Livestock Landscape
Ávila
Here we can observe a clear example of extensive livestock farming, mainly cattle, a practice that has shaped the landscape for centuries. These are low-impact production systems that make use of the natural resources of the environment without exhausting them, allowing for a sustainable use of the land.
The dehesas and meadows where the livestock graze are dotted with holm oaks and other species adapted to the Mediterranean climate. These spaces provide food and shelter for many wild species, some of particular interest for wildlife enthusiasts. Indeed, we are in the territory of the Spanish imperial eagle, perhaps the most emblematic species of our birdlife, which finds here a perfect ecosystem in which to feed, since it also harbors what is almost its exclusive source of food: the rabbit.
Extensive livestock farming also plays an important role in the prevention of forest fires, by keeping herbaceous and shrub vegetation under control, and it forms part of the cultural and social heritage of these rural communities.
