The Pyrenees conifer and mixed forests is a

temperate broadleaf and mixed forests Temperate broadleaf and mixed forest is a temperate climate terrestrial habitat type defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature, with broadleaf tree ecoregions, and with conifer and broadleaf tree mixed coniferous forest ecoregions. These fo ...

ecoregion An ecoregion (ecological region) or ecozone (ecological zone) is an ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than a bioregion, which in turn is smaller than a biogeographic realm. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of l ...

in southwestern Europe. It extends along the

Pyrenees The Pyrenees (; es, Pirineos ; french: Pyrénées ; ca, Pirineu ; eu, Pirinioak ; oc, Pirenèus ; an, Pirineus) is a mountain range straddling the border of France and Spain. It extends nearly from its union with the Cantabrian Mountains to C ...

mountains which run east and west along the border between

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

and

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

, and includes all

Andorra , image_flag = Flag of Andorra.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Andorra.svg , symbol_type = Coat of arms , national_motto = la, Virtus Unita Fortior, label=none (Latin)"United virtue is stro ...

. The ecoregion extends from the lower slopes of the Pyrenees to its highest peaks, which include

Aneto Aneto (''pic d'Aneto'' in French language, French, formerly ''pic de Néthou'') is the highest mountain in the Pyrenees and in Aragon, and Spain's third-highest mountain, reaching a height of . It stands in the Spanish province of Huesca (provi ...

(3,404 m), Posets (3,375 m), and

Vignemale The Vignemale (; Occitan: ''Vinhamala'', Aragonese: ''Comachibosa'', Catalan: ''Vinyamala''), at 3,298 metres, is the highest of the French Pyrenean summits (the highest in the whole of the range is Pic d'Aneto). It lies on the border between ...

(3,298 m). The Pyrenees forests are at the transition between the

Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate (also called a dry summer temperate climate ''Cs'') is a temperate climate sub-type, generally characterized by warm, dry summers and mild, fairly wet winters; these weather conditions are typically experienced in the ...

regions of Spain and France, which lie to the south and east, and the more humid and temperate forests of Western Europe, which lie to the west and north.

Flora

The ecoregion's altitudinal range, and its various climatic regions (maritime temperate to the west, continental in the center, and Mediterranean to the east) support a variety of plant communities and species. The ecoregion has 3500 native plant species, including 200

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

species. The forested foothills of the southern slope, known as the

Pre-Pyrenees The Pre-Pyrenees are the foothills of the Pyrenees. Description As a mountainous system the Pre-Pyrenees are part of the Pyrenees. They run parallel to the main mountain range in a west to east direction. On the French side the Pyrenees's slop ...

, have a transitional Mediterranean climate with dry summers. Characteristic trees include evergreen Holm oak (''Quercus ilex'') and deciduous ''

Quercus faginea ''Quercus faginea'', the Portuguese oak, is a species of oak native to the western Mediterranean region in the Iberian Peninsula. Similar trees in the Atlas Mountains of northwest Africa are usually included in this species, or sometimes treate ...

Quercus pubescens ''Quercus pubescens'', the downy oak or pubescent oak, is a species of white oak (genus ''Quercus'' sect. ''Quercus'') native to southern Europe and southwest Asia, from northern Spain (Pyrenees) east to the Crimea and the Caucasus. It is also fou ...

Tilia platyphyllos ''Tilia platyphyllos'', the large-leaved lime or large-leaved linden, is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae (Tiliaceae). It is a deciduous tree, native to much of Europe, including locally in southwestern Great Britain, growing ...

'', and ''

Acer opalus ''Acer opalus'', the Italian maple, is a species of maple native to the hills and mountains of southern and western Europe, from Italy to Spain and north to southern Germany, and also in northwest Africa in Morocco and Algeria.Flora Europaea''Ace ...

''. Middle-elevation forests include deciduous broadleaf trees like ''

Quercus robur ''Quercus robur'', commonly known as common oak, pedunculate oak, European oak or English oak, is a species of flowering plant in the beech and oak family, Fagaceae. It is a large tree, native plant, native to most of Europe west of the Caucasus ...

'', ''

Quercus petraea ''Quercus petraea'', commonly known as the sessile oak, Cornish oak, Irish Oak or durmast oak, is a species of oak tree native to most of Europe and into Anatolia and Iran. The sessile oak is the national tree of Ireland, and an unofficial emble ...

'', ''Q. pubescens'', and

European beech ''Fagus sylvatica'', the European beech or common beech is a deciduous tree belonging to the beech family Fagaceae. Description ''Fagus sylvatica'' is a large tree, capable of reaching heights of up to tall and trunk diameter, though mor ...

(''Fagus sylvatica''), and conifer forests of

Scots pine ''Pinus sylvestris'', the Scots pine (UK), Scotch pine (US) or Baltic pine, is a species of tree in the pine family Pinaceae that is native to Eurasia. It can readily be identified by its combination of fairly short, blue-green leaves and orang ...

(''Pinus sylvestris'') and Pyrenean pine (''Pinus nigra'' subsp. ''salzmannii'' var. ''salzmannii'') High-elevation forests are predominantly of European beech and

silver fir Silver fir is a common name for several trees and may refer to: *''Abies alba'', native to Europe *''Abies amabilis'', native to western North America *''Abies pindrow ''Abies pindrow'', the pindrow fir or west Himalayan fir, is a fir native ...

(''Abies alba'').

Mountain pine ''Pinus mugo'', known as bog pine, creeping pine, dwarf mountain pine, mugo pine, mountain pine, scrub mountain pine, or Swiss mountain pine, is a species of conifer, native to high elevation habitats from southwestern to Central Europe and Sou ...

(''Pinus mugo'' subsp. ''uncinata'') is common in continental-climate areas of the central Pyrenees with colder winters. Subalpine and alpine plant communities occur above the timberline, and include many endemic species.

Fauna

Large mammals include

Eurasian brown bear The Eurasian brown bear (''Ursus arctos arctos'') is one of the most common subspecies of the brown bear, and is found in much of Eurasia. It is also called the European brown bear, common brown bear, common bear, and colloquially by many othe ...

(''Ursus arctos''), Iberian wolf (''Canis lupus signatus''), Pyrenean chamois (''Rupicapra pyrenaica pyrenaica''),

wild boar The wild boar (''Sus scrofa''), also known as the wild swine, common wild pig, Eurasian wild pig, or simply wild pig, is a suid native to much of Eurasia and North Africa, and has been introduced to the Americas and Oceania. The species is ...

(''Sus scrofa''),

red deer The red deer (''Cervus elaphus'') is one of the largest deer species. A male red deer is called a stag or hart, and a female is called a hind. The red deer inhabits most of Europe, the Caucasus Mountains region, Anatolia, Iran, and parts of wes ...

(''Cervus elaphus elaphus''), and

roe deer The roe deer (''Capreolus capreolus''), also known as the roe, western roe deer, or European roe, is a species of deer. The male of the species is sometimes referred to as a roebuck. The roe is a small deer, reddish and grey-brown, and well-adapt ...

(''Capreolus capreolus''). The reclusive

Pyrenean desman The Pyrenean desman also called Iberian desman (''Galemys pyrenaicus'') is a small semiaquatic, globally threatened mammal related to moles and shrews, and, along with the Russian desman (''Desmana moschata''), is one of the two extant members ...

(''Galemys pyrenaicus'') is a vulnerable small mammal that lives here and in the Cantabrian Mountains. The

Cantabrian brown bear The Cantabrian brown bear, Iberian brown bear, or Iberian bear (scientifically ''Ursus arctos pyrenaicus'') is a population of Eurasian brown bears (''Ursus arctos arctos'') living in the Cantabrian Mountains of Spain. On average, females weigh , ...

, a distinct southwest-European subspecies of Eurasian brown bear, is now extinct in the Pyrenees; the last Cantabrian brown bear was shot in 2004. The Cantabrian brown bear now survives further west in the

Cantabrian Mountains , etymology=Named after the Cantabri , photo=Cordillera Cantábrica vista desde el Castro Valnera.jpg , photo_caption=Cantabrian Mountains parallel to the Cantabrian Sea seen from Castro Valnera in an east-west direction. In the background, th ...

. Starting in 1996, the French government reintroduced Eurasian brown bears from

Slovenia Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, an ...

to the French Pyrenees. As of 2019, there were 40 to 50 brown bears in the Pyrenees. The Pyrenean ibex (''Capra pyrenaica pyrenaica'') went extinct in 2000. In 2014 a small number of

Western Spanish ibex The Western Spanish ibex or Gredos ibex (''Capra pyrenaica victoriae'') is a subspecies of Iberian ibex native to Spain, in the Sierra de Gredos. It was later introduced to other sites in Spain (Las Batuecas, La Pedriza, Riaño) and to northern ...

(''Capra pyrenaica victoriae'') were introduced to Pyrenees National Park. By 2020 the population had increased to 400 individuals in the national park and neighboring Ariège Regional Park.Agence France-Presse (2020). "Ibex population thrives in French Pyrenees a century after being wiped out". ''The Guardian'', 3 September 2020. Accessed 4 September 2020

/ref> The Pyrenees are home to 120 species of birds, including limited populations of bearded vulture, lammergeier (''Gypaetus barbatus''), Pyrenean capercaillie (''Tetrao urogallus aquitanicus'') and

rock ptarmigan The rock ptarmigan (''Lagopus muta'') is a medium-sized game bird in the grouse family. It is known simply as the ptarmigan in the UK. It is the official bird for the Canadian territory of Nunavut, where it is known as the ''aqiggiq'' (ᐊᕿ� ...

(''Lagopus muta'').

Protected areas

3,863 km², or 10%, of the ecoregion is in

protected area Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural, ecological or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the ena ...

s. Only 1% of the unprotected area is still covered with natural forest. Protected areas include Valles Occidentales Natural Park,

Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park The Ordesa Valley is a glacial valley in Aragon, in the Spanish Pyrenees which forms part of the Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park. It was first discovered in 1820, but not mapped in detail until approximately the 1920s. The valley is about ...

, and Posets-Maladeta Natural Park in Aragon,

Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici National Park ''Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici'' National Park ( ca, Parc Nacional d'Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici, es, Parque Nacional de Aiguas Tortas y Lago de San Mauricio), is one of the fifteen Spanish national parks, and the only one ...

, Alt Pirineu Natural Park, and

Cadí-Moixeró Natural Park The Cadí-Moixeró Natural Park ( ca, Parc Natural del Cadí-Moixeró) is a natural park to the north of Catalonia, Spain, near the border with Andorra. The park was established in 1983 and encompasses of mountainous terrain in the comarques of ...

in Catalonia, and

Pyrénées National Park Pyrénées National Park (french: Parc national des Pyrénées) is a French national park located within the departments of Hautes-Pyrénées and Pyrénées-Atlantiques.Le Parc national des Pyrénées (2014). Le Parc national des Pyrénées, un � ...

, Pyrénées ariégeoises Regional Natural Park, and Pyrénées catalanes Regional Natural Park in France.

External links

References

{{Paleartic temperate broadleaf and mixed forests Biota of the Pyrenees Ecology of the Pyrenees Ecoregions of France Ecoregions of Spain Geography of Andorra Natural history of Andorra Montane forests Palearctic ecoregions Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests