Parque Metropolitano Marisma de Los Toruños y Pinar de la Algaida

Fauna and flora

The variety of ecosystems found in the Metropolitan Park, and its soil conditions, together with the greater or lesser proximity to the coast and the movement of its tides, and therefore salinity, force of the wind and water, etc., model a series of areas that are clearly differentiated in terms of flora. We find, in broad strokes, pine forests, mainly dominated by stone pine accompanied by an undergrowth consisting mainly of mastics, broom and olivillas and to a lesser degree rockrose and bufalagas species, among others that begin to colonise less crowded areas of the pine forest, such as gamones and narcissus. In the marshes of Los Toruños we find a heart of Aleppo pine, unique for being the only group of this species in the Park. Due to its proximity to the marsh, as part of the accompanying scrub, we can find mastic and asparagus, some salty. As we approach areas with greater influence of the marsh, though still far from it, we begin strolling through juniper forests. Visitors may find it difficult to differentiate these areas from those of the mastics, although, even if they are a very similar association of species, together with the mastics it is common to see the wild olive trees which completely disappears in the juniper forest, giving way to an area of kermes oaks, olivillas and bufalagas. Both in the La Algaida and Los Toruños there are temporary lakes and ponds, extremely important for the communities that grow here. The plant communities, just like the amphibians and invertebrates, depend on annual rainfall and, therefore, of the permanence of water. Of particularly curiosity is one of pools located near the Aleppo pine, which is fully covered by one of the species of greatest interest: Frankenia boissieri. The Metropolitan Park shelters a rich and varied fauna in its different habitats. The species that inhabit these ecosystems respond to the environmental conditions, presenting specific adaptations to periods of dryness, physical-chemical and soil-based variables, etc. It is known that the marsh is one of the most productive areas with a great contribution of nutrients used by the primary producers, which, in turn, are consumed by the invertebrates, therefore resulting in the enormous abundance of these in the marsh. At the San Pedro River, at any of the secondary streams that run through Los Toruños, or along Levante beach, we can find bivalves like knives, cockles, clams, etc., crustaceans like the fiddler crab and polychaetes like the miñoca, all rich delicacies for birds that use the Park during winter and their migration. The dynamic tides of the Metropolitan Park, together with the enormous productivity of the streams, converts the marshes into a pantry for the babies of the many fish species. The most abundant species are the sea bream (Sparus aurata), sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax), sole (Solea senegalensis), eel (Anguilla anguilla), and mullets (Liza spp)