Sierra Nevada Global-Change Observatory (UGR-JA) - Spain

Basic Information
Site Name
Sierra Nevada Global-Change Observatory (UGR-JA)
Short name
Sierra Nevada Global-Change Observatory (UGR-JA)
Country
Spain
Site Description
Mountain site, alpine forests Sierra Nevada (Andalusia, SE Spain), is a mountainous region with an altitudinal range between 860 m and 3482 m a.s.l. covering more than 2000 km2. The climate is Mediterranean, characterized by cold winters and hot summers, with pronounced summer drought (July-August). The annual average temperature decreases in altitude from 12-16ºC below 1500 m to 0ºC above 3000 m a.s.l., and the annual average precipitation is about 600 mm. Additionally, the complex orography of the mountains causes strong climatic contrasts between the sunny, dry south-facing slopes and the shaded, wetter north-facing slopes. Annual precipitation ranges from less than 250 mm in the lowest parts of the mountain range to more than 700 mm in the summit areas. Winter precipitation is mainly in the form of snow above 2000 m of altitude. The Sierra Nevada mountain range hosts a high number of endemic plant species (c. 80; Lorite et al. 2007) for a total of 2,100 species of vascular plants (25% and 20% of Spanish and European flora, respectively), being considered one of the most important biodiversity hotspots in the Mediterranean region. This mountain range has several legal protections: Biosphere Reserve MAB Committee UNESCO; Special Protection Area and Site of Community Importance (Natura 2000 network); and National Park. The area includes 61 municipalities with more than 90,000 inhabitants. The main economic activities are agriculture, tourism, cattle raising, beekeeping, mining, and skiing.
Last modified
2024-09-09 10:09:19

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General Characteristics and Status
Site Status
Operational
Year Established
2008
Observed properties
Affiliation and Network Specific Information
Affiliation
ILTERThis site is a verified "ILTER" member.
Global Observation Research Initiative in Alpine Environments (GLORIA)The affiliation of this site with "Global Observation Research Initiative in Alpine Environments (GLORIA)" is not verified by the network on DEIMS-SDR.
LTER Spain (LTER_EU_ES_010)This site is a verified "LTER Spain" member.
LTER EuropeThis site is a verified "LTER Europe" member.
LifewatchThe affiliation of this site with "Lifewatch" is not verified by the network on DEIMS-SDR.
Global Mountain Biodiversity Assessment (GMBA)The affiliation of this site with "Global Mountain Biodiversity Assessment (GMBA)" is not verified by the network on DEIMS-SDR.
Photos
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Geographic
Centroid/Representative Coordinates

Latitude: 37.0855 Longitude: -3.18748

Size
ca. 172000.00ha
Elevation (average)
3480.00msl
Elevation (min)
273.00msl
Elevation (max)
1736.00msl
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Site information [.json]

Centroid/representative coordinates [.shp] [.kml]
Bounding Box [.shp] [.kml]
Boundaries [.shp] [.kml]