El Massís Del Pedraforca Natural Site of National Interest

en El Massís del Pedraforca Natural Site of National Interest Generalitat de Catalunya Government of Catalonia Department of the Environment and Housing El Massís del Pedraforca Natural Site of National Interest The Pedraforca massif straddles the regions mainly in the summer months, with annual and in the year 1983, the legal protection of El Berguedà and L’Alt Urgell, to the south averages of over 1,100 mm. There is not a great of the area was completed with the declaration of the Cadí mountain chain and to the north of deal of snow, although the peaks of the massif are of the Cadí-Moixeró Natural Park. the Verd and Ensija mountain ranges. snow-covered during the winter, with ice on the The declaration of the Natural Site of National This is one of the most emblematic natural areas north facing slope. Interest, a status reserved under Catalan law of Catalonia, with great biological wealth within In terms of temperatures, in the valleys the annual for those areas characterised by their unique natural a unique geological context. average is between 10 and 12° C, an average value from a scientific, landscape and educational The emblematic nature of the area is due in that decreases markedly as we climb the slopes. point of view, has made it possible to put a group large part to the very characteristic shape of the of regulations for the protection of the Pedraforca mountain, which soars up impressively from a very massif into place; traditional agricultural small area; from a base of only three kilometres, Declaration and stockbreeding uses are permitted, the urban the massif soars up almost 1,300 m, to the top planning regime of development exclusion of the Pollegó Superior at 2,507 m. for specially protected land is applicable to The Pollegó Superior consists of the main peak The area was declared a Natural Site of National the protected area: it is forbidden to install artificial (2,507 m), the Calderer or central peak (2,497 m) Interest by the Parliament of Catalonia with elements of a permanent nature with a negative and the Cabirols or eastern peak (2,322 m). Its Law 6/1982, of 6 May, in order to ensure the effect on the landscape, hunting activities are north face drops vertically down over the Gresolet conservation of its plant life and its unique beauty. subject to special regulation, the unauthorised forest and valley, 1,100 metres below. From The opencast lignite mining that took place in introduction of non-native plant and animal species this peak, the Tossa and Muga mountain ranges the southern sector of the massif from the 19th is expressly prohibited and, as a regulatory slope down to Gósol. century onwards, intensifying with the industrial measure that was pioneering at the time and later The Pollegó Inferior (2,445 m), located further development that began midway through the 20th became more generalised, waste disposal outside south and separated by the Enforcadura (cleft), century, was one of the main factors affecting of areas specially designated for this purpose, motor can also be identified by its vertical walls, which the urgency of preserving this space, together with traffic on unauthorised tracks without the lead down to the Enforcadura to the north the social pressure calling for guarantees of the authorisation of the town councils and the lighting and tower over Prat de Reu and the Jou pass area’s recovery. of fires outside of authorised areas are all prohibited. to the south. Its eastern edge, the Dou hills, slope The first official proposal for the protection of down over Saldes, with the El Roget cliff to the the space dates back to the year 1932, with extreme south east. To the west, the slopes of the Draft Regional Planning bill, commissioned Les Llosanques lead down between the gullies by the Government of Catalonia. of Reu and Aubagó. In 1963, the Provincial Plan for Barcelona included The height of the massif means that there are two a new protection project. The reinstatement distinct climatic zones: up to 1,500 - 1,700 m, of Catalonia’s self-government opened the doors Cover: Pedraforca Massif there is a typical, rainy mid-mountain climate, while to the definitive protection of the space. Law above this limit, the subalpine mountain climate 6/1982, of 6 May, therefore declared the Massís begins to dominate. Precipitation is concentrated de Pedraforca a Natural Site of National Interest Opposite page: The Pedraforca Enforcadura 2a 2b 2c 4a 4b 2d 2e 2f 1 2g 2h 2i 3 4c 4d Geology period, some 66 million years ago. These rocks are older than those of the Cadí The subalpine zone (1,700 - 2,300 m): this is which is very difficult to spot due to its solitary the pine marten (Martes martes), the weasel Between 33 and 25 million years ago, after mountain range and are found at a higher level, a landscape of majestic evergreen coniferous habits. Another inhabitant of the woods (Mustela nivalis) and the wildcat (Felis silvestris). A whole series of events which took place millions a long period of sedimentation during the Eocene, forming the lower mantle of Pedraforca. woods of silver fir (Abies alba) and groves of of Pedraforca is the black woodpecker Recently, the wolf (Canis lupus) has also of years ago resulted in the special geological the materials of the lower block would become Above this, the sharp outline of Pedraforca can be mountain pine (Pinus uncinata) with undergrowth (Dryocopus martius), which lives in the fir, pine appeared, occasionally roaming the Site. structures of this area. a new mantle (the lower mantle of Pedraforca) seen. This is formed by clays and gypsums from of box (Buxus sempervirens) and rhododendron, and beech woods of the massif. On the colder, There are also reptiles and amphibians on The geological formation of Pedraforca: and together the upper and lower mantle would take the Keuper (Triassic), calcareous rock from (Rhododendron ferrugineum), green hellebore damper cliffs, we can find the wallcreeper the massif. Of those, a certain number are worth Between 230 and 144 million years ago, up position above the Eocene materials of Cadí. the Jurassic, some 1,000 m of calcareous (Helleborus viridis), white pulsatilla (Anemone (Tichodroma muraria), climbing over the cliff faces highlighting: the Pyrenean brook salamander materials from the Triassic and Jurassic periods During the course of the last millions of years, and marl rocks from the Early Cretaceous (Aptian alpina), slender crosswort (Cruciata glabra), etc. with surprising agility. Other species of the alpine (Euproctus asper), the fire salamander were deposited on top of older rocks. the erosion (water, wind and several glaciation- - Albian) and some hundred metres of calcareous The montane zone (below 1,700 m): formed, habitat are the citril finch (Serinus citrinella), (Salamandra salamandra), the common frog Between 144 and 99 million years ago, during deglaciation cycles) of the original relief, with the rock from the Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian - above all, by groves of downy oak (Quercus the crossbill (Loxia curvirostra), the red-billed (Rana temporaria), the Perez’s frog (Rana perezi), the Early Cretaceous, a series of cracks in presence of hard calcareous material (Pollegó Santonian). Thus the rocks of Pedraforca (Early humilis) which covers much of the slopes, chough (Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax) and the Alpine the common toad (Bufo bufo), the western whip the ground created sunken blocks, on which Superior and Pollegó Inferior) and soft marl Cretaceous) are older than those below (Late together with Italian maple (Acer opalus), chough (Pyrrhocorax graculus), the ring ouzel snake (Coluber viridiflavus) and the southern the sediments of this period, mainly calcareous material (Enforcadura), has given the mountain is Cretaceous), which implies the existence of a third box (Buxus sempervirens), snowy mespilus (Turdus torquatus) and the rock thrush (Monticola smooth snake (Coronella girondica). Open, with some marl, were deposited. characteristic forked outline and the characteristic structural unit: the upper mantle of Pedraforca. (Amelanchier ovalis), common hazel (Corylus saxatilis). In the montane zone we can find forested or rocky ground is the realm of the Between 99 and 75 million years ago, the first scree deposits on each side of the Enforcadura. avellana), hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna), the nuthatch (Sitta europaea), the tree pipit European asp (Vipera aspis), a dangerous species sediments from the Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian) The view of Pedraforca from the Saldes road Vegetation juniper (Juniperus communis), stinking hellebore (Anthus trivialis), the yellowhammer (Emberiza due to its poisonous bite. were deposited on the earlier blocks, fossilising clearly shows this geological structure, formed (Helleborus foetidus), dog rose (Rosa canina) citrinella), the bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula) and In terms of invertebrate fauna, the carstic zones the cracks. by three thrust nappes: and liverwort (Anemone hepatica), among others. the woodcock (Scolopax rusticola). The kestrel in the area lead to the common presence Between 75 and 69 million years ago, towards The Cadí mantle is to the far right (north), where Three vegetation zones can be distinguished on On the shady side of Gresolet, the beech (Fagus (Falco tinnunculus) and the short-toed eagle of cavernicolous fauna that is either endemic the end of the Late Cretaceous (Campanian- the Cadí mountain range is located, formed El Pedraforca: sylvatica) is trying to take over the more humid (Circaetus gallicus) nest on the massif, preferring or rare in the rest of the country. In addition to this, Maastrichtian), the collision between the Iberian by almost 2,000 m of Eocene materials (Ypresian The Alpine zone (above 2,300 m): the harsh areas and displace the silver fir (Abies alba) the more inaccessible cliff faces. At night, the exceptionally interesting species of butterfly and European tectonic plates began, which would - Lutetian) above a limited amount of Mesozoic climatic conditions make it impossible for arboreal and the mountain pine (Pinus uncinata).

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