ARKAMO-GIBIJO-ARRASTARIA

Descriptionandsituation MountainchaintothewestofAlava,which

includesoneofthemostrelevantholm-oak

grovesintheregion.

Surfacearea 11,538ha

Protectionstatus ZEC-NATURA2000(ES2110004)

Otherregionalornationalprotections

Mainuses Mainlylivestock,andtoalesserextent

forestry,huntingandrecreationaluse.

Ownership 97%public(MountainofPublicUse)

HabitatstargetedbyLIFE (4030)DryEuropeanheath,(4090)oro-Mediterraneanheath,(6170)Calcareousalpineandsub-alpinemeadows,(6210)drysemi-

naturalmeadowsandbrushfacies,(6220)pseudo-stepzonesandannualThero-

Brachypodieteagrasses,(6230)plantformationswithNardus.

Thesehabitatsoccupy28.30%ofthetotalsurfaceareaoftheZEC.

Thisspacehasthreegeomorphologicalunits:theArkamomountainrange,theGibijomountain

rangeandtheArrastariamountainrange.Theholm-oakandgall-oakgrovesmakeupmostof

theforesthabitat,andhostahighnumberofendangeredspecies.Thereare55faunaspecies

and4floraspeciesintheZECthatareincludedintheBasqueCatalogueofEndangered

Species;SaproxylicinsectssuchasthestagbeetleorRosaliaalpina,amphibianssuchasthe

alpinenewt,andfowlsuchasthegriffonvulture,theperegrinefalcon,thehenharrierandthe

Egyptianvultureliveinthisarea.Mammalsofnotearethe17batspecies,aswellasEuropean

mink,fatdormouse,wildcatandpolecat.

Inthehabitatsthatmakeupthemountainpastureenvironment,targetedbyLIFEOREKA

MENDIAN,oro-Mediterraneanheathwithgorsepredominates,andtheyhostupto5

populationsofNarcissusasturiensis,afloraspeciesofcommunityinterest.

ThevulnerabilityofthisZECisfocusedonitsdependenceonhumanactivity.Theprocessof

abandoninglivestockoverthepastyearsisclear,whichisleadingtothespreadofbrushwith

brambles,thistlesandjuniperthatcontributetothestructurallossofpasturehabitatsandan

increasedriskoffire.

ToreachtherecoveryobjectivesforthisNatura2000space,theaimistoclearbrushand

adaptthelivestockload,takingadvantageofunder-usedzonesinthemountainrange.Since

oneoftheproblemsisalackofwaterduringthesummer,4troughswillbebuiltwhich,along

withsomeenclosures,willkeepthelivestockinthedesiredareas.