The islands are an autonomous region of Portugal. They lie southwest of the Portuguese mainland in the Atlantic Ocean, 978 kilometres (608mi) southwest of Lisbon and 560 kilometres (350mi) west of Morocco.
Madeira is the largest island and highest island, with an area of 741 square kilometres (286sqmi). The island extends east–west approximately 57 kilometres (35mi), and is 22 kilometres (14mi) at its widest point. A mountainous spine runs the length of the island, and Pico Ruivo, the highest peak, reaches 1,861 meters (6,106ft) above sea level. Porto Santo Island, which lies 43 kilometres (27mi) northeast of Madeira. is the second-largest island with an area of 42.2 square kilometres (16.3sqmi).
The Desertas Islands are a chain of three narrow islands about 25 kilometres (16mi) southeast of Madeira, covering an area of 14.2 square kilometres (5.5sqmi).
The Selvagens are a group of small islands lying 280 kilometres (170mi) south of Madeira, and 165 kilometres (103mi) north of the Canary Islands. The Selvagens have a total area of 2.73 square kilometres (1.05sqmi).
The islands are volcanic in origin. Basalt and volcanic ash are common substrate rocks, with some areas of uplifted limestone of marine origin. The volcanic soils are generally fertile, sustaining both the native forests and agriculture on the two larger islands.[2]
The islands of Madeira and Porto Santo are inhabited. The archipelago has a population of 289,000 (2016 estimate), mostly on Madeira. Funchal, on Madeira's south shore, is the islands' largest city and principal port.
Climate
The climate of Madeira is subtropical and maritime. The average annual temperature ranges between 15 and 20°C at sea level. The climate becomes more temperate with elevation, and frost and snow occur most winters on Madeira's high elevations. Average annual precipitation ranges from 250 to 750 millimetres (9.8 to 29.5in). Prevailing winds are from the northeast, and rainfall is higher on the windward north side of the island. The mountain slopes are frequently shrouded in orographic clouds and fog, sustaining cloud forests in the wettest areas.[2]
Flora
Madeira has about 1,226 native species of vascular plants. 66 vascular plant species are endemic to the islands, including two endemic genera, Chamaemeles and Musschia. Madeiran endemics include Polystichum maderensis, Cerastium vagans, Armeria maderensis, Goodyera macrophylla, Viola paradoxa, Crambe fruticosa, Matthiola maderensis, Sinapidendron angustifolium, Saxifraga maderensis, Sorbus maderensis, Cytisus maderensis, Senecio maderensis, Phalaris maderensis, Pittosporum coriaceum, and Musschia wollastonii. Another 54 species are endemic to Macaronesia. Over half of Madeira's plant species are also found in the Mediterranean Basin.[3]
Before Madeira was settled, laurel forests, known as laurissilva covered most of the island. Laurissilva now covers 16% of the island, and is found between 300 and 1,300 metres (980 and 4,270ft) elevation on the Madeira's wet north-facing slopes, and from 700 to 1,600 metres (2,300 to 5,200ft) elevation on the south-facing slopes.[2]
Laurissilva is characterized by evergreen trees with glossy leaves, and trees in the laurel family (Lauraceae) are prominent. The laurissilva is similar to the ancient subtropical forests of the Mediterranean Basin, prior to its climate cooling and drying during the ice ages. The paleobotanical record of Madeira reveals that laurissilva forests has existed in this island for at least 1.8million years.[4] The Canary Islands and Azores are home to smaller areas of laurissilva.
Mountain heathland grows on the high ridges and mountains above the laurissilva. Characteristic shrubs are tree heath (Erica arborea), besom heath (Erica platycodon ssp. maderincola), and Madeira juniper (Juniperus cedrus).[2]
Along the southern coast, low forests dominated by the endemic wild olive tree (Olea europaea cerasiformis) and the shrubs Maytenus umbellata, Chamaemeles coriacea (a Madeiran endemic), Dracaena draco, and Asparagus scoparius survive in coastal ravines up to 200 metres (660ft) elevation. A secondary coastal shrubland of Euphorbia piscatoria, Echium nervosum. and Globularia salicina forms in disturbed areas. Low forests dominated by marmolano (Sideroxylon mirmulano) occur along the northern shore, and in pockets above the south shore Olea forests from 200 to 300 metres (660 to 980ft) elevation. Other coastal plant communities include low shrubland, perennial grassland, and annual grassland.[5]
Fauna
The laurissilva forests of the island of Madeira have been recognised as an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International.[6] Some 295 bird species and subspecies have been recorded on the Islands, and 42 of them breed here. Endemic bird species include the Trocaz pigeon (Columba trocaz), Zino's petrel (Pterodroma madeira), Desertas petrel (Pterodroma deserta), and Madeira firecrest (Regulus maderensis). The Madeiran chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs madeirensis) is an endemic forest subspecies of the common chaffinch.[3]Berthelot's pipit (Anthus bertheloti) and Atlantic canary (Serinus canaria) are Macaronesian endemics. Tyto alba schmitzi is a Madeiran subspecies of Western barn owl, Accipiter nisus granti is a Macaronesian subspecies of Eurasian sparrowhawk, and Falco tinnunculus canariensis is a Macaronesian subspecies of common kestrel. The plain swift (Apus unicolor) breeds on Madeira and the Canary Islands, and ranges over northwestern Africa.[2] Two extinct species of rail, the Madeira rail (Rallus lowei) and Porto Santo rail (Rallus adolfocaesaris), once inhabited the archipelago, on Madeira and Porto Santo islands respectively.
Two bats inhabit the islands – the Madeira pipistrelle (Pipistrellus maderensis), a Macaronesian endemic, and a subspecies of lesser noctule (Nyctalus leisleri verrucosus).[2]
The islands have two endemic lizards. The Madeiran wall lizard (Teira dugesii) lives on Madeira, Porto Santo, the Desertas, and the Selvagens.
The islands have over 500 terrestrial invertebrate species, including insects, spiders, and molluscs.[2]
Human impacts
Portuguese settlers arrived after 1420, and are the first known settlers. The islands' trees were cut for their timber, and Persea indica was the most sought-after. In the 16th and 17th centuries the southern side of Madeira was converted to sugarcane plantations. A system of levadas, water channels 80 to 150 centimetres (31 to 59in) wide, was constructed of stone and later concrete to irrigate the sugarcane fields. Forests and shrublands were denuded to provide charcoal for the islands' sugar mills. Goats, sheep, and cows were introduced to the islands, and forests were converted to pasture land, and the forest understory was grazed intensively.[2]
Many exotic plants and animals have been introduced to the islands. A few are invasive. Plantations of Pinus pinaster and Eucalyptus globulus were planted at middle elevations. Eucalyptus has spread extensively on the south slope of Madeira, displacing native species.[3]
Conservation and protected areas
Approximately 15,000 hectares (37,000 acres) of laurissilva remain on Madeira, mostly on the northern side of the island. 90% of the laurissilva is primary forest, and includes trees up to 800 years old that predate settlement of the islands. The remaining 10% is secondary growth in areas that were last cut during the mid-20th century.[2]
483 square kilometres (186sqmi) (60%) of the ecoregion is in protected areas.[1]Madeira Natural Park, established in 1982, protects an area of 444 square kilometres (171sqmi), covering most of Madeira including the island's remaining laurissilva forests. From the 1980s goats and sheep were removed from the forests and the non-forested areas of the park, which has allowed the forest understory and shrublands to recover. The Madeira Islands laurel forest was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1999, covering an area of 150 square kilometres (58sqmi).[2]
The Selvagens were made a nature reserve in 1971, and the Desertas in 1990.[7]
Related Research Articles
Cape Verde is a group of arid Atlantic islands which are home to distinct communities of plants, birds, and reptiles. The islands constitute the unique Cape Verde Islands dry forests ecoregion, according to the World Wildlife Fund.
Madeira, officially the Autonomous Region of Madeira, is one of two autonomous regions of Portugal, the other being the Azores. It is an archipelago situated in the North Atlantic Ocean, in a region known as Macaronesia, just under 400 kilometres (250 mi) to the north of the Canary Islands and 520 kilometres (320 mi) west of the Kingdom of Morocco. Madeira is geologically located on the African Tectonic Plate, although it is culturally, politically and ethnically associated with Europe, with its population predominantly descended from original Portuguese settlers. Its population was 251,060 in 2021. The capital of Madeira is Funchal, which is located on the main island's south coast.
Zino's petrel or the freira, is a species of small seabird in the gadfly petrel genus, endemic to the island of Madeira. This long-winged petrel has a grey back and wings, with a dark "W" marking across the wings, and a grey upper tail. The undersides of the wings are blackish apart from a triangle of white at the front edge near the body, and the belly is white with grey flanks. It is very similar in appearance to the slightly larger Fea's petrel, and separating these two Macaronesian species at sea is very challenging. It was formerly considered to be a subspecies of the soft-plumaged petrel, P. mollis, but they are not closely related, and Zino's was raised to the status of a species because of differences in morphology, calls, breeding behaviour and mitochondrial DNA. It is one of Europe's most endangered seabirds, with breeding areas restricted to a few ledges high in the central mountains of Madeira.
The Savage Islands or Selvagens Islands are a small Portuguese archipelago in the North Atlantic Ocean, 280 kilometres (175 mi) south of Madeira, and 165 kilometres (105 mi) north of the Canary Islands. The archipelago includes two major islands, Selvagem Grande and Selvagem Pequena, each surrounded by a cluster of islets and reefs, with the total area of 2.73 km2 (1.05 sq mi). The archipelago is administered as part of the Portuguese municipality of Funchal, belongs to the Madeiran civil parish of Sé, and is the southernmost point of Portugal.
Macaronesia is a collection of four volcanic archipelagos in the North Atlantic, off the coasts of Africa and Europe. Each archipelago is made up of a number of Atlantic oceanic islands, which are formed by seamounts on the ocean floor whose peaks have risen above the ocean's surface. The Azores and Madeira archipelagos are part of Portugal, the Canary Islands are part of Spain, and the rest are part of the island country of Cape Verde. Politically, the islands belonging to Portugal and Spain are part of the European Union. Geologically, most of Macaronesia is part of the African tectonic plate. The Azores are located in the triple junction between the Eurasian, North American and African plates.
The trocaz pigeon, Madeira laurel pigeon or long-toed pigeon is a pigeon which is endemic to the island of Madeira, Portugal. It is a mainly grey bird with a pinkish breast; its silvery neck patch and lack of white wing markings distinguish it from its close relative and probable ancestor, the common wood pigeon. Its call is a characteristic six-note cooing, weaker and lower-pitched than that of the wood pigeon. Despite its bulky, long-tailed appearance, this pigeon has a fast, direct flight.
Bolle's pigeon, Bolle's laurel pigeon or dark-tailed laurel pigeon is a species of the genus Columba of family Columbidae, doves and pigeons, endemic to the Canary Islands, Spain. This bird is named after the German naturalist Carl Bolle, who was the first to distinguish it from the laurel pigeon. This wood pigeon is endemic to the laurel forest habitat.
The laurel pigeon or white-tailed laurel pigeon is a species of bird in the Columba genus in the family Columbidae. It is endemic to the Canary Islands, Spain, and resides in laurel forest habitat. It is the animal symbol of the island of La Gomera.
Laurel forest, also called laurisilva or laurissilva, is a type of subtropical forest found in areas with high humidity and relatively stable, mild temperatures. The forest is characterized by broadleaf tree species with evergreen, glossy and elongated leaves, known as "laurophyll" or "lauroid". Plants from the laurel family (Lauraceae) may or may not be present, depending on the location.
The Desertas Islands are a small archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, part of the larger Portuguese Madeira Archipelago.
The Madeira firecrest, Madeira kinglet, or Madeiracrest is a very small passerine bird endemic to the island of Madeira. It is a member of the kinglet family. Before it was recognised as a separate species in 2003, it was classified as a subspecies of the common firecrest. It differs in appearance and vocalisations from its relative, and genetic analysis has confirmed it as a different species. The Madeiran bird has green upperparts, whitish underparts and two white wingbars, and a distinctive head pattern with a black eye stripe, short white supercilium, and a crest that is mainly orange in the male and yellow in the female.
Garajonay National Park is located in the center and north of the island of La Gomera, one of the Canary Islands (Spain). It was declared a national park in 1981 and a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986. It occupies 40 km2 and it extends into each of the six municipalities on the island.
The Deserta Grande Island is the main island of the Desertas Islands archipelago, a small chain of three islands in the Portuguese Madeira Islands Archipelago of Macaronesia.
Ilex canariensis, the small-leaved holly, is an endemic species of holly native to Macaronesian islands. It is a species of plant in the family Aquifoliaceae. It is found in the Macaronesian islands of Madeira (Portugal) and Canary Islands (Spain).
The Madeiran chaffinch is a small passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae. It was formerly a subspecies of the common chaffinch, but is now generally considered to be a species in its own right. It is endemic to the Portuguese island of Madeira, part of Macaronesia in the North Atlantic Ocean. It is locally known as the tentilhão.
The Azores wood pigeon, Columba palumbus azorica is an endemic subspecies of the common wood pigeon, located in the Atlantic Azores islands of Portugal. This endemic subspecies is the only live pigeon present in the laurel forest habitat of the Azores Islands.
Hedera maderensis, the Madeiran ivy, is a species of ivy which is native to the Atlantic coast in Madeira island. It is a plant of botanical family Araliaceae, species endemic to the island of Madeira with the name: Hedera maderensis. Formerly a subspecies named Hedera maderensis iberica, one iberian subspecies in west Iberian peninsula was subsequently classified as a distinct species. It is quite common in Madeira and lives in slopes rock, soil, trunks of trees especially in Laurel forest of Barbusano.
The Azores temperate mixed forests is a temperate broadleaf and mixed forests ecoregion of southwestern Europe. It encompasses the Azores archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean. These volcanic islands are an autonomous region of Portugal, and lie 1500 km west of the Portuguese mainland.
The Canary Islands dry woodlands and forests is a Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub ecoregion in the Canary Islands. It encompasses the western group of the Canary Islands – La Palma, El Hierro, La Gomera, Tenerife, and Gran Canaria – in the Atlantic Ocean. These volcanic islands are an autonomous community of Spain, and lie southwest of the Spanish mainland and west of the North African coast.
Ilex perado, the Macaronesian holly, is a species of holly endemic to Macaronesia, distributed throughout the Azores, Madeira and Canary islands. It is an important component of the natural high-altitude Macaronesian rainforest, known as 'laurisilva', found mostly at 500 to 1,200 m altitude but it also appears in forest formations at lower elevation. Many of the subspecies have been classified as threatened, probably because of very small population sizes, and are protected by local, national and regional legislation.
References
1 2 Eric Dinerstein, David Olson, et al. (2017). An Ecoregion-Based Approach to Protecting Half the Terrestrial Realm, BioScience, Volume 67, Issue 6, June 2017, Pages 534–545; Supplemental material 2 table S1b.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 "Laurisilva of Madeira". World Heritage Data Sheet, February 1999. Updated 4-1999, 10-1999, 12-2009, May 2011. Accessed 8 August 2020.
↑ Góis-Marques, Carlos A.; Madeira, José; Menezes de Sequeira, Miguel (7 February 2017). "Inventory and review of the Mio–Pleistocene São Jorge flora (Madeira Island, Portugal): palaeoecological and biogeographical implications". Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. 16 (2): 159–177. doi:10.1080/14772019.2017.1282991. hdl:10400.13/4191.
↑ Capelo, Jorge, Miguel Sequeira, Roberto Jardim, Sandra Mesquita, and José Carlos Costa (2005). "The vegetation of Madeira Island (Portugal). A brief overview and excursion guide". Quercetea 7: 95-122, 2005 ALFA, Lisboa, Portugal.
↑ "Laurissilva". BirdLife Data Zone. BirdLife International. 2021. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
↑ UNEP-WCMC (2020). Protected Area Profile for Portugal from the World Database of Protected Areas, August 2020. Available at: www.protectedplanet.net
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