Southern Iberian Chain
Creating a vision for rewilding in Spain’s Southern Iberian Chain.
This planning grant prepared a rewilding plan for the southern section of the Iberian Chain, covering Alto Tajo, Serranía de Cuenca and Montes Universales. The area includes dramatic mountain landscapes, high biodiversity and some of the lowest human population densities in Europe. Land abandonment has created both challenges and opportunities, with the potential to restore natural processes and strengthen local economies.
Southern Iberian Chain, Spain
Rewilding Europe
US$ 80,000
September 2019 – November 2020
850,000 ha
Old-growth forests, upland grasslands, mountain ecosystems
Egyptian vulture, Iberian ibex, Iberian lynx (potential return)
Why This Landscape Matters
Cinereous vultures (Aegypius monachus) play a keyrole in Spain’s Iberian Highlands, supporting natural carcass removal and helping restore a balanced, resilient ecosystem.
The Iberian Chain extends for 500 km and is a stronghold for wildlife including Egyptian vulture and Iberian ibex. Its forests and grasslands provide important habitats while also supporting rural communities.
Yet decades of land abandonment, coupled with pressures from mining and forestry, have altered the balance of the landscape. Without intervention, biodiversity loss and destructive land use could accelerate.
What the Project Did
The grant produced a rewilding plan that turned the challenges of abandonment into opportunities for recovery. The grant delivered:
Plans created to restore natural grazing and protect a network of old-growth forests.
A vision for wildlife comeback was developed, including the potential return of Iberian lynx.
A rewilding strategy was developed for 850,000 ha of the southern Iberian Chain.
Proposals created to link ecological restoration with nature-based tourism and rural revitalisation.
Looking Ahead
Rewilding Europe secured a landscape restoration grant for the Iberian Highlands in 2022 and have begun reintroducing natural grazers, including Przewaslki’s horses.
This work has helped partners successfully apply for further funding, securing a landscape restoration grant from the Endangered Landscapes & Seascapes Programme, alongside additional support from the Cartier Foundation and Rewilding Europe to advance rewilding in the Southern Iberian Chain.
Find out about the Iberian Highlands project
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