Nature/Picnic Areas
Nature
The comarca Comunidad de Teruel, although situated in the Cordillera Ibérica and surrounded by mountain ranges that reach an altitude of 2,000 m, is located on a high plateau with an average altitude of between 1,000 and 1,500 m. This high plateau is crossed by two large depressions that are the home to the riverbeds of the rivers that flow through the area.
The Climate
Despite the proximity of the region to the Mediterranean, it has a continental component and is marked by the orography of the territory. In general, the climate is dry and cold, with significant temperature fluctuations. The extreme temperatures and the low and irregular rainfall have a significant effect on the region’s vegetation, giving the high plains of Teruel a steppe-like character.
Flora
The vegetation cover of the Comunidad de Teruel region is one of the most heterogeneous. There are extensive and lush coniferous forests, large areas where cereal monoculture is common, riverside vegetation of poplar groves and irrigated orchards, small paradises of extraordinary biodiversity, wide moorlands and almost absolute deserts. More than half of its surface is covered by bushes and grasslands, almost always resulting from the degradation of the original autochthonous vegetation due to anthropic causes.
Mushrooms
In autumn, and to a lesser extent in spring, mushrooms can be found in great quantity and variety. The highly prized mushroom ( rebollón), also called robellón or níscalo, is one of the first of these species. Other delicious mushrooms, which can be found in the pine forests and meadows of the region, are the oyster mushroom, the wild mushroom, the black mushroom, etc.
The poplar tree
The poplar trees constitute one of the greatest natural and cultural heritages of the south of Aragon, with a special importance in the region of the Community of Teruel in general and in the area of Alto Alfambra in particular.
The black poplar is a variety of black poplar (scientifically known as Populus nigra), which, by means of periodic pruning of the tree every 14-15 years, also known as ‘escamonda’, allows its branches to be used for various purposes (construction, firewood, fodder), while at the same time, they regrow with greater vigour. This causes a widening of the upper part of the trunk which gives it the typical ” cabecero ” shape, as it is popularly known, giving rise to monumental, picturesque and very beautiful specimens. The unusual shapes that these worked trees take on turn these forests into authentic natural sculptural landscapes
Fauna
The description of the wildlife in a region like Teruel, so diverse and different in its ecosystems, is complex. There is a great variety of animal species, but due to their evasive character and anthropic pressure, it is not easy to observe them.
The mammals that predominate are generally of small size. Squirrels, shrews, dormice, mice, voles and bats are abundant in the fields and forests of Teruel. Hares, rabbits, hedgehogs, genets and a great variety of mustelids, such as ferrets, weasels and badgers, also inhabit these lands. Large mammals include, in addition to the wild boar, the wild cat and the fox.
The reptiles that inhabit these lands are small lizards, lizards, geckos and snakes. The rivers are home to the harmless viper snake, which adopts the disguise of a viper to defend itself from predators, causing many problems with uninformed humans. The only venomous snake in the area is the snub-nosed viper, which can be seen very rarely when it is out in the sun, and if it does not feel trapped, it will prefer to flee rather than waste its venom.
The most abundant fish in the rivers of Teruel are the native trout, barbels and gobies and the newly introduced American carp and perch. The largest specimens are found in the San Blas swamp.
Birds are the most abundant and diverse vertebrates in the region. A multitude of diurnal birds of prey such as eagles, peregrine falcons, harriers and kestrels fly over the high plateau moorlands and in the depressions. As for nocturnal birds of prey, barn owls, little owls, scops owls and eagle owls are the most important species. Other very important birds are the corvids: crows, red-billed choughs, crows, jackdaws and the cheeky magpies.
Protected birds: Special mention should be made of some of the areas of the high plateau: moorlands where, despite the inhospitable environment, the golden eagle, the eagle owl, the barn owl, the ‘bisbitas’, the ‘cogujadas’, the ‘ortegas’, the ‘sisones’, the ‘alcaravanes’ and the very rare birds such as the bustard and the Dupont’s lark, which have given these areas the status of ZEPA (Special Protection Area for Birds).
Among the invertebrates, it is worth mentioning some species that are valuable due to their rareness: the colourful Parnassius apollo and the exuberant Graellsia isabellae. Included in the Catalogue of Threatened Species, they are perhaps the most beautiful butterflies in Teruel. The isabellae is found on Scots pine, while the P. apollo likes to feed on thistles and thyme.