Peat bogs are one of the rarest habitats of our mountains. Living relics of the age of glaciers, these are now refuge to many species of plants and animals that thrive ere. Located on the plateau of Freita mountain, between 950 and 1050 meters of altitude, some of these peat bogs were classified micro reserves by Quercus. Throughout the plateau of Freita this rare habitat develops along water lines, coloring of green the streams that meander between the granitic massifs. The peat moss that is the base foundation of the peat bogs, forms cushion mats capable of huge water retention in its tissues. Next to the forest house, an imposing more than 3 meters wide quartz vein rips the mountain in the NW-SE direction, witness of the orogenic events that raised the Freita mountain.
Peat bogs are exceptional places, with many species that thrive only in this environment, such as the sedge, mosquito rush plant, the gorse and the cross-leaved heath. The matgrass, the cyclamen-flowered daffodil, the tormentil, the marsh gentian,and the delicate heath grass are some of the herbaceous plants that can be found here, contributing to its exceptional diversity. The round-leaved sundew, delicate carnivorous plant, is also typical of these little heavens. At the granite outcrops that mediate the peat bogs, the common rock thrush is frequent and the delicate murbeckiella flourishes on the rocks. In the air, the Bonelli’s eagle has already been sighted, being frequent the peregrine falcon and the common buzzard.
Above 900 meters, corn is scarce because it’s very demanding in their water needs. So waterways were built here, being true works of art, bringing water from upland rivers to agricultural fields. In unfavorable locations, aqueducts were built delicately carved in the hard granite enabling, in this ingenious way, transfer water to grow the precious cereal.
