Iberia, the European zone with highest biodiversity
I see that most of the people have a distorted view about the Iberian landscape, thinking that all of it consists in a sort of desert without any relevant wildlife. Even when they go here, they just go to the touristic regions, which apart from only reflecting one of the many habitats existing here, are overcrowded and degraded. So I opened this thread to point out some facts and I invite you all to visit the non-touristic Iberia.
Iberian Peninsula is the European place with the highest diversity of animal species, ecosystems and endemisms, being:
-nº1 in number of bird species
-nº1 in number of mammals
-nº1 in number of reptiles
-3º in number of fish
10.000 out of 12.000 plant species in Europe are found in Iberia. Including the only native European palm:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...ingaro)015.jpg
1700 species are endemisms (only existing in Iberia).
Spain is the second country, after Sweden, with the highest number of km2 of forest area in Europe.
Iberia includes near 60% of all the habitats existing through Europe, from sub-desertic climates to Central European high mountain ones, also forest of all classes: Central Europeans like oak and beech, and Mediterranean like ilex and cork.
http://www.andalucia.org/media/fotos...00x600_q85.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...3%B1ena%29.jpg
http://www.porlibre.com/MURCIA/IMAGE...lblanque03.jpg
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fzYhXonZHX...raDeCampos.jpg
http://www.alcoiturisme.com/dbimagen...oja_3_foto.jpg
http://lecarnetdemadrid.com/imagenes...3643_orig.jpeg
http://megaconstrucciones.net/images...-nevada-23.jpg
http://www.orbisv.com/dominios/7016_...ias-baixas.jpg
http://mas.laopinioncoruna.es/suplem.../pulmones1.jpg
http://www.escapadarural.com/blog/wp...estortes-s.jpg
http://www.cosasdemadrid.es/images/l...adarrama-1.jpg
Iberia keeps significant and growing populations of animals extincted or almost extincted in most of Europe, like eagles, griffon vultures, brown bears, wolves, lynx...
http://elllugar.files.wordpress.com/...3/osopardo.jpg
http://www.aquilaadalberti.net/Anima...lpviavje_9.jpg
http://www.lincepedia.com/wp-content...-extincion.jpg
http://www.vitorgarcia.net/wp-conten...re_leonado.jpg
http://www.vertebradosibericos.org/reptiles/chacha.jpg