Candidatura Reserva da Biosfera - Santana Madeira Biosfera

levadas - located mostly in laurel forest areas, have an immense landscape value and are
the major tourist attraction on the island.
Figure 19. Levada, a major touristic attraction
The area covered by laurel forest houses 39 macaronesia endemics and 76 Madeira
endemic taxa, 27 of which are listed in European Union Habitats Directive, including the
brissimoret’s stonecrop (Sedum brissemoretii), Madeira bindweed (Convolvulus massonii)
Wallaston’s musschia (Musschia wollastonii) and the wood fern (Polystichum drepanum)
that are considered priority species. This area includes four types of habitats of
community interest listed in the aforementioned Directive, with particular emphasis on
the endemic Macaronesian heaths and Macaronesian laurel forest, priority habitats.
The first areas of laurel forest classified under conservation and protection
measures were established by the Regional Decree 14/82/M of 11 October of 1982,
which created the Madeira Natural Park. In this decree, vast areas of laurel forest were
classified under different regimes of protection, including, most importantly for the
current application, the areas of Integral Natural Reserves of Caldeirão verde and Ribeira
Seca / Fajã da Nogueira, belonging to the municipality of Santana which are integrated in
the land core area of the proposed Biosphere Reserve.
Application of Santana, Madeira to Biosphere Reserve – UNESCO - MAB 33