Sierra de Nava Alta
Encyclopedia
Sierra de Nava Alta or Sierra de la Nava Alta is a mountain range in the Valdejalón
comarca, Aragon
, Spain
, located west of the A-121 road, between Fuendejalón
and Ricla
and east of Tierga
and Mesones de Isuela
.
The ridge's highest summits are Peña de las Armas (1154 m), Buitrera de Valdearcos (994 m) and Monegre (922 m).
The Santuario de la Virgen de Rodanas is located in the Sierra de Nava Alta, about 12 km to the west of Épila
town. The road to the sanctuary from Épila is not paved.
These mountains are covered with low and mostly sparse maquis shrub, with some juniper
, Carrasca (Quercus ilex) and pine
trees. They suffered intense exploitation in the past, with overgrazing
by cattle
and excessive firewood
gathering.
Valdejalón
Valdejalón is a comarca in Aragon, Spain. It is located in Zaragoza Province, in the transitional area between the Iberian System and the Ebro Valley.The capital of Valdejalón is La Almunia de Doña Godina, located at the western end of Sierra de Algairén...
comarca, Aragon
Aragon
Aragon is a modern autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. Located in northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces : Huesca, Zaragoza, and Teruel. Its capital is Zaragoza...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, located west of the A-121 road, between Fuendejalón
Fuendejalón
Fuendejalón is a municipality located in the province of Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain. According to the 2010 census the municipality has a population of 953 inhabitants.The Sierra del Bollón range rises west of the town.- External links :* *...
and Ricla
Ricla
Ricla is a municipality located in the province of Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain. According to the 2004 census , the municipality has a population of 2,653 inhabitants.-External links:*...
and east of Tierga
Tierga
Tierga is a municipality located in the province of Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain. According to the 2004 census , the municipality has a population of 221 inhabitants.-See also:*Aranda...
and Mesones de Isuela
Mesones de Isuela
Mesones de Isuela, also known as Mesones, is a municipality located in the province of Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain. According to the 2004 census , the municipality has a population of 339 inhabitants.-See also:*Comunidad de Calatayud...
.
The ridge's highest summits are Peña de las Armas (1154 m), Buitrera de Valdearcos (994 m) and Monegre (922 m).
The Santuario de la Virgen de Rodanas is located in the Sierra de Nava Alta, about 12 km to the west of Épila
Épila
Épila is a municipality in the province of Zaragoza, Aragon. Its population in 2005 was approximately 4,100.The Santuario de la Virgen de Rodanas is located in the Sierra de Nava Alta, west of Épila town. The road to the sanctuary from Épila is not paved....
town. The road to the sanctuary from Épila is not paved.
These mountains are covered with low and mostly sparse maquis shrub, with some juniper
Juniper
Junipers are coniferous plants in the genus Juniperus of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Depending on taxonomic viewpoint, there are between 50-67 species of juniper, widely distributed throughout the northern hemisphere, from the Arctic, south to tropical Africa in the Old World, and to the...
, Carrasca (Quercus ilex) and pine
Pine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
trees. They suffered intense exploitation in the past, with overgrazing
Overgrazing
Overgrazing occurs when plants are exposed to intensive grazing for extended periods of time, or without sufficient recovery periods. It can be caused by either livestock in poorly managed agricultural applications, or by overpopulations of native or non-native wild animals.Overgrazing reduces the...
by cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
and excessive firewood
Firewood
Firewood is any wood-like material that is gathered and used for fuel. Generally, firewood is not highly processed and is in some sort of recognizable log or branch form....
gathering.