Roncesvalles-Irati-Abodi mountain range (1765)
Spain, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: D1a
Year of last assessment: 2011
National site name: Roncesvalles - Irati - Sierra de Abodi
Central coordinates: Latitude: 43.0000, Longitude: -1.2500
System: freshwater, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 530 to 2021
Area of KBA (km2): 438.43018
Protected area coverage (%): 59.89
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: A mountainous area along the border with France. The site has extensive Fagus and Abies forests, including the largest Fagus forest in Spain. The main human activities are forestry, livestock-farming and hunting.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that meets the thresholds for at least one criterion described in the Global Standard for the Identification of KBAs.
Additional biodiversity: The site is very important for forest species. In particular it holds 90% of the Iberian population of Dendrocopos leucotos as well as breeding Dryocopus martius. The site is a major migratory bottleneck, where more than 20,000 cranes and more than 3,000 raptors regularly pass in autumn, including Pernis apivorus (mean 5,235 per season), Milvus milvus (mean 2,072 per season) and Grus grus (maximum 20,100).
Habitats
Land use: agriculture (80%) | forestry (60%) | hunting (95%)
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 17 | |
| Shrubland | 17 | |
| Forest | 50 | |
| Grassland | 17 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: The most important threats relate to the deleterious impact of intensive forestry and logging. There have been several studies on the effects of forestry activities on species of woodpecker. There are management plans for all protected sites.
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy production & mining | Mining & quarrying | Only in the future | |
| Transportation & service corridors | Roads & railroads | Only in the future |