GEOGRAPHIC SITUATION:


The Ports form a mountainous system located to the most part Of the Catalan coastal And are a link with the Iberian system. The formation of the mazizo has a characteristic orientation in direction NE to SW. To the part of the Sénia, to the heart of the massif and the Aragon (Matarranya), the Valencian Country (Tinença of Benifasar, Under Maestrazgo) and catalunya (Montsia).

In June 2001 the government of the Generalitat de Catalunya declared the area as a natural park of the Ports And within them the partial natural reserve of the fagedes of the Ports. In total occupies an extension of 35,050 Spread over the regions of Montsia, Baix Ebre and Terra Alta, being the third largest natural park in Catalonia. The Sénia is the population with greater extension within the natural park, with about 6,425 ha. There are others too With most of the fagedes with an area of 584 ha including the Partial nature reserve.

The ports offer a great variety of environments where they emphasize the geological and pasagistico value of its mountains, that They shelter a great biological diversity, being the habitat of many interesting spices, as much in fauna as in flora.

THE VEGETATION:


The mountainous framework of the Ports makes Fagedes great variation between the vegetation according to its situation and orientation. HE Can easily be preserved if they compare the valleys of shade, much more humid and with more abundance of vegetation, With the variations of the Sun where the vegetation is not so abundant because of the strong insolation that they receive.

In the lower parts, (up to 400m), the "maquies" abound a strong presence of "cascolls, llentiscles and argelages", Accompanied by the "sapi" (or pi blanc) and the "margallo". Between 400 and 600m there are oaks and pines of pi blanc and, Above between 600 and 800 are the black pi (or pinassa), usually accompanied by the box. In the areas More elevated and humid the pine forests of "pi rojal" abound.

The ports are very rich in plant biodiversity, and you can find many botanical rarities, whether More typical of the forests of northern Europe. Some examples are rock salze, belladonna, water violet, The beech, etc.



THE HAYALES OF THE PORTS:


The existence of the beech in the massifs of the ports is a surprise, since they are forests own of latitudes More cold and humid climates, and for this reason they are some of the most southern of Europe.

This makes that the Hayais of the Ports are very special and have very specific characteristics that the Differ from the rest of European beech forests.



They are always oriented north because it is the wettest part, And look for the bottoms of the ravines. For this we find the wrapped in cliffs and on steep slopes, when Typical beech trees are usually found in flat areas.


In some of the points where we can find are the ravines of the Retaule, The ravine of the Cirers and the Ravine of the Carrasca, all located in the area of the Vallcarneres and within the municipal term of the Sénia.




THE FAUNA:


Wild Goat is one of the most representative species of the massifs. In the Ports there is the most important colony Of all the Catalan countries.




They are easy to observe by the rocky areas and with little vegetation. Other mammals present They are the Jabali and some carnivores such as fox, wild cat, genet, badger, etc.



A great number of birds of prey abound, such as the vulture, the golden eagle, the eagle, the alcon, and the hawk. They find nucturnas as duc and the expensive.




Apart from those of prey we can observe other species of birds such as gralla Red peak, the rompepiñas, the blue picosocas and the green peak.




The presence of amphibians and reptiles with a great diversity of exceptional species is also considerable. the most Representative are the dragon, by its measure and its colorful colors, and the scorpion, poisonous snake gray.