( Circus aeruginosus ), peregrine falcon ( Falco peregrinus ), Kestrel ( Falco tinnunculus ) and Osprey ( Pandion haliaetus ) ago. Also egrets ( Egretta garzetta ) and black-headed gulls ( Larus ridibundus ) looking in the nature park for food.
Among the reptiles , the viper snake ( Natrix maura ) is common in s'Albufera , as are some lizards and the European pond turtle ( Emys orbicularis ). Among the amphibians , the Iberian water frog ( Rana perezi; Syn .: Pelophylax perezi ) in particular forms a large population. In the waters of the nature park there are 29 species of fish , in addition to larger populations of perch (Percidae), European sea bass ( Dicentrarchus labrax ), black goby ( Gobius niger ), mullet (Mugilidae) and onion fish ( Alburnus alburnus ) also many eels ( Anguilla anguilla ). They come as young eels over the torrent mouths of the torrents into the wetland of s'Albufera and leave this again after eight to nine years to reproduce in the direction of Lake Sargasso in the Atlantic Ocean .
Of the mammals only smaller species are found in the nature reserve, mostly rodents like rats and mice . There are also eight species of bats , including the rare pug bat ( Barbastrella barbastrellus ).
Access
The Parc natural de s'Albufera de Mallorca is open to the public. Observation stands have been set up within the nature park for visitors, from which one can observe the birds without disturbing them. The entrance to the park is located six kilometers from the center of Alcúdia at the Pont dels Anglesos ("Bridge of the English") over the Gran de s'Albufera Canal , just before it flows into the sea at s'Oberta . The MA-12 road that runs over the bridge connects Port d'Alcúdia with Can Picafort.
From the Pont dels Anglesos , also called Pont de Ses Comportes or Pont de Ses Casetes , you can reach the Center de Recepció sa Roca ("Reception Center sa Roca ") after about one kilometer on a path between the Canal Gran and the Canal des Sol . It is located in the building of a former paper mill , where reeds were used as the basis for paper production. From sa Roca ("the rock") five signposted routes lead through the s'Albufera nature reserve . In addition to four observation stations, there is also a small museum inside the park.
Information brochures on the nature park are available at the Sa Roca reception center , which is open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The park itself is open from April 1 to September 30 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and from October 1 to March 31 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. An official, but free, registration is required to visit the nature park. Two-hour guided tours by environmental educators within the nature park are possible after prior registration. The tours for groups of less than 20 people only take place on Saturdays in the mornings.
Individual evidence
- ↑ CES Illes Balears: MEMÒRIA 2004 - ANNEX ESTADÍSTIC DE QUADRES , Quadre A I-39, p.43: Espais naturals protegits (ha) (2004)
- ↑ a b c d e f g S'Albufera Nature Park (Consell de Mallorca)
- ↑ S'Albufera on Mallorca
- ↑ Parc natural de s'Albufera de Mallorca - Geological arrangement (boundaries) , information center of the natural park ( sa Roca )
- ↑ a b c d The nature reserve S'Albufera de Mallorca
- ↑ a b c Thomas Schröder: Mallorca , Michael Müller Verlag, pages 186/187, ISBN 3-89953-334-8
- ↑ Parque natural de s'Albufera de Mallorca ( Memento of April 2, 2010 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ a b c Natural Park S'Albufera de Mallorca , information sheet, Govern de les Illes Balears, Conselleria de Medi Ambient
Web links
- S'Albufera Natural Park (Consell de Mallorca)
- The S'Albufera de Mallorca nature reserve (Govern de les Illes Balears)
- Parc natural de s'Albufera de Mallorca (with map of the nature reserve)
- S'Albufera de Mallorca, parc natural (mallorcaweb.net)
- Parque natural de s'Albufera de Mallorca (Edicions de Turisme Cultural. Illes Balears) ( Memento of April 2, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) (Castilian)