Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park

Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park
IUCN Category II (National Park)
Location	Pyrenees of Huesca, Spain
Nearest city	Jaca
Coordinates	42°40′18″N 0°3′20″E / 42.67167°N 0.05556°E / 42.67167; 0.05556Coordinates: 42°40′18″N 0°3′20″E / 42.67167°N 0.05556°E / 42.67167; 0.05556
Area	156.08 km²
Established	1918
Governing body	Spanish Ministry of Environment.

Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park is an IUCN Category II National Park situated in the Pyrenees of Huesca province, Aragon, Spain. There has been a National Park in the Ordesa Valley since 1918. Its protected area was enlarged in 1982 to cover the whole region amounting to 156.08 km².

It has been included since 1997 by UNESCO in the Biosphere Reserve of Ordesa-Viñamala. In the same year it was included in the cross-border Pyrénées - Mont Perdu World Heritage Site.^[1]

The park's territory includes the municipalities of Torla, Broto, Fanlo, Tella-Sin, Puértolas, and Bielsa.

Flora

At elevations up to 1,500-1,700 meters, there are extensive forests of beeches (Fagus sylvatica), Abies alba, pines (Pinus sylvestris), oaks (Quercus subpyrenaica), and a lesser extent of birches (Betula pendula), ashes (Fraxinus excelsior), willows (Salix angustifolia). At higher elevations up to 2,000 m, the mountain pine (Pinus uncinata) dominates. Up to 1,800 m, bushes of boxwood (Buxus sempervirens) are found. In the high meadows from 1,700 to 3,000 meters, there are numerous endemisms including Borderea pyrenaica, Campanula cochleariifolia, Ramonda myconi, Silene borderei, Androsace cylindrica, Pinguicula longifolia, Petrocoptis crassifolia, etc. The Edelweiss (Leontopodium alpinum), is one of the symbols of the National Park.

Fauna

The most important species of the Park was the bucardo or Pyrenean Ibex, which unfortunately became extinct in January 2000 in spite of the preservation efforts. The Pyrenean Chamois is a type of goat. There are other species such as the marmot, boar and the Pyrenean Desman or water-mole (Galemys pyrenaicus), and great birds like the golden eagle, the griffon vulture, hawks, and the royal owl.

Protected status

Many illustrious persons have been fond of the places in this region and have expounded their virtues. Luciano Briet, Soler i Santaló and Lucas Mallada helped promote the reputation of the region and obtain protected status for it.

An area of 21 square kilometres containing the Ordesa Valley was declared a National Park on 16 August 1918 by a Royal Decree. On 13 July 1982, it was enlarged to its current 156.08 km² and its official name was changed to Parque nacional de Ordesa y Monte Perdido.

Gallery

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  Cirque de Soaso, with Cilindro de Marboré, Monte Perdido and Soum de Ramond (left to right)

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  North face of La Brèche de Roland

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  Cirque of Soaso and Horse Tail

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  Path inside the Park

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  Northwest face of Cirque of Soaso

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References

1. ^ "Pyrenees-Mont Perdu". United Nations Environment Program - World Conservation Monitoring Centre. January 2000. Archived from the original on 2008-07-18. http://web.archive.org/web/20080718175546/http://www.unep-wcmc.org/sites/wh/mtperdu.html. Retrieved 2008-08-12. 

External links

• Official website, from the Spanish Ministry of Environment
• Website of the flora and fauna of the Pyrenees including Ordesa and Monte Perdido National Park
• Google Maps image
• Information on the glaciers of the Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park
• Birding itinerary and sounds of Ordesa National Park