Bio-Parque Monchique: a study of montane vegetation

Varied upland habitats of Monchique

The Serra de Monchique are the highest mountains of the Algarve and are composed of two massifs, Fóia (902 m) and Picota (774 m). The rare syenite geology and mountain setting with its strong Atlantic climatic influence confer a diverse flora and fauna, and a rich mosaic of interesting but often threatened habitats.

Some 76,008 ha of the Serra de Monchique form part of a proposed Special Area of Conservation within the ‘Natura 2000’ network. Here the proposed Bio-Parque Initiative is designed to implement Natura 2000 through a package of measures that integrate nature conservation, access and rural tourism, and local economies. As part of this initiative, a series of botanical studies were carried out in 2003 to obtain detailed knowledge of the plant communities and vegetation types within four council-owned areas of land. This information was to be used as a baseline for future management of the sites.

The main detailed survey was carried out in June 2003 when two observers sampled the dominant vegetation types. A more detailed description of the plant communities present was achieved through the study of specific units (normally 10x10 m) in which all species present, and their abundance, were recorded.

The results showed a total of 236 species distributed across 69 families and 174 genera. Of these, 17 species were considered particularly significant. These included a rare ‘monchiquensis’ subspecies of the thrift Armeria beirana, the ornate, orange-flowered Iberian Knapweed (Centaurea crocata), and the rhododendron (Rhododendron ponticum ssp baeticum), which has a native but restricted range in south-west Iberia. A study of the flora in terms of plant geography (phytogeography) demonstrates not only the importance of southern European (including Mediterranean) elements, but also a strong presence of (Sub)Atlantic and European species.

Iberian knapweed

The plant community data was analysed to produce a vegetation classification falling into three main types: a) heathland with rock outcrops, b) woodland and forestry, and c) wetlands. Generic management/restoration recommendations were made on the basis of these types and their current condition, and specific proposals were made for the rarest and most significant flora and vegetation.

A sombre postscript to this study was provided by the devastating fires that swept the region in the summer of 2003. In September 2003 a visit to the study sites confirmed that the majority of the land area studied had been burnt. This development obviously represents a major regional disaster and a set-back for the Bio-Parque project. Whilst many common plants are fire-adapted and will come back relatively quickly, important concerns remain in relation to the warmer and drier conditions predicted by climate change models, and the possible increased frequency of forest fires. A major study has been commenced in 2005 to chart vegetation regeneration within the 2003 as well as additional plots, and to determine the resilience of Foia’s heathlands in relation to past fire history.

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Project leader: Will Simonson. For further information contact A Rocha Portugal.

Partners: Udo and Claudia Schwarzer