Les pastures supraforestals de la Vall del Madriu-Perafita-Claror: producció, qualitat i diversitat

(ENG) The highest areas of the Madriu-Perafi ta-Claror valley undergo severe and extreme weather conditions. The harsh conditions found above 1700m: low temperatures, high winds, exposure to sun and water scarcity, mean the vegetation has adapted and is particular to those areas. The higher the altitude, the more the close-cropped pastures dominate over the sparse pines that cannot resist the harsh conditions found at altitude. These areas are therefore dominated by pastures situated above the tree line. All the pastures situated above the tree line in the valley have characteristics in common. The species that make up the pasture have a very short vegetative period of only 3 or 4 months in which to complete their annual cycle, as it is only during the summer that the area is free of snow. During the rest of the year, the vegetation is protected and remains virtually inactive under the layer of snow. The species that make up these areas are herbaceous, with their roots stronger than the parts above ground and are very tolerant of the harsh climate. Most of these communities grow on soil poor in carbonates and made up of schist, gneiss and granite. It is therefore the silicic meadows and pastures that dominate. Only 2.3% of the pastures are on carbonate soil.