Redes Natural Park
The Redes Natural Park is located in the Principality of Asturias in northern Spain. Its total area is, split between two municipalities: Caso and Sobrescobio. It was declared a natural park in 1996.
Conservation
In September 2001, the park was included by Unesco in the global network of Biosphere reserves. Redes is one a group of biosphere reserves in the Cantabrian Mountains, which includes Picos de Europa National Park and Somiedo Natural Park. Since 2007 there has been discussion of creating a single super-reserve called Gran Cantabrica to protect the mountain eco-system.This integration is expected to benefit animals such as the Cantabrian brown bear which have been adversely affected by habitat fragmentation.
Since 2003 Redes has been protected as a Special Protection Area for birds.
Tourist attractions
There are three natural monuments in the park:- Ruta del Alba, an old miners' road by the river Alba.
- Deboyu Cave
- El Tabayón del Mongayu
Flora
Temperate deciduous woodland is typical of the park.Fauna
Farming
The human population carries out traditional livestock farming including transhumance using high pastures called "brañas". The biosphere reserve aims to protect traditional farming as a sustainable use of natural resources.Mammals
s are often found in the park, which appears to have a key role in the corridors used by this endangered species.Genetic studies show that the surviving Cantabrian brown bears were divided in the twentieth century into two populations separated by a bear-free zone.. However, genetic evidence has been found in Redes of hybridisation, the result of recent breeding between individuals from the two populations. This is good news for the bears as it shows that they have found a way to reverse the fragmentation of their habitat.
There is a breeding population of wolves.