Walking the GR7 in Andalucía, a Cicerone Guide

Our eyes fell on this new guide for people who want to walk (parts of) the GR7 (grand recordo 7) in Andalucia.  The pocket is the second edition, following the 2007 edition.  The guide explains all stages in between "Puebla de Don Fadrique" and "Tarifa", both the North fork, that goes through Cazorla, Cambril, through the province of Jaén to meet the South fork that runs through Baza, Puerto de la Ragua into the Alpujarras and Alhama the Granada.  You can find interesting background information besides the maps and discriptions of every stage.  You can order the book at www.cicerone.co.uk for about 20 EUR.

Walking route PR-A 28 of Bérchules cleaned and signposted

This summer volunteers cleaned one of the must beautiful walking routes of Bérchules. At the moment two collages of this project can be seen at the town hall of Bérchules. This route is described in the visitor guide of the Parque Nacional de Sierra Nevada that was published in 2004. In this Guía de Visita it is called ´Río Grande de los Bérchules´. Unlike most other walking routes in this guide book, it was not signposted, nor mentioned on the website or brochures of the National Park. It has been waymarked this summer with yellow and white paint marks and wooden posts. This PR-A 28 of 12 kilometres is now one of the official Pequeños Recorridos in Andalucía.
The first part coincides with the waymarked Ruta de la Junta de los Ríos which is a Sendero Local. The green-and-white waymarks at the beginning have been changed into yellow-and-white, which might be confusing for people that do want to do the Junta de los Ríos walk. The last part coincides with the GR-7 that runs between Bérchules and Mecina Bombarón. It is 4 kilometres shorter than our Tajos de Reyecillo walk as we make a detour to follow the beautiful old irrigation channel up to the Cima del Tejar. Another difference is that our walk is described the other way around as we think the part between the village and the Cima del Tejar is easier to ascend than to descend (the gps track of our Tajos de Reyecillo route).

Satyrus actea or Black Satyr

A butterfly that has caught our attention on recent walks is the Black Satyr. According to the online magazine Waste Ideal, there have been cited two subspecies of this ´Negra´ in Sierra Nevada, namely Satyrus actaea subsp nevadensis and the Satyrus actaea subs podarcina. It does not mention in what ways these two subspecies differ, except that the first one flies at higher altitudes. As we mentioned in our article on the ´High route to Trevélez in High summer´ we saw the Satyrus actaea flying in large numbers on the slopes of the Peña de los Papos, only every now and then resting on a stone. On our new route ´Trevélez por el Horcajo´ we saw them close to streams, acequias and barrancos feeding on ragworts, mint and thistles. Like the Parnassius Apollo nevadensis, Pseudochazara hippolyte and the Erebia hispana, this is a butterfly that is being monitored by the Observatorio Cambio Global de Sierra Nevada. Of these four species, it is this Black Satyr that we sight in largest numbers.



Related key words: papilio actaea, actaeon, hipparchia actaea, petite coronide, kleine saterzandoog, vlinder, butterfly, schmetterling, papillon, nymphalidae, satyrinae, satíridos, satyridae, satyrinae, natuurreis, vlinderreis, nature holiday, turismo de naturaleza

De Bérchules a Trevélez por el Horcajo

Yesterday we checked out a walking route of 19 km from the Plaza de Lobos above Bérchules to Trevélez. It involves a landrover drop off at 2600m from were you start following an irrigition channel. Right from the beginning you have spectacular views of a number of the high peaks - like the Mulhacén - and you can see Trevélez in the distance. After 4 km you get to the Barranco de las Albardas from which the high Acequia de Bérchules takes part of its water. Another 2 km further on you arrive at the Barranco de Río de Jérez, the origin of the Río Trevelez and with its borreguiles a very lush place. From here you start following another irrigation channel which even in high summer is bordered by green grass and flowers. This part is not suitable for people with fear of hights, because you need to walk on small, steep stretches with loose stones. Southwards you can see on a clear day the sea in the distance and to your right the views of the Alcazaba are impressive. You get to a crossroads with a sign for the Lagunas Vacares and the Puerto de Jérez.  From this point you follow the waymarked Puerto de Jérez route to El Horcajo and from here you walk along the river down to Trevélez. More information on these routes can be found in the small booklet Rutas por Trevélez.
If you are interested in doing this walk to Trevélez, or use the Plaza de Lobos as a starting point for any other route, you can contact us for more information on a landrover ride up to this excellent viepoint. If you just want to spend a few hours high up, something can be arranged as well, just driving up is already a great experience. A nice alternative is to just walk to the Barranco de las Albardas, a great place for butterfly sighting. Here we photographed, amongst others, Dusky Meadow Browns (Hyponephele lycaon), the endemic Spanish Brassy Ringlet (Erebia hispania), Black Satyrs (Satyrus actaea), Dark Green Fritllaries (Argynnis aglaja) and the Large Skipper (Ochlodes sylvanus) with the rolled up proboscis. This photo journey gives an impression of the spectacular route ´Trevélez por el Horcajo´. Here we offer the GPS track of this walk






High mountain walking without climbing, a perfect high summer option.

Related articles:
- Rutas por Trevélez
- Horseback riding with Virgen de las Nieves from Trevélez
- Cerro del Gallo, the highest mountain of Bérchules
- Acequia de Bérchules

Related key words: wandeling, bergwandelen, hiking, trekking, las alpujarras, hooggebergte

Sierra Nevada, a paradise for nature photographers

One of the interesting phenomena of the Sierra Nevada are the insects inhabiting the high peak areas. According to an article on the Fauna de Sierra Nevada on the website of Waste Ideal, there are possibly about five thousand species of invertebrates of which more than a hundred are endemic to this mountain range. A few days ago we took the microbus up from Capileira the Mirador de Trevélez (2,650m) and enjoyed taking pictures of the flora and fauna in the vicinity of this viewpoint. We wandered about on the boggy pastures or borreguiles of the Barranco del Postercuelo and the Barranco del Peñon Negro above the dirt track going to the Refugio de Poquiera. The Estrella de las Nieves immediately caught our eye and we were pleasantly surprised by the number of Apollos, Fritallaries and colonies of Silver-studded blues. We saw one Plebejus Argus being caught in a spider web. We came across a longhorned beetle, Iberodorcadion lorquini, and and a ´smiling´ grasshopper. While walking cross-country up through pebbled terrain we saw many endemic plants, like the Sierra Nevada violet and a black beetle called Pimelia monticola. We followed the Pista de Capileira (antigua carretera de Sierra Nevada) back to the Mirador de Trevélez and photographed a Baetica ustulata holding on to a flower of the Jurinea humilis and an Eumigus rubioi, an endemic wingless grasshopper, enjoying his lunch. A Silver-studded Blue was comparting a flower of the Reseda complicata with a couple of interesting looking insects. While we still had some time left before the microbus would take us back, we climbed up the Alto del Chorrillo, an excellent watch out point with a large ruined building that was used to store supplies in the Civil War. Our selection of photographs of Monday the 25th of July shows that if you´re interested in nature photography in the high peak area, but don´t want to walk for hours, taking the microbus up from Capileira to the Mirador de Trevélez is an excellent alternative. On the way back somebody showed us his inspiring pictures of beautiful flowers, mountain goats and birds. At that moment we were confirmed in the thought that the higher zones of the Sierra Nevada is a paradise for nature photographers, especially in this time of the year.

Erebia hispania or Spanish Brassy Ringlet

The Erebia hispania is now considered to be endemic to the Sierra Nevada and therefor one of the highlights of butterfly lovers that visit this mountain range. The habitat of this Montañesa excéntrica are stony and wet grasslands between 1,800 and 2,900m. On Waste magazine we can read that the number is reducing of this Nymphalidae and that it is listed as ´threatened´. It also says that it flies in the Pyrenees as well. Tristan Lafranchis, in his latest book on identifying European species, divided hispania into two distinct species, ´Erebia hispania´ occurring in the Sierra Nevada in southern Spain, and ´Erebia rondoui´ or the Pyrenees Brassy Ringlet as confined to the Pyrenees. On the fore-wing upperside of the Spanish Brassy Ringlet the orange band becomes abruptly narrower and the black ocelli is reduced ormissing on the male hind-wing upperside. Its primary foodplants are gramineae (grass) and Festuca (fescue). We photographed our Spanish Brassy Ringlet in a ´borreguil´ close to the Barranco de las Albardas (2,600m) at the beginning of August last year. It was sharing its habitat with a Parnassius apollo. We are now planning to go back there in the same week hoping to reencounter this unique Erebia. In Dutch its name is Spaanse glanserebia and in French it is known as Moiré des Ibères.
PS On the 7th of August 2011 we did indeed reencounter a Spanish Brassy Ringlet in the same barranco, see article De Bérchules a Trevélez por el Horcajo.





Related key words: nymphalidae, satyrinae, satíridos, satyridae, satyrines, satyrids, browns, bruintje, brush-footed butterflies, vlinder, schmetterling, papillon, natuurreis, natuurvakantie, turismo de naturaleza, nature holiday

Pseudochazara hippolyte or Nevada grayling

The Pseudochazara hippolyte is called Cuatro ocelos de Sierra Nevada in Spanish as it has four ocelli. This Nevada grayling can be seen flying in Sierra Nevada at altitudes between 1,400 and 2,700m from the third week of June to mid July. The female lays eggs on Festuca Indigesta (fescue grasslands or Nevadan stripped grasslands) that grows on the siliceous upper slopes and summits. The Pseudochazara hippolyte is included in the ´Libro Rojo de los Lepidópteros ibéricos´ (The Spanish Invertebrates Red Data Book), but classified as not threatened. In the Libro Rojo de Invertebrados de Andalucía it is classified as vulnerable. This Red Data Book is available on the internet as PDF and this is for us a good source of information on this butterfly. As there are isolated populations in the different mountainous areas different subspecies are described. In the Red Data Book it mentions that in Sierra Nevada there is a subspecies known as Pseudochazara hippolyte williamsi and that three other subspecies in Spain exist: Pseudochazara hippolyte augustini in the Sierra de Gádor, Pseudochazara hippolyte aislada in the Sierra de María-Orce and Pseudochazara hippolyte reverchoni in north-eastern Andalusian Sierras. According to the information available in 2001, it is mentioned that the populations of the Sierra Nevada are not endangered, whereas the other three subspecies must be regarded as vulnerable because of the low population density, the small number of colonies and the small area they occupy. There are also populations of the Pseudochazara hippolyte in the Ural, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, southern Siberia, Mongolia and China, where they fly at altitudes between 1,500 and 2,000m.
We had the privilige to see a number of Nevada graylings two days ago at an altitude of about 2,500m while walking over a ridge between the Alto the las Chorreras and the Peñon del Lobo in the sierra above Mecina Bombarón. The photo below gives an idea of the fantastic views from this ridge as well as of the habitat of the Nevadaheremiet as it is known in Dutch or Ocellé andalou as it is known in French.




Related links: European interests group of Butterfly conversation in Spain; in the text on the highlights of the Sierra Nevada, Pseudochazara hippolyte or Nevada grayling is mentioned.

Related key words: insectos, lepidóteros, ropaloceros, nymphalidae, satyrinae, satíridos, satyridae, nymphalidés, papillons, vlinders, natuurvakantie, turismo de naturaleza, nature holiday

Bird Count, IV Censo de Aves de la Alpujarra 16 de abril de 2011

This coming Saturday the 16th of April at 08.00 hours the second spring bird count will take place starting at the rural hotel Alquería de Morayma in Cádiar. Last year the spring bird census was done on the 18th of April, during which 37 different bird species were counted. It will be the fourth censo, as two other autumn countings were organized. From the map of this announcement the first loop will be done which is a walk of 8,5 kilometres through the beautiful valley of the Río Guadalfeo. Anybody interested is welcome to participate. The ´IV Censo de Aves´ will be led by Antonio Ramos, guide of the National Park Sierra Nevada and by the enthusiastic expert and local wildlife guide, Gary Morrell. For more information you can call us at El Paraje, the Parque Nacional de Sierra Nevada or Alquería de Morayma.



Related article:
- Report of the II Censo de aves de la Alpujarra 18th of April 2010

Related key words: censo de pájaros, bird census, vogeltelling

Local walk PR-A 70 Pueblos del Poqueira

We know of our own guests that many people that decide to spend a few days in the Alpujarra like to visit the Barranco de Poqueira. Quite often people are interested in combining a stroll through the picturesque villages of this beautiful valley with a short walk. We were therefor happy to learn about a ´newly´ signposted Pequeño Recorrido developed by the Parque Natural de Sierra Nevada connecting Pampaneira, Bubión and Capileira. More information on this Sendero Pueblos del Poqueira PR-A 70 can be found on the website of the Junta de Andalucía. On the map of this walk it is not made clear whether you can cross to the other side of the valley at point 6. Before arriving at Capileira (point 6 on the map) there is a sign indicating ´Puente El Molino´. It turned out to be surprisingly easy as well as beautiful to follow the indications and cross the bridge. At the other side there is a sign of the PR-A 70 indicating the way back to Pampaneira. Having two circular walks everybody can decide how to combine visiting the Poqueira villages with some hiking. The ´low loop´ is about 6 kilometres and the first part coincides with the GR-7. Both routes follow the old ´Camino a Bubión´. At the Plaza Libertad in Pampaneira a GR-7 waymark can be found. Going up Calle Estación, you pass an old wash house and climb up Calle Principe or Calle Real to get to the starting point. On the street map or ´plano´ of Pampaneira the starting point of the ´Camino a Bubión´ can be found. On the street map of Bubión we indicated where the PR-A 70 enters and leaves the village. The ´high loop´ that passes through Capileira is about four kilometres, but it is also possible to return to point 6 on the map in order to shorten the walk. On the street map of Capileira it is indicated with number 4 where you enter the village and number 3 is where the local walk leaves the village (coincides with the GR-240 or Sulayr).



Warning:
The PR-A 70 is quite well waymarked with signs indicating the distances to the villages and wooden posts with yellow-and-white waymarks. Where needed we placed a few extra cairns.
Nevertheless, about 200 metres of the path that steeply descends to the river before getting back to Pampaneira are seriously damaged (See our own map between 13 and 14!)!
While doing any of the walks that use the Pampaneira river crossing, like the Sendero Local La Atalaya, you need to be aware that you need to cover this difficult steep stretch with lose slates. Without clear visibility, good hiking boots and mountain walking experience this part is not to be recommended.
Take into account that the waymarking (again!) has only been done in one direction! You can get lost walking back if you did not look back every now and then. (No problem with our GPS track data of course)
We have not done the ´high loop´ yet, but we heard at the Punto de Información de Pampaneira that this walk can be done without encountering any difficulties.

Bronze symbols of Sierra Nevada of José María Moreno Rodrigo

For two more days the exhibition ´Luces de Sulayr, Cinco Siglos en la Imagen de Sierra Nevada´ can be visited in the Centro de Arte of Almería. Altough the exhibition is quite small compared to the one which was held in Granada last year, it is still interesting. We especially enjoyed the bronze sculptures of insects, birds and mammals of José María Moreno Rodrigo. His sculputures of fauna of the Sierra Nevada were earlier this year exhibited in the Parque de la Ciencias de Andalucía en Granada. On the website of the Casa Taller Miguel Moreno a list of artistic reproductions can be found, amongst which the twenty-four sculptures that form his project ´Esculturas Símbolo de Sierra Nevada´. The Alpine Accentor is an example of a true symbol, as it is a bird that inhabits the high mountains. On the summits of the Mulhacén and Veleta it can often be observed. It has become quite familiar with the presence of people and does not act shyly at all. Something we experienced ourselves and that is also mentioned on the Spanish text of Prunella collaris or Acentor alpino on Wikipedia.




Related links:
-Catálogo de la exhibición Luces de Sulayr (pdf 19,94 mb)

Related articles:
-Luces de Sulayr, images of Sierra Nevada

Por tierras de moriscos 20 and 21 November 2010

PromoCETS 2010 is one of the promotional activities that forms part of the Plan de Acción 2009-2013 of the Carta Europea de Turismo Sostenible. During these two days, Sierra Nevada National and Natural Park will be highlighted as a destination for sustainable tourism. Different activities are organized in Bérchules, Cádiar, Mecina Bombarón and Válor, tierras de moriscos. The brochure can be downloaded (4,49 MB).
For more information call 958.026318 or e-mail: maria.villa.ext @ juntadeandalucia.es

Gentiana pneumonanthe subsp Depressa

There are plant species which are widely distributed in Europe, while it has a subspecies that is endemic to
Sierra Nevada. This holds true for Gentiana pneumonanthe subsp Depressa. This blue-flowered gentian can be found in an area that is almost twenty kilometres long, albeit interrupted due to its ecological requirements. The number of individuals capable of flowering is estimated between 5000 and 10000.
This subspecies of the Marsh Gentian grows at altitudes between 2,200 and 3,200 metres, in the oro- and crioromediterranean levels. The factors that determine its scarcity are the ecological requirements and the limited number of suitable habitats for its development. Its habitats are high mountain pastures, known as ´borreguiles´ and peat bogs. This Gentiana pneumonanthe subsp Depressa and four other gentians that inhabit the marshy meadows of Sierra Nevada are listed as ´vulnerable´ and on the list of endangerd species, the Lista Roja de la Flora Vascular de Andalucía. This is because their habitat, the ´borreguiles´ are affected by overgrazing, the changing of water courses and tourism.  Three weeks ago we saw a fairly large number of this endemic Marsh Gentian along a small stream flowing into the Barranco de las Albardas at an altitude of 2,550 metres.



Related articles:
- References on the local flora

Related links:
- Gabriel Blanca López: Flora amenazada y endémica de Sierra Nevada (pdf 18MB)

Related key words: cáliz de la aurora, genciana de turbera, klokjesgentiaan, lungen-enzian, familia gencianáceas, gentiaanfamilie,  familie der enziangewächse,  famille des Gentianacées

Senecio nevadensis

The Senecio nevadensis or ´Suzón de Sierra Nevada´ is one of the more than sixty endemic plants of Sierra Nevada. There are other ´senecios´ to be found in the massif, like Senecio elodes, Senecio eriopus and Senecio quinqueradiatus, but this ´Nevada ragwort´ is the only one that can be found exclusively in Sierra Nevada. Its habitats are in the highest parts of the mountain range, between 2,600 metres and 3,300 metres in the ´pisos oro y crioromediterráneo´ (oromediterranean and crioromediterranean levels). This member of the daisy family can be found on steep stony slopes or ´canchales´ (´pedregales móviles´ or ´cascajales sueltos´, gravelly areas with unstable schist slabs). It caught our attention mid July because it has large stems (up to 30 cm) and it was still in bud. Many other plants in the area were tiny, colourful, with hardly any stems or leaves, peeping out of the rocks and in full flower; like the Chaenorrhinum glareosum, Iberis carnosa subsp emberger, and the Viola crassiuscula (violeta de Sierra Nevada or Nevada violet). When we went back early August, we saw this Senecios nevadensis in full bloom just below the ridge of the Loma de Piedra Ventana, a spot were the shepherds probably don´t come. We took another route back, so where we had seen a large number in bud, we did not see whether they had come into flower or not. This ´Nevada reagwort´ is listed as ´vulnerable´ and and therefore included in the ´Lista roja de la flora vascular de Andalucía´ (Red List of Vascular Flora of Andalusia). According to the information on this ´Nevada ragwort´ in Flora amenazada y endémica de Sierra Nevada there are only three populations (between 10000 and 15000 individuals). When we look at the small map in Flora amenazada y endémica de Sierra Nevada on which the known populations are located, we are to the right of them. The ones we have seen, might be a population the scientists are not yet aware of. It is a threatened due to its specific ecological requirements and extreme fluctuations of fruit production, depending on the climatic conditions. Because it flowers late, in years with a particularly early cold autumn, it barely comes to fruition. Apart from this, grazing constitutes another threat. This species was first validly published by the Swiss botanist Emond Boissier and his French companion George François Reuter in their Pugillus plantarum novarum Africae borealis Hispaniaeque australis (1852).



Related articles:
- References on the local flora
- Cerro del Gallo, the highest mountain of Bérchules

Related key words: sierra nevada kruiskruid, sierra nevada greiskraut, sierra nevada kreutzkraut, séneçon de Sierra nevada, Alpujarras, Sierra Nevada, wandelen, wandelingen, trektocht, standplaats vakantie, hiking, trekking, Berchules, B&B, hotel, wanderungen

Plantago nivalis or ´snow star´

The Plantago nivalis or ´estrella de las nieves´ is one of the more than sixty endemic plants of the Sierra Nevada. This ´snow star´ can be found at altitudes higher than 2,300 metres in the ´pisos oro y crioromediterraneo´ (oromediterranean and crioromediterranean levels). This alpine species has a preference for areas where the snow remains for a long period and the borders of high mountain meadows, locally known as ´borreguiles´. The ´snow star´ is a regarded as a bioindicator of this habitat. It presents a number of climatic adaptations. Its leaves hold water and the coating of soft white hairs (pubescence) protects the plant from cold temperatures, prevents evaporation and reflects the strong solar radiation. As the ´snow star´ grows very close to the ground it is a protected from strong winds. The flowers of this plant are grouped in a small head at the end of a long stalk, so as to facilitate the dispersion of the polen by the wind to other plants nearby. According to the text on this Plantago nivalis on the on-line magazine Waste, it has - together with Edelweiss - the legend of being the flower of eternal love as the leaves of the star do no dry out. “People had the tradition to give it do their beloved ones as a token of their eternal love." Nowadays it is a protected species that can not be collected and considered one of the emblematic species of Sierra Nevada. It is the symbol of the Sulayr Long Distance Footpath and can be seen on the wooden waymarkers of this GR-240. The Swiss botanist Edmond Boissier encountered the ´snow star´ on one of his explorations in July 1837 when he went up the Barranco de Benalcázar towards the summits. As he was the first to publish the Plantago nivalis, he is regarded as the author of this botanical name. A drawing can be found in his ´Voyage Botanique dans le Midi de l’Espagne pendant l’année 1837´ (page 181). We saw many ´snow stars´ in the valley of the Río Chico of Bérchules on the first Saturday of august. It is not a threatened species, so it is a species that any visitor interested in the local flora should encounter easily. What is not easy, is to see it in bloom, as this is only for a very short period.



Related articles:
- References on the local flora

Related links:
- On-line magazine Waste: Joyas botánicas de Sierra Nevada
- On-line magazine Waste: La flora endémica del macizo de Sierra Nevada

Related key words: plantaginaceae, plantagináceas, plantain, weegbreefamilie, wegerichgewächse, famille des plantaginacées, plantago thalackeri pau, nardus grasslands

The endemic flora of the Sierra Nevada

On this blog we quite regularly write posts on the local flora as we love the botanical wealth of the area. In the Sierra Nevada there are over 2,100 catalogued species and subspecies. Spain is the country with the highest number of endemics (176 national ones) and Sierra Nevada is the area with the highest concentration of endemic plant species in the whole of continental Europe (80 species according to the on-line magazine Waste). The idea that it is the only area where it can be enjoyed or photographed makes us feel priviliged when we see a plant endemic to the Sierra Nevada.  An ´endemismo nevadenses´ can sometimes only be seen in one or two locations within the mountain range. It is suggested by some people that we owe the high number of localised plants partly to the ice ages. During the last ice age, the only region with a climate favourable for plant life, was the present-day Mediterranean region. When the years became colder many plants shifted their range southwards where they took refuge on the relatively warm south-facing slopes of the mountains. The Betic Cordillera, to which the Sierra Nevada belonged, held many important refuges. As Europe warmed up again, some of these plants shifted back north, while others retreated to the high parts of the mountains and adapted to the prevailing conditions. This is why the summits of the Sierra Nevada, while appearing almost barren at first glance, in fact display the highest number of ´unique´ plants of the whole of Europe.  As many formed their own biological communities, visitors interested in the flora can easily see a number of unique species once they are at an altitude higher than 2,300 metres. Between thirty and forty percent are to be found in the marshy grasslands known as ´borreguiles´ or on the steep rocky slopes close to the summits known as ´canchales´. The uniqueness also implies a great risk. Endemic plants can easily become endangered or extinct because of their restricted habitat and their vulnerability to the actions of man or climate change. Fortunately almost all endemic plants can be found within the boundaries of the Parque Nacional de Sierra Nevada and therefore monitored and protected. Most of them flower in July and August, so this is still the time to go out and enjoy the unique botanical jewels of the Sierra Nevada. We will continue to dedicate articles to them (see posts label flora-endemic), indicating where we encountered them, whether there were a large number or just a few and any pecularities we think are worth mentioning.



Related articles:
- References on the local flora
- Sempervivum minutum
- Boissier, discoverer of many Sierra Nevada plant species

Related links:
- On-line magazine Waste: La flora endémica del macizo de Sierra Nevada
- Gabriel Blanca López: Flora amenazada y endémica de Sierra Nevada (pdf 18MB)

Boissier, discoverer of many Sierra Nevada plant species

The Swiss botanist Edmond Boissier (1810-1885) is regarded as the discoverer of the Andalusian flora. He started his botanic explorations of Andalusia in the year 1836 and his first findings were published in a pamphlet in which he described about two hundred plants. More exploration trips followed between 1837 and 1845. After seven years of preparations, his work devoted to the botanical wealth of southern Spain, ´Voyage Botanique dans le Midi de l’Espagne pendant l’année 1837` was published. This work has a set of 208 magnificent botanical drawings and a catalogue of 1900 species that constitutes ´an extensive botanical geography of the kingdom of Granada´. As Boissier also described his experiences, it is also seen as an interesting travel guide. On the website of the on-line exhibition ´Luces de Sulayr´ (entrar-descubrir-galería de personajes) we can find a summary of his botanical explorations in the Sierra Nevada. “He was offered a room in cortijo de San Jerónimo, which became his base. At first he concentrated on the areas around el Dornajo and the Trevenque, and he was immediately struck by the number of species unknown to the scientific world at that moment. After his first excursion he decided to stay higher up at the Prados de las Yeguas and later in the Cueva del Panderón, close to the Veleta.” In 1849 he returned with George-Francois Reuter (1805-1872), who became his travelling companion, collaborateur, curator of collections and librarian. Bossier who was financially independent, healthy and strong, a born traveller and mountaineer, visited Spain nine times. It is said of him that he was gifted with unusual mnemonic powers and a consistent worker. He travelled to many countries all over the world and described more than six thousand new species. In ´Boissier´s diagnosis´ by Frans A. Stafleu we can read: “Much of the secret of Boissier´s productivity certainly lies in his close association with his equally enthousiastic and dedicated companion George-Francois Reuter.” They travelled to northern Africa together and made significant contributions to knowledge of the relationship between Andalusian and North African flowers. They published their findings in ´Pugillus plantarum novarum Africae borealis hispaniaeque australis´ in 1852. Boissier validly published a large number of botanical names of plants he encountered in the Sierra Nevada, many of which are now classified as ´endemic´, as they have so far not been seen anywhere else. Because of Boissier´s close co-operation with Reuter, we sometimes see both their names as authors of botanical names of species inhabiting the mountain range. After their publications, many botanists followed in their footsteps and expanded the knowledge of the flora of the Sierra Nevada.

Related articles:
- Erodium cheilanthifolium

Related links:
- Digital version of the ´Voyage Botanique dans le Midi de l’Espagne pendant l’année 1837` (tomo de láminas) from the website Luces de Sulayr
- List of plant names described by Edmond Boissier

Walking through a snow tunnel in August

Although it is mid August, there are still quite a number of snow fields in the high parts of Sierra Nevada. A couple of days ago, we followed the Río Chico of Bérchules upstream. Before we reached the actual source of this river, we decided to follow a small stream northwestward as we were curious to see which flowers we would see along the edges. We saw a couple of really pretty endemic plants, like Veronica turbicula, and many ´estrellas de las nieves´ or snow stars (Plantago nivalis). But the most impressive thing we encountered was a snow tunnel formed by the melt water. It had a length of about thirty metres and we could actually walk through it. This was really refreshing because of the lower temperature inside and the water that was dripping down. We had actually crossed this same snow field three weeks earlier, without realising how we missed out on the sheer beauty of the carved walls underneath.

Borreguiles de Sierra Nevada

One of the habitats of the highest vegetation zones of the Sierra Nevada is locally known as ´borreguiles´.  These are wet pastures that can be found above 2,000 metres in the oro- and crioromediterranean levels. These grassy areas can be found near rivers, gullies or tarns and have the ability to accumulate agua. Some areas have a more or less constant humidity, and in others it might vary. Peat bogs, where the ground is permanently waterlogged by still water are scarce, but do exist. The ´borreguiles´ hold a large biodiversity of plants and about thirty-five percent of them are endemic species. This explains why these areas have always attracted botanists and nature lovers. Visitors of the high mountains that are interested in flora, will be suprised when they start exploring the green oases in a seemingly barren, dry landscape. ´Borrego´ means lamb in Spanish and explains the name given to the soft, grassy areas. Unfortunately the delicate balance of the ´borreguiles´ is seriously threatened by overgrazing, the change of water courses and tourism. On the on-line magazine Waste an excellent article ´Borreguiles de Sierra Nevada´ can be found with a list of fifty plants that inhabit these sites.

Eumigus rubioi, an endemic wingless grasshopper

The same as with the flora, it may seem upon visiting Sierra Nevada that the fauna inhabiting the area is scarce, particularly in the highest parts. However, as occurs with the plants, a multitude of tiny organisms have adapted to the prevailing climatic conditions. There are a large number of different species of invertebrates of which about two hundred are endemic. Eumigus rubioi is one of the insects that can only be observed in Sierra Nevada, above 2,500 metres. This insect, like other orthopterans, avoid being seen and caught by blending in with their natural surroundings with their colour and their shape. Camouflage (´camuflaje´) or mimicry (´mimetismo´) is one of the survival tecniques for the invertebrates inhabiting the massif. Another adaptation is the ´winglessness´ (´apterismo´) or absence of wings (´ausencias de alas´). The biological explanation is based on the fact that wings represent no advantage because the high mountain ecosystem covers a relatively small area and so there´s no need to cover large distances. Enemies are scarce and grasshoppers can defend themselves by hiding behind rocks or in the thorny vegetation. This Eumigus rubioi caught our eye probably because we were looking at the endemic ´cuernecillos´ (Lotus corniculatus subsp. glacialis). So although some areas appear bare, they apparently boast a large number of unique species. Sometimes one just needs to develop an eye for it.



Related links:
- On-line magazine Waste: Fauna de Sierra Nevada - Insectos

Related key words: caelifera, vleugelloze sprinkhaan, kortsprietigen

Chaenorrhinum glareosum or Sierra Nevada dwarf snapdragon

The Chaenorrhinum glareosum or ´Nevada dwarf snapdragon´ is one of the more than sixty endemic plants of Sierra Nevada. There are other snapdragon-like flowers in the massif, like the Chaenorrhinum villosum subsp granatense (´little dragons´) and Chaenorrhinum macropodum subsp macropodum, but this is the only one that can be found exclusively in Sierra Nevada. Its habitats are in the highest parts of the massive, above 2,500 metres in the ´pisos oro y crioromediterráneo´ (oromediterranean and crioromediterranean levels). The ´espuelilla´ or ´dragoncillo´ can be found on steep stony slopes or ´canchales´ (´pedregales móviles´ or ´cascajales sueltos´, gravelly areas with unstable schist slabs). Like the Viola crassiuscula, this perennial herb is able to sprout again after the stem has broken. This member of the figwort family also grows in psychro-xerophilous (cold and dry) pastures that are dominated by perennial grasses and small shrubs. It can also form part of the communities formed by species adapted to live in the cracks of rocks. These communities are very diverse and their composition is influenced by various factors such as orientation, steepness of the slope, level of sunlight and insolation, humidity, depth of the soil and the accessibility of the terrain for herbivorous mammals. This makes that each plant of such a community is linked to a characteristic microhabitat. As there are few insects in the highest parts of the massif, flowers need to compete to be pollinated. The flower needs to attract the insect by well developed petals with attractive colours. According to Gabriel García Guardia, the author of Flores silvestres de Andalucía, the Chaenorrhinum glareosum with its tiny purple flowers with yellow throats, is one of the most beautiful plants of the Sierra Nevada. Maybe that´s why it has been able to withstand to competition so far and is at the moment not considered rare or vulnerable. We have seen this mountain jewel a number of times, close to the top of the Mulhacén and close to the top of the Cerro del Gallo, amongst others.




Related articles:
- Guía de visita Parque Nacional de Sierra Nevada
- References on the local flora

Related key words:
scrophulariaceae, escrofulariáceas, figwort family, helmkruidfamilie, braunwurzgewächse, famille de plantes dicotylédones