The Iberian Peninsula

Cistus libanotis, an endemic plant of southwestern Iberian Peninsula

The Iberian Peninsula was a major Pleistocene Glacial Refugia in Southern Europe, a location where temperate species managed to survive throughout the Ice Ages.The very high level of endemism found in both plants and animals also suggests Iberia supported genetic differentiation as well as serving as a species repository for the northern latitudes of Europe after the Pleistocene Hewitt (1999).

                                


The Iberian Peninsula - A Glacial Cradle



In the last decade or so, many new creatures have been recognized to have migrated from the Iberian Peninsula to western and northern Europe after the Ice Ages, for example, the roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), the woodmouse (Apodemus sylvaticus), field voles (Microtis agrestis), the chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs), pond turtle (Emys orbicularis), and natterjack toad (Bufo calmita).  

                     Chaffinch (Fringella Coelebs) widespread emigrant from the Iberian Peninsula

The Iberian Peninsula located on the western edge of Europe has several large zonal (east-west) mountain ranges with a wide range of microclimates offering easy access to altitudinal shifts during rapidly-changing millennial climate events. 

It is a large 580,000 square km region, whose climate is impacted by both the North Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. In this region are found multiple climates: Desert, Mediterranean, Atlantic and Alpine.  For this reason, it is believed that there were multiple glacial refugia isolated by the harsh Pleistocene climate of the high central Iberian Plateau.

The Iberian Peninsula  soils have supported amazing floristic diversity. Studies of Iberian refugia plant taxa are ongong but there is some evidence of the Iberian Peninsula being a glacial refugia for ivy (Hedera, ssp), white oaks (Quercus, ssp), black alder (Alnus, ssp), silver fir (Aconitum lycoctonum), among others.  

Scots Pine (Pinus Sylvestris) - a tree that cannot withstand drought and that requires humidity - is believed to have survived the Pleistocene glaciations and is today found at 1000-2000 meters in Iberian Peninsula Mountains - but it is not part of the postglacial colonization of northern Europe.  Four species of white oak(Quercus) are also believed to be Iberian refugia   Gomez and Lunt (2007)

                                     Forest of Cork Oak (Quercus Super) - the Algarve
                                              Carsten Neihaus photographer (2004)
                                                       
Next week, more on Mediterranean Region as a glacial refugia during the last Pleniglacial.