Madeira evergreen forests
Madeira evergreen forests, known as Laurisilva, are unique subtropical habitats located on the Atlantic archipelago of Madeira. These forests thrive in areas with stable temperatures and high humidity, forming part of a rare ecosystem that has significantly declined since ancient times. Historically, similar laurel forests were more widespread across northwest Africa and southern Europe but have largely vanished due to climate changes and human activity. The Madeira forests are home to endemic species, including unique types of laurel trees, diverse ferns, and various climbing plants, contributing to the region's reputation as the "Flower Garden of the Atlantic."
Within this biome, notable fauna includes the Madeira firecrest and two strictly endemic bird species: Zino's petrel and the Trocaz pigeon. However, these forests face environmental threats from urbanization, agriculture, overharvesting, and climate change, resulting in pressures such as wildfires, particularly devastating in recent years. To protect the Laurisilva, conservation efforts have been initiated, including the reduction of grazing and recognition as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999. Despite the challenges, the remaining forests continue to flourish in the island's mountainous and less accessible terrain.
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Madeira evergreen forests
- Category: Forest Biomes.
- Geographic Location: North Atlantic Ocean.
- Summary: This unique habitat has survived on part of an Atlantic archipelago, where the difficult geography has protected unusual species.
The evergreen forests called the Laurisilva, for laurel forest, cover great parts of the Atlantic Ocean archipelago of Madeira. Forests of this type once grew across large areas of northwest Africa and southern Europe, but are relatively rare in modern times. Similar forests may be found in the Azores; the western Canary Islands; the Cape Verde Islands; and on the islands of São Tomé and Príncipe. These Atlantic archipelagos are all volcanic in origin. Because of population pressure, the only significant Laurisilva forests to be found are on Madeira. These were designated a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1999.
Although the islands were undoubtedly discovered around 1300 CE, they were not inhabited until 1420, when Portuguese settlers arrived. They called the island Ilha da Madeira, or Island of the Wood, because this subtropical evergreen forest thrived there. This forest flourished on parts of the island where relatively stable and mild temperatures prevailed throughout the year, as well as a high level of humidity. The rest of Madeira is dry, and in many of the areas where people live, there have been occasional water shortages.
There undoubtedly were similar forests around the Mediterranean basin, but they are thought to have disappeared around 8000 BCE as those regions became drier. The unique subtropical and moist conditions in this biome create an unusual ecosystem with interesting flora and fauna. Such forests are typically found at 1,312–3,937 feet (400–1,200 meters) in elevation.
Flora and Fauna
The canopy found in the Madeira evergreen forests consists of tall trees in the laurel family. Several species of laurel here are endemic (found nowhere else), including dry laurel (Apollonias barbuana) and moist-laurel (Laurus azorica). Dry laurel stands tend to be found on southern slopes, while species that thrive in moist environments are found on north-facing slopes. There is a dense undergrowth of ferns and bryophytes in most areas, with many evergreen climbing plants (Folhado and Barbusano), as well as purple and white orchids. These flora led to Madeira’s being called the Flower Garden of the Atlantic. Many of the plants that flourish on Madeira are Mediterranean species, including at least 62 endemics.
Although there are giant rats on the Canary Islands, the only mammals in the Madeira evergreen forests are various species of bats, especially the Madeira bat (Pipistrellus maderensis). There is also a wide range of small creatures, such as the Madeira wall-lizard (Teira dugesii). The various species of butterflies here were collected and studied in detail by some of the English settlers on Madeira in the early 19th century. The biome also hosts over 500 endemic invertebrates, including endemic spiders, insects, and mollusks.
Most notable among the fauna of Madeira are the bird species, which attract ornithologists from around the world. The Madeira firecrest (Regulus madeirensis) is now recognized as being a distinct species rather than a subspecies of the common firecrest (Regulus ignicapillus); morphology clearly shows the separate development of the Madeira firecrest since they settled on the island. Two species of birds are strictly endemic to Madeira: Zino’s petrel (Pterodroma madeira) and the Trocaz pigeon (Columba trocaz).
Environmental Threats
Unfortunately for the Madeira Evergreen Forests ecosystem, on some parts of the island the trees were cut down for housing, fuel, and cropland, especially for growing bananas and sugar cane, and planting grapevines to make Madeira wine. The island is densely populated, and indeed some may say overpopulated. However, thanks to the rich volcanic soil, farmers can typically coax two crops per year in some parts of the country. Terraces have been constructed so that all possible land can be used for agriculture. In the early 19th century, with pressure on agricultural land in settlements such as Seixal, farmers sometimes had to climb ropes to get to isolated terraces. Many areas were inaccessible, allowing the forests there to remain untouched.
Stress now derives from overharvesting of timber, as well as continued intensive farming practices needed to sustain the large population. Overpopulation and torurism to the area creates stress with people venturing into forested areas for ecotourism purposes. Centuries ago, climate change shifted the area covered by Laurisilva forests, so that no more remain in Europe; continuing threats from climate change may once again change the landscape of Madeira. Temperatures moderated by the heating and cooling of ocean waters may fluctuate, causing as yet unforeseen changes in this unique biome.
Wildfires have become an increasing threat to the region. In 2016, a wildfire broke out near the city of Funchal. The fires came after weeks of hot and dry weather, spreading with the help of strong winds. In 2023, another series of devastating wildfires ravaged the island, destroying thousands of hectares of vegetation. Then in 2024, the island was again struck with raging wildfires. This fire raged for eleven days, reaching the protected forests. Over 5,000 hectares of land were burned, including forest.
These evergreen forests have survived somewhat intact, mainly because they flourish in areas that are mountainous and unsuitable for traditional agricultural practices. To try to preserve these forests, there have been efforts to reduce the grazing of sheep and goats in these regions. In another effort, the biome was recognized by the Council of Europe in 1992. The biome gained its World Natural Heritage listing from UNESCO seven years later.
Bibliography
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