Candidatura Reserva da Biosfera - Santana Madeira Biosfera

maderensis) and Madeira leisler’s bat (Nyctalus leisleri verrucosus). Besides food, many
bats roost in centenarian Madeira Laurels (Ocotea foetens) and Madeira mahogany
(Persea indica) trees, especially for the Madeira leisler’s bats, which depend on tree
cavities for shelter and breeding. By eliminating daily millions of insects that could affect
the ecological balance of the laurel forest, the predation of bats on insects have an
enormous weight in pest control and regulation of trophic balance of the entire
ecosystem.
The importance for the conservation of biodiversity and landscape of the proposed
Biosphere Reserve, is not confined to core areas. The county’s mountainous area which is
in part included in the transition area of the proposed reserve is also an area of high
landscape and biological value and is integrated into the Natura 2000 network. In this
area the priority habitats such as Macaronesian endemic Heaths predominantly composed
of ericaceous as Madeira blueberries (Vaccinium padifolium), Tree heath (Erica arborea),
Madeira heath (Erica madeirensis) and Besom Heath (Erica platycodon madeirincola). In
addition to the heaths, also the Madeira juniper (Juniperus cedrus madeirensis) and yew
(Taxus baccata) forests reach their best conservation state in Santana’s mountainous
area, thereby enhancing the maintenance of biological and intraspecific diversity of these
important taxa and habitats, as well as the recovery of areas where these are most
degraded.
The mountainous area of the proposed Biosphere Reserve is also an area of high
ornithological importance, since beyond harboring some endemic bird species and
subspecies that spend their life cycle in this area, it is home to the only existing Madeira
petrel (Pterodroma madeira) nesting area, the world's rarest seabird and one of the most
endangered.
Application of Santana, Madeira to Biosphere Reserve – UNESCO - MAB 109