Irati Jungle
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The forest or the Irati forest (Iratiko oihana in Basque) is a forest spread between the north of Navarre (Spain) and the Atlantic Pyrenees (Sola and Lower Navarre) in southwestern France.
On the Spanish side, it is located in the Irati river valley, between the mountains of Orzanzurieta and Roncesvalles to the west, and Mount Orhi to the east. The southern limit is set by the imposing mass of the Sierra de Abodi. The main accesses are from the west via Orbaiceta (Aézcoa Valley) and from the east via Ochagavía (Salazar Valley).
It is the largest forest mass in Navarre and one of the largest and best preserved beech (Fagus sylvatica) and fir (Abies alba) forests in all of Europe. Despite being a forest that has been logged since the 16th-17th centuries, the respect and good work of the inhabitants of these valleys has ensured that it is fully preserved. There are various protected areas within the area: the entire Irati is a ZEPA (Special Protection Area for Birds), as well as protected areas such as a Nature Reserve or Integral Reserve for a total of 17,000 hectares of forest.
History
The use of wealth in Irati lands has caused numerous conflicts throughout history. Debates between the French and Spanish crowns began in the 16th century to define the borders of Irati.
In the 16th century, the kings of France and Spain embarked on disproportionate deforestation, asking for firewood for their boats, and the Irati forest gained special importance (they offered beautiful masts, among which were the slender trunks of Irati fir). To make it easier to transport the logs, they were floated down the rivers. These did not have much channel in summer, so, to solve the problem, some locks were built, like small dams, to cause controlled floods that lowered the trunks. At that time, workshops, sawmills, locks and even a barracks house were built to defend the facilities, where today the Casas de Irati are located. At the end of the 16th century, King Carlos III of Spain announced his intention to build a large weapons store at the forge of Orbaizeta. There were 7,593 ha, mostly covered with beech and fir trees. It was of great economic importance in the 19th century.
Ernest Hemingway internationalized the forest by describing it in this way in his book “The sun also rises” translated under the name of "Fiesta".
As long as I remember Irati, I get my hair done. I remember coming just when the Feasts (from San Fermin) were over to lose me in the woods. Here, in the heart of the forest, I stand waiting for Basajaun, the Lord of the Forest, to greet me.
Currently, its wood (in a selective and orderly manner), hunting and pastures, and above all its resources for leisure and tourism, which is attracted by its character as a privileged natural space, continues to be used. Excellent state of conservation earned it its inclusion on the Unesco World Heritage List in 2017 under the name Primary Beech Forests of the Carpathians and other regions of Europe.
Flora
The Irati Forest is known for being the second largest beech-fir forest in Europe (only surpassed by the Black Forest in Germany), with 17,179 ha. In the beech forest, this same species predominates, the common beech, but there are also dotted with a multitude of species associated with high humidity and undergrowth, such as birch, yew, holly, maple, linden, blackberry, mushroom or the rowan The other outstanding species of the Selva de Irati is a conifer: the white fir, which forms mixed forests with beech in the lower areas and is more predominant in the higher areas and on the shady slopes.
The southern faces of many of the foothills are dotted with another tree today with much smaller spread patches than it once was, the downy oak.
In 2015, the discovery of a carnivorous plant, Drosera Rotundifolia and Eriophorum Angustifolium, a type of woolly reed, earned the Irati Forest inclusion in a protection program at the European level.
Public utility forests
Within the Salve de Irati, the following public utility forests have been cataloged in Navarre:
- MUP n° 1. Aezcoa. Ancient mountains of the State, with an area of 4200 ha in Orbaiceta, mainly covered with Fagus sylvatica.
- WOMAN 205 Labelea. Corresponds to Faceria 10, with a surface of 903 ha, covered with Fagus sylvatica, although only the northern part is located in the Jungle of Irati.
Wildlife
In addition to the forests, Irati contains a great wealth of fauna, especially deer (Cervus elaphus), whose rut or bellowing can be enjoyed in autumn, roe deer, wolverine and wild boar. The gray dormouse, the marten, the otter, the Pyrenean desman and the white-legged shrew are also common.
There are numerous species of birds, some of which are endangered species that find one of their last strongholds here, such as woodpeckers, black woodpeckers (Dryocopus martius) and white-backed bills (Dendrocopos leucotos), among others. Among the birds of prey, we could highlight the bearded vulture, the peregrine falcon or the golden eagle
There are numerous species of reptiles, some of which are endangered species that find one of their last redoubts here, among others. Among the amphibians and reptiles, we could highlight the common gallipato and toad, the snouted viper, the ocellated lizard or the black tortoise
Irati also contains several Pyrenean endemic flora and fauna, such as the Pyrenean newt (Calotriton asper).
Nature forest reserves
Lizardoia Integral Reserve
On Mount La Cuestión (or Zabaleta), between Casas de Irati and the Irabia reservoir (finished in 1922), with 64 ha of magnificent beech and fir forest, including 20 ha of intact forest with specimens 40 m high.
In 2017, along with other beech forests in Spain and Europe, it was declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco as an extension of the primary beech forests of the Carpathians and other regions of Europe.
Mendilatz Nature Reserve
On the mountain of the same name, in the Aezkoan part of the Irati jungle, with 119 ha in an area of limestone rock and high rainfall, with forests of large beech trees and other species.
Tristuibartea or Ariztibarrena Nature Reserve
On Mount Pettuberro, in Villanueva de Aezkoa, with 55 hectares and oak forest (Quercus pubescens) in the lower areas and beech (Fagus sylvatica) in the high