Forest Areas

Oak, pine, and eucalyptus forests conceal some of the country's most discreet inhabitants, from foxes and squirrels to songbirds, which announce themselves more by sound than by presence.

Portugal is composed of a great variety of forests. In the montados (cork oak and holm oak woodlands), cork oak and holm oak dominate; in the pine forests, maritime pine and stone pine; and in the deciduous broadleaf forests, oaks, chestnut trees and other species; in the riparian woods, alder, willow, poplars, among others; Despite this, the tree with the largest area of occupation is not native, the eucalyptus.

This diversity of forests includes a great richness of fauna. As many areas are mixed, with various tree species in the same location, it is common to find animals typical of one type of forest in another.

This chapter covers only some of the forest types mentioned, focusing particularly on areas with higher forest density, typical of the central and northern regions of the country, specifically deciduous broadleaf forests, eucalyptus plantations, and maritime pine forests.