Biodiversity in Fuerteventura: everything you need to know
To tell and explain the biodiversity of Fuerteventura well, we went to search among the guides and documents of the municipality of Pajara, the municipality of the island where much of the natural beauty of the island reigns.
This document, written by Stephan Scholz and Cesar-Javier Palacios, biologist and geographer respectively from the University of La Laguna, explains in detail the biodiversity of Fuerteventura including the animal and plant species present on the island and their geographical locations.
The endemic species of Fuerteventura
Fuerteventura, although it has experienced a decline in its biodiversity, still possesses species of interest for study and conservation. Canary Stonechat are a notable example is the unique species of birds of the island.
Fuerteventura is home to the only viable population of Aegyptian Vulures in the archipelago, as well as thriving populations of steppe birds and the Simony’s Skink reptile.
While the Simony’s Skink was once considered endemic, it was also discovered in Lanzarote a few years ago.
The island boasts numerous unique endemic invertebrate species, and in terms of plant life, it is home to twelve species of endemic vascular plants and a moss that has only been found in the mountains of Jandía worldwide.
Furthermore, due to the prevailing arid climate in most parts of Fuerteventura, it has the highest percentage of plants originally from the North African Sahara compared to other islands in the archipelago.
Despite this diversity, it is important to establish some order within it.
This can be achieved by understanding concepts such as potential natural vegetation, which refers to the type of vegetation that naturally exists in a given territory without any modification or damage from external factors. In cases where disturbances or interventions occur, a replacement vegetation is established, which slowly evolves back into the potential natural vegetation once the interventions cease.
To provide a comprehensive overview of the flora and fauna representative of Fuerteventura in the context of the archipelago, this discussion will also include relevant statistics and visual aids.
Plants
The island is covered with Spiny Lettuce, saltworts, and boxthorn, which are types of replacement vegetation that are in balance with the current land use, particularly extensive animal husbandry.
This vegetation can support animals even in high density and regenerate without issues. However, if grazing were to cease in many areas, this low shrub vegetation would gradually revert back to its potential natural state.
Some areas are better preserved than others, such as valleys with palms and Canary Island tamarisks, areas with olive trees and Mount Atlas Mastix-Tree in mountainous regions, and the Jandía and Montaña Cardones peninsula with Canary Island Cactus-Spurge and Jandía-Spurge. The balsam-spurges also cover significant portions of the slopes of the Massif of Betancuria, where remnants of ancient farming terraces can still be observed. These terraces were constructed in areas occupied by balsam-spurges, displacing the vegetation, which, despite the terraces no longer being used, has not yet fully recovered its lost territory.
Places with greater biodiversity in Fuerteventura
The distribution of plants and animals is not uniform throughout a given territory, as they tend to occupy specific habitats that suit their adaptations.
However, there are certain regions where a notably high number of species are concentrated.Biologists refer to these areas as “biodiversity hotspots.”
In the case of Fuerteventura, the mountains of Jandía, situated in the municipality of Pájara, along with the Massif of Betancuria and the mountains in the eastern and northern parts of the island, are particularly noteworthy for their exceptional biodiversity.
Source: Ayuntamento de Pajara
