Laurissilva (19666)
Portugal, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: B1, B2
Year of last assessment: 2002
National site name: Laurissilva
Central coordinates: Latitude: 32.7833, Longitude: -17.0333
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 1455
Area of KBA (km2): 151.00536
Protected area coverage (%): 99.50
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Extensive forest area that covers near 25% of Madeira island. Is mainly located in the northern half of the island. The majority vegetation is constituted by native forest (laurissilva) and associated species. Steep banks, deep valleys and abrupt slopes are all around the area, this and the dense vegetaton become inaccessible some places.
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: Columba trocaz is strongly associated to laurissilva, its main habitat. Here, we can find many other interesting species like Puffinus puffinus who breeds in some highly vegetated upstream banks, or Accipiter nisus grantii who hunts in forest's limit areas. Scolopax rusticola resides and breeds here, far away from its habitual reproduction area. Calonectris diomedea breeds sparsely in this area. Although its populations are not well known here, Bulweria bulwerii and Oceanodroma castro are frequently observed. At steepest areas several Apus unicolor colonies are found, and some Serinus canaria in openest zones. In addition to that, is important the presence of some endemic sub-species: Motacilla cinerea schmitzi, Fingilla coelebs maderiensis, Regulus ignicapillus madeirensis or Erithacus rubecula microrynchus.
Habitats
Land use: agriculture | forestry | hunting | nature conservation and research | tourism/recreation | water management
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Wetlands(Inland) | 14 | |
| Rocky Areas(e.g., inland cliffs, mountain peaks) | 14 | |
| Grassland | 14 | |
| Caves & Subterranean Habitats (non-aquatic) | 14 | |
| Introduced Vegetation | 14 | |
| Marine Neritic | 5 | |
| Forest | 14 | |
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 14 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Although to be classified as World Heritage Site since 1999, laurissilva is not exempt of conservation problems. Illegal hunt of columba trocaz or ousting of garbage and lands are some of them. The cattle, cows and sheeps, grazes freely in some areas, and constitutes a serious threat, although it is to be made an effort to restrict this and to recuperate the zone. The same inacessibility that confers laurissilva its importance, causes fiscalization problems, access difficulties to fires or imperfections of knowledge of some populations, namely seabirds. The agriculturists who exert its activity in the area of Madeira's Nature Park can benefit of prevention measures for columba's attacks to the cultures. Due to the great dimension of the area, and the percentage of the island that covers, laurissilva is threatened too by the construction of roads and other infrastructures that could fragmentate it and diminish its essential homogeneity.
Additional information
References: Bannerman & Bannerman (1989), Jones et al.(1989), Jones (1990), Câmara (1995), Hagemeijer & Blair (1997), Menezes (1997), Oliveira (1999).