ES388
Frontera laurel forest


Site description (2000 baseline):

Site location and context
A large area covering parts of northern and western El Hierro. Heath, scrub and laurel Laurus forest are interspersed with exposed bedrock and inland cliffs that support rocky vegetation.



Key biodiversity
The site is the only area on El Hierro that supports Columba bollii. It is also important for endemic subspecies of several forest passerines.



Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
The main threats are posed by the cutting of branches for use in cultivation and illegal hunting. The local government has run conservation campaigns for Calonectris diomedea (1993-1996) and Columba bollii.



Protected areas
National Partial International High1,400 ha of IBA covered by Rural Park (Frontera, 12,488 ha). 463 ha of IBA covered by Integral Nature Reserve (Mencáfite, 463 ha). 500 ha of IBA covered by Special Natural Reserve (Tibataje, 601 ha). 1,400 ha of IBA covered by Special Protection Area (El Hierro, 11,980 ha). 900 ha of IBA covered by Special Protection Area (Gorreta y Salmor, 922 ha).




Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Frontera laurel forest (Spain). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/frontera-laurel-forest-iba-spain on 23/12/2024.