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Redes Natural Park
Parque natural de Redes
IUCN Category V (Protected Landscape/Seascape)
The structure on right is a type of barn called a hórreo.
Location	Spain
Area	37,803 ha (93,410 acres)
Established	1996 Established: 1996
Governing body	Principality of Asturias
Official website

The Redes Natural Park (Spanish: Parque Natural de Redes) is located in the Principality of Asturias in northern Spain. Its total area is 377.36 km² (145.70 sq mi), split between two municipalities: Caso (307.94 km² (118.90 sq mi)) and Sobrescobio (69.42 km² (26.80 sq mi)). It was declared a natural park in 1996.

[edit] Conservation

In September 2001, the park was included by Unesco in the global network of Biosphere reserves. Redes is one of several biosphere reserves in the Cantabrian Mountains, others being Picos de Europa National Park and Somiedo Natural Park. As at 2009 there is discussion of creating a single super-reserve called Gran Cantabrica to protect the mountain eco-system. ^[1]

In 2003 the European Union designated Redes a Special Protection Area for bird-life. It has also been designated a Site of Community Importance.

[edit] Tourist attractions

View of the Picos de Europa from Redes

There are three natural monuments in the park:

• Ruta del Alba, an old miners' road by the river Alba, which is being resurfaced.^[2]
• Deboyu Cave
• El Tabayón del Mongayu (waterfall)

There are various museums in the area including a bee-keeping museum.

[edit] Flora

Woods in the park from the Brañagallones trail.

Temperate deciduous woodland is typical of the park.

[edit] Fauna

The human population carries out traditional livestock farming including transhumance, which the biosphere reserve aims to protect as a sustainable use of natural resources.

As to wild-life, Cantabrian brown bears are often found in the park. Two populations of this endangered species remain in Spain. Genetic studies show that these eastern and western populations have been separated in the twentieth century by a bear-free zone. This rupture has been interpreted as the consequence of the development of communication infrastructures and recent human pressure. However, evidence has been found in Redes of hybridisation, the result of recent breeding between individuals from the two populations. This is good news for the bears as it shows they have found a way to reverse the fragmentation of their habitat.^[3]

There is a breeding population of wolves.

Bird-life includes the Capercaillie, a species dependent on large tracts of mature woodland. There is a facility for raising this species in captivity.

[edit] See also

• Ponga, a nearby locality which also has a natural park.

[edit] References

1. ^ Biosphere Reserve Directory
2. ^ [1]
3. ^ (Spanish) El oso cantábrico salta la autovía para reproducirse, 2009-09-11, El Mundo

[edit] External links

• Official website

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