FAUNA

& flora

OF THE PAIVA RIVER

“The river comes rattling from the mountains, tearing itself on stone after stone, from leap to leap, reduced with the drought to little more than a tile of water. Arriving there, it is as if it found its bed to rest, to fall asleep, without a wrinkle, fresh, deep, flown over by myriads of dragonflies and by the blackbirds and turtledoves that nest there, inhabited by a varied, agile and tasty riverside fauna, the trout, the barbel and the Iberian nase…”

AQUILINO RIBEIRO, IN ALDEIA. TERRA, GENTE E BICHOS.

The Paiva River, considered one of the least polluted in Europe, is particularly important for
the conservation of aquatic and riverside fauna in this territory, including several rare and endangered species.
The presence of clear water and high humidity in the areas bordering the river means that a high number of species,
either totally or partially dependent on these types
of habitats.

In this peaceful route, where you can appreciate and contemplate a nature that is constantly renewed, acquiring different tones depending on the season, five groups of mammals are well represented – chiropterans (the bat group), insectivores (such as the water shrew or hedgehog), lagomorphs (of which the wild rabbit is a representative), rodents and carnivores (example of the wolf and fox).

The area where Paiva Natura Park is located, and the entire municipality of Moimenta da Beira, is a true example of the effect of strategic vegetation responses, progressively adapting to the continuous environmental variations the planet is exposed to. The meeting between deciduous and Mediterranean species allows for the formation of low tree vegetation, dominated by Pyrenean oaks, with a high shrub layer of willows. This set of forest habitats is dominated by oak groves, mixed deciduous-hygrophilous formations, and riverside woodlands.

The unique conditions of this territory, sheltered between the Lapa and Leomil mountains, allowed the development of an endemic plant, the samacalo (Anarrhium longipedicellatum) which, due to its status, is protected by community law.