JAIZKIBEL

Descriptionandsituation Mountainouselevationlocatedatthe

easternendofGipuzkoa'scoast

Surfacearea 2,470ha

Protectionstatus NATURA2000(ES2120017)

Otherregionalornationalprotections ---------

Mainuses Extensive,low-intensitygrazing,and

forestry.Highrecreationaluse.

Ownership 80%PublicUtilityMountain.

HabitatstargetedbyLIFE (4020)WetAtlanticEricaciliarisandEricatetralixheath,(4030)DryEuropeanheath,(4040)DrycoastalAtlanticheathwithEricavagans,(6210)semi-naturaldrymeadows,

(6230)plantformationswithNardus,(6410)meadowswithmolinias,(7140)transitionmires,(7210)calcareouscladiummariscus

fensandwithcariciondavallanaspecies.

Thesehabitatsoccupy29%ofthetotalsurfaceareaoftheZEC.

MountJaizkibelrisesovertheBajoBidasoaregionasanimmensesandstonemass,running

east-west.ItisanimportantorographicelementontheBasquecoast,duetoitsdimensions,

height(547m)andimpactonthelandscape.

Jaizkibelhastwoclearlydifferentiatedslopes:thesouthernside,withwooded,steepsides,

andthenorthernside,thatslopesdowntowardtheseawithacomplexreliefandmorerich

andvariedlandscapeintermsofenvironments.

Themountain'ssurfaceisdeeplyalteredbyitspast,markedbyrepeatedfires.Itsnorthern

slopeisde-forestedanddominatedbypasturesandbrushwithferns,heathandgorse.Ofnote

amongsttheseformations,thankstotheirsurfaceareaandrelativeimportancewithin

Euskadi,arewetheath,theMoliniameadowsandcoastalheath.Intheautochthonousforests,

theoakgroveswithquercusroburandPyreneanoak(Quercuspyrenaica)areofnote.25%oftheterrainisoccupiedbyforestryplantations.

Thereisgreatbotanicalinterestinthelocation,sinceithostsseveralmicro-habitatssheltering

veryrarespeciesintheBasqueCountry,andeveninEurope.Notablespeciesofthistypeare

Armeriaeuscadiensis,Spiranthesaestivales,Droseraintermedia,CarexhostianaandPingulicalusitánica.

Regardingfauna,coloniesofseabirdswithunusualnestssuchasthelesserblack-backedgull,

ornecrophagousbirds,suchasthegriffonvultureandtheEgyptianvulture,areofnote.

Theauthorisedlivestock,dominatedbylargelivestock(maresandcows)hasdecreasedby25%

overthepastyears,whichisobservedinthestateofpreservationofhabitatsofgrazing

interest.Forthisreason,withthisLIFEproject,workwillbeconductedtoalleviatethese

effectsbyestablishingappropriatelivestockloadsforeachhabitat,andthezoneswithgrazing

aptitudewillbedelimitedfromthezonesforPyreneanoakrestoration.