Candidatura Reserva da Biosfera - Santana Madeira Biosfera

The Central Mountainous Massif is shelters six habitats of community interest listed
in the Habitats Directive, of which the Mediterranean temporary ponds, the Endemic
forests with Juniperus spp. and the endemic Macaronesian heaths, are priority habitats.
Beyond all the richness that characterizes this area as a whole, the eastern part of the
Massif is evidenced as the only place in the world where Madeira petrel (Pterodroma
madeira), the most endangered seabird in the world, nests. Since 1969, when this
presumedly extinct seabird was rediscovery, this area has been object of much interest
from local and foreign ornithologists, intensifying the actions towards the conservation of
this species since 1986, mostly driven by funding through the LIFE program.
36 Application of Santana, Madeira to Biosphere Reserve – UNESCO - MAB