The Mountains of Miranda de Ebro and Ameyugo, commonly known as Monte de Miranda or Monte de San Juan, are a Special Area of Conservation (SAC)[1][2] in Spain, in the eastern part of Burgos province, bordering with Álava and La Rioja. Geographically, they belong to the Comarca del Ebro and are located at the easternmost end of the Obarenes Mountains and south of the city of Miranda de Ebro. The Saint John of the Mountain Festival is held here every year.[3]
Characteristics edit
- Natura 2000 code:
- SPA: ES4120095
- SAC: ES4120095
- Climate: Continental Mediterranean
- Area: 3.633,03 ha.
- Altitude:
- Minimum: -
- Average: 678 m
- Maximum: ± 1000 m
The mountains have an average altitude of 678 meters above sea level. The highest areas present escarpments and reach, in certain points, around 1,000 meters above sea level. The affected population centers are Ameyugo, Bugedo, Miranda de Ebro, and Pancorbo.[4][5]
The greatest risk and vulnerability factors in the Mountains of Miranda de Ebro and Ameyugo are the risks of forest fires, urban development pressure and public-use pressure, and the installation of wind farms, such as the Burgos wind farms.[6][7][8]
Natural Area for Recreation edit
The landscape of the Mountains of Miranda de Ebro and Ameyugo covers a vast expanse of approximately 3,600 hectares, although only a small part has been declared a zona natural de esparcimiento.[note 1][9] It is in this area where the Saint John of the Mountain Festival takes place and where there are numerous huts to provide shelter to groups on the Monday of Pentecost. In addition, there are various public facilities here, such as parking lots, drinking fountains, toilets, children's playgrounds, etc.
The Monte de Miranda is the main natural leisure area available to the people of Miranda de Ebro during the year. It is not uncommon to see people practicing sports such as hiking or cycling. In fact, the climb to the peak of San Juan del Monte is one of the usual final stages during the Vuelta a Burgos race. The rear access road is a short third category pass in which the last ramps exceed 9% on average and with maximums of 14%.[10]
Flora edit
The high-altitude vegetation is composed of grasslands and oak groves. In the middle zone of the mountainous elevations there are abundant shrubby and wooded areas with bushes, oakwood, evergreen oak forests, and pine groves. This remains constant until one reaches the Ebro Valley.[11]
Downstream from Miranda de Ebro to the provincial boundary with Álava and La Rioja, there are still some fairly well preserved gallery forests. Rivers and streams have created deep ravines, while in the rich lowland area of the Ebro river there are crops and orchards.[11]
The area is in an exceptional state of conservation with sabinares[note 2] of Phoenicean juniper (Juniperus phoenicea) as well as boxwood (Buxus sempervirens).[11][12]
Fauna edit
There were 159 pairs of Eurasian griffon vulture (Gyps fulvus) in 2005. Moreover, this is one of the few places in Castile and León where Bonelli's Eagles (Aquila fasciata) are present, with two pairs in 2005.[2]
See also edit
Notes edit
References edit
- ^ "Normativa autonómica sobre espacios naturales y especies protegidas". Junta of Castile and León (in Spanish). Retrieved 27 March 2024.
- ^ a b "Ficha Resumen de los Formularios Oficiales de la Red Natura 2000- Montes de Miranda de Ebro y Ameyugo" (PDF). Junta of Castile and León (in Spanish). Retrieved 27 March 2024.
- ^ Valdivielso Arce, Jaime L. "Fiestas y romería de San Juan del Monte, en Miranda de Ebro (Burgos)". Miguel de Cervantes Virtual Library (in Spanish). Retrieved 27 March 2024.
- ^ "Monte de Miranda". Mendikat (in Spanish). Retrieved 27 March 2024.
- ^ "Monte de San Juan". Mendikat (in Spanish). Retrieved 27 March 2024.
- ^ Sutanto et al. 2024.
- ^ "Planeamientos Aprobados Definitivamente". Miranda de Ebro Town Hall (in Spanish). Retrieved 27 March 2024.
- ^ Santamaría, Diego (6 July 2022). "El norte de Burgos, contra la «aberración» expansiva de los parques eólicos". El Correo de Burgos (in Spanish). Retrieved 27 March 2024.
- ^ "Zonas naturales de esparcimiento". Junta of Castile and León (in Spanish). Retrieved 27 March 2024.
- ^ "Vuelta a Burgos 2011". Plataforma Recorridos Ciclistas (in Spanish). 3 August 2011. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
- ^ a b c Balcells 1966.
- ^ "Vegetación en la depresión del Ebro: la Serreta Negra". Diputación Provincial de Huesca (in Spanish). Retrieved 27 March 2024.
Bibliography edit
- Balcells Rocamora, Enrique (January 1966). La vegetación del valle del Ebro y de la vertiente española (Report). Centro Pirenaico de Biología Experimental. hdl:10261/109894.
- Sutanto, Samuel; Madruga de Brito, Mariana; Janssen, Matthijs; del Pozo Garcia, Maria (12 February 2024). The cascading effect of wildfires on flood risk: a study case in Ebro River basin Spain (PDF) (Report). EGUsphere, European Geosciences Union. doi:10.5194/egusphere-2024-153.