Saturday, February 19th

Lince Ibérico

notice: English translation of the unique Iberian Lynx cat is underneath the Spanish text

lynx (14k image)

Principales amenazas La declinación de la población del Lince Ibérico desde los años 60 ha sido causada sobre todo por la pérdida del habitat y el declive de su principal presa, el conejo europeo. El virus, mixomatosis, que fue introducido de Suramérica en los comienzos de los años 50 , tubo un impacto devastador en los conejos europeos, que no tenían ninguna inmunidad natural. En los años de la epidemia, los conejos desaparecieron virtualmente de muchas áreas. Los conejos europeos están en proceso de desarrollar resistencia genética a la mixomatosis, que no es una amenaza tan importante, pero una nueva enfermedad, la neumonía hemorragico-vírica, golpeó a la población española en 1988, causando una alta mortalidad inicial de los conejos adultos. Al mismo tiempo, la transformación del habitat en España y Portugal, donde el mosaico de pasto-matorral-arbolado preferido por los conejos fue substituido por campos del trigo y plantaciones industriales de bosque. Los conejos declinaron incluso en las reservas de caza, probablemente porque en reducida escala pastos y cultivos fueron abandonados en esta área, y los pastos preferidos por los conejos fueron invadidos por la maleza. (ICONA 1992).

Sin embargo, hay algunas áreas donde la calidad del habitat y la densidad del conejo parecen suficientes, con todo no se encuentra ningún Lince. Determinado en estas áreas, parece que los seres humanos son los responsables directos de un nivel apreciable de la mortalidad del Lince. Esto es cierto incluso para la población que vive en el área donde recibe la maxima protección, el complejo de Doñana. La mayoría de muertes registradas allí en un tiempo de 10 años, el ser humano ha sido relacionado, y solamente 8,3% de mortalidad ha sido relacionada inequívocamente a causas naturales (Ferreras. 1992). Rodríguez y Delibes (1990) han recopilado datos de 1.215 linces muertos en España en los últimos 30 años.

Los lazos y trampas para los conejos, han sido la principal causa de muerte para el Lince, aunque parece que esta práctica de caza para los conejos está disminuyendo. Se supone que las muertes por atropello eran comparativamente poco importantes (o raras) antes de 1978, pero aumentaron, cuando el estado emprendio un programa ambicioso de construcción de carreteras en los años 90 (ICONA 1992).

Las pequeñas subpoblaciones, aisladas de Lince Ibérico son teóricamente vulnerables a la deriva genética, donde probablemente los alelos de baja frecuencia desaparecen del banco genetico de la población. Beltrán y Delibes (1993) encontraron la primera evidencia de esto en Doñana, en donde la población del lince aproximadamente 40-50 se ha aislado desde principios de los años 60, antes tres modelos de pelage estaban presentes la población, pero ahora ninguno de los linces actuales exhiben el modelo de pelage fino-manchado más raro.

El gobierno español está en el proceso de desarrollar una estrategia nacional de conservación para el Lince Ibérico, con la meta de permitir al lince tener el mayor numero posible de ejemplares, para estabilizar la plblación. Las medidas serán aplicadas primero a los núcleos de población más grandes (el sierra del este Morena, las montañas de Toledo, los pasillos entre estas dos zonas, y ciertas partes de Extremadura). Las medidas incluyen la terminación de los estudios detallados de las condiciones de cada subpoblación del Lince (utilización del suelo, propiedad de terreno, condición del habitat, densidad del conejo); prohibición de la caza del conejo; llevar medidas activas para que aumenten las poblaciones de conejo ; y el establecimiento de un programa de cria en cautividad (ahora en curso) (Rodríguez y Delibes 1990, ICONA 1992).


Guest on 02.19.05 @ 07:11 PM CST [more..] [No Comments]

 

Wednesday, February 2nd

Walking the GR7 is exploring the real Spain.


notice: Nederlandse versie is onderaan de engelse tekst

I wanted to get away, just a week in May. From a friend I heard about the GR7, a walking route through Spain and part of the E4, a public footpath from Gibraltar to Greece. I chose the track through The Alpujarras, a valley on the southern slopes of the Sierra Nevada in Andalusia in Spain. I threw two pairs of shorts, two T-shirts, some underwear, a sweater and a raincoat, my diary and a book in my backpack. In the last minute I also decided to take a tent and sleeping bag. I managed to keep the weight under 13 kilos and with a hat on the head I jumped on the plane to Granada. I took a bus to Guadix where I assumed to be able to take another bus over the pass the Puerto de la Ragua. But there was no connection, except for a taxi the next day. It seemed I was stuck there for the night, but fortunately I met a guy in a bar who spoke a little English. He was going over the pass and could give me a lift to Laroles, where I was supposed to start the track. He dropped me off at the camping site just above the village.


The next morning I took my time and wandered through the awakening charming village. The bar just opened and I decided on a coffee first. The start of the track was easily found but I went slowly, the 13 kilos were pinching in my shoulders, the sun was climbing rapidly and I was in bad shape. I had to shut out all thoughts and feelings during this first steep climb, but the singing nightingales, the gobbling sound of the bee-eaters, the hoopoe and the golden oriole flying in front of me helped me to go on.
The first village I came passed was Júbar, with a little church dating from a time when Arabs inhabited the Alpujarras.


On my way down to the next village Mairena I met a Dutch lady, who walked with her three dogs, she happened to have a B&B. And while I was feeling rather exhausted I decided to accept her advise to start slowly, 'poco a poco' as the Spaniards say. In Viña y Rosales I had a wonderful treat with a healthy meal and a beautiful sleep. The next morning the woman accompanied me with her dogs on the walk, an hour and a half, to Néchite. She explained a lot about passed times, how the corn and grain had been grown high in the mountains, about the history of the Moors and the way they invented the irrigation system by the use of water canals. We constantly passed or walked along these. She explained a lot about the landscape and the flowers we saw. We parted as old friends and she went back with her niños, as she called them.


I went on solo, but not lonely. She had make me see more. I could appreciate the eroded landscape with the thousands of colours better. I recognised the almond trees, olives and figs now. And she showed me the different varieties of herbs, lavender and thyme in which I had a lovely rest. In the village of Válor I enjoyed an abundant local meal of mijas (a sort of couscous) with sardines and fried peppers. With the heavy local wine still in my legs I passed Cuesta Viña. An old Arab public bath where a mineral source with a high grade of iron gave me strength; it was like tasting blood. Without hardly feeling the weight on my back anymore I reached Yégen that day, the village where Gerald Brenan lived from about 1924 to 1934. In his book, South from Granada I read about the visit Virginia and Leonard Woolf and Lytton Strachey paid him there. It is hard to imagine how this English high society fitted in this poor agricultural village. But Virginia seemed to like it.


I did not feel like staying and went on, asking a farmer who was loading his mule with rye if I could camp on his land. He was delighted and felt proud. Later that evening he came to invite me to drink a glass of wine with his wife. I went and was astounded by their simple interior. A fireplace in a corner, a rough wooden table with four chairs, cemented floor, no luxury except for a big fridge and a huge TV with a snowing and screaming screen. A photograph of their son's wedding on the wall. We communicated with laughs, hands and feet. I spoke Spanish without knowing the language, and if I had known the language I would not have understand them any better. They spoke with a heavy accent arising from mumbling mouths. I saw their teeth shine and laugh at me in two glasses on top of the telly.
After eleven I left and could at last stretch my stiff bones on a soft rock. The next day I wanted to reach Mecina Bombarón. The amber and burnt sienna forms in the landscape, the meadows with clumps of red poppies, white chamomile and yellow daisies, the endless variety of greens, the accompaniment of running water and the constant twitter of birds made me walk as light as a feather whirling on the wind.


Mecina is Arabic for village and it is here that Aben Aboo was born and bred. He and his cousin Aben Humeya were the last Moorish warriors against the Christians in the 16th century. After Granada was handed over to the Christians in 1492 by Boabdil, the ultimate Moorish king.


I had a wonderful sleep in the Alquería de Morayama near Cádiar. This atmospheric and tasty decorated hotel is named after Morayma, the only and beloved wife of Boabdil. He stayed here several nights with his retinue after he was banned by the Christians from his kingdom Granada to the Alpujarras. Of course the place has changed over the last 500 years. It was completely rebuilt on the foundations of the ruins some ten years ago.


On my fourth day, the itinerary described the track in one go (about 18 kilometres) to Trevélez. I decided to see how far I would get, I still carried my tent and could sleep anywhere. Prepared with enough water and food I took off again. With some reluctance I started the climb of a steep wall. Although I did catch up with my condition, I felt my calves with every step.


The countryside changed a lot from silvery green olive groves or apple green almond trees into barren eroded red rocks. In the sky I was followed by amazing rounded off big ufo-like clouds. Brenan described them in his book. They develop by the collision of the nearby sea wind and the wind of the high mountains. They announce steady weather, so they say. Well, that's what it was, blazing hot and my water bottle needed a frequent refill. Fortunately, the many fountains you see everywhere provide the best drinking water and for free.


That day was a tough one, I lost track several times and had to put up my tent somewhere in the wild. It was next to an old ruin used by shepherds and although worn out I could not get enough of the star packed sky. The next day, after an early and cool start I reached Trevélez around noon. It is known as the highest village, with the cleanest air in Europe (1500 meter). And that is why it is famous for its jamon (ham). There are hams everywhere, it looks like the thighs and buttocks of every pig in Spain are brought here to dry. I celebrated my arrival with a glass of local wine served with a 'tapas' of jamon.


And I went on the next three days all the way to Lanjarón. I met some other walkers and sportive cyclists, but was astounded by the quietness of the track. Although this western part of the Alpujarra valley, nearer to Granada, is more touristically developed than the eastern part where I started , tourism is not at all dominating. It is advanced in a tasteful and charming way. The white villages of Capileira, Bubión and Pampaneira are so characteristic and still breath the atmosphere of old Moorish days. The people are extremely nice and open. I enjoyed my days of solemnness immensely, although I could not ignore the blisters on my feet and the weal on my shoulders. But the meditation on the landscape, the scents of flowers, the taste of strong wine, the sounds of endless singing birds and clattering water and the touch of physical pain in my body were etched on my memory. And to me this is the real Spain.



More information about the GR7 you will find on internet: GR7
To walk the route alone is not dangerous, but I advise to take a mobile phone. There are possibilities to walk the route with a guide or in groups. Luggage can be transported for you. Camping in nature is prohibited, but a list of comfotable hotels or rural accommodation along the GR7 can be achieved via an e-mail to Viña y Rosales.


Maryet on 02.02.05 @ 10:25 PM CST [more..] [No Comments]

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