Editing Community of Madrid (section)

==Geography==
[[File:Comunidad de Madrid relieve location map.jpg|right|255px|Relief map of the Community of Madrid]]
Despite the existence of a large urban area of nearly 7 million people, the Community of Madrid still retains some remarkably unspoiled and diverse habitats and landscapes. Madrid is home to mountain peaks rising above 2,000 m, [[Quercus rotundifolia|holm oak]] dehesas and low-lying plains. The slopes of the [[Guadarrama mountain range]] are cloaked in dense forests of [[Scots pine]] and Pyrenean [[oak]]. The [[Lozoya Valley]] supports a large [[Eurasian black vulture|black (monk) vulture]] colony, and one of the last bastions of the [[Spanish imperial eagle]] in the world is found in the Park Regional del Suroeste in dehesa hills between the Gredos and Guadarrama ranges. The recent possible detection of the existence of [[Iberian lynx]] in the area between the [[Cofio River|Cofio]] and [[Alberche]] rivers is testament to the biodiversity of the area. Taking advantage of the orography, there are several reservoirs and local dams, with the [[Santillana reservoir]] being the largest.

[[File:Circo y cima de Peñalara1.JPG|left|thumb|[[Peñalara]]: the [[Guadarrama mountain range]]'s highest peak]]
The province of Madrid is shaped approximately like an equilateral triangle, with the city of Madrid located near its center. First, by the western side, it borders the "[[Sistema Central]]" (the [[Guadarrama mountain range]]), the southern border features a protrusion following the [[Tagus|Tagus River]] in order to include the royal site of [[Aranjuez]] in the region; the eastern edge of the triangle comes from the rupture of the fluvial river basins. This autonomous community is located in the basin of the Tagus River. The Tagus passes through the southern border of the Autonomy in its path west toward the [[Atlantic Ocean]], draining the waters of the [[Jarama River]] (collecting in turn the waters of the [[Lozoya River|Lozoya]], the [[Guadalix River|Guadalix]], the [[Manzanares River|Manzanares]], the [[Henares River|Henares]] and the [[Tajuña River|Tajuña]]), the [[Alberche]] and the [[Guadarrama River|Guadarrama]] in the Community.{{Sfn|Gallego Calvo|2011|p=414}}
[[File:Capra pyrenaica, La Pedriza, Madrid, España, 2016 09.JPG|thumb|right|The [[Capra pyrenaica|Iberian ibex]] (''Capra pyrenaica'') in [[La Pedriza]]]]
This autonomous community also includes the exclave of [[Dehesa de la Cepeda]] (part of the municipality of [[Santa María de la Alameda]]), a mostly open-area geographically located between the provinces of [[Province of Ávila|Ávila]] and [[Segovia]] in the autonomous community of [[Castile and Leon|Castile and León]].

The Province of Madrid occupies a surface area of approximately {{cvt|8,028|km2}} (1.6% of all Spanish territory). More specifically, the exact position of Madrid is 3° 40' of longitude west of [[Greenwich]], England, and 40° 23' north of the equator.

Most of the province lies between 600 and 1,000&nbsp;m above sea level. However, there the altitude ranges from 2,428&nbsp;metres of [[Peñalara]] to 430 metres at the Alberche river when it leaves [[Villa del Prado]] into the province of Toledo.{{Sfn|Ayllón López|Barbera Luna|2011|p=58}} Other considerable heights, as well as being famous, are the [[Bola del Mundo]] ("Ball of the World") in [[Navacerrada]], at a height of 2,258&nbsp;m, the [[Siete Picos]] ("Seven Peaks") in [[Cercedilla]], at 2,138&nbsp;m, and the [[Peña Cebollera]] (2,129&nbsp;m) at the northernmost end of the province, a [[tripoint]] between the Madrid region and the provinces of Segovia and Guadalajara.

;Fauna
Among the protected species of birds nesting in the region stand out the [[Spanish imperial eagle]], the [[golden eagle]], the [[Bonelli's eagle]], the [[cinereous vulture]], the [[peregrine falcon]] and the [[black stork]].{{Sfn|Lara Zabía|Montoro Louvier|Mingot Martín|2011|p=362}}

Exotic invasive species of birds and mammals in the region include the [[Trachemys scripta elegans|red-eared slider]], the [[Myiopsitta monachus|monk parakeet]], the [[Chelydra serpentina|common snapping turtle]], the [[Psittacula krameri|rose-ringed parakeet]], the [[Neovison vison|American mink]] and the [[Procyon lotor|raccoon]].{{Sfn|Cobos Suárez|Martín Sanz|2011|pp=88–90}} Species described as "out of place" and with an increasing population include the [[Larus ridibundus|black-headed gull]], the [[Larus fuscus|lesser black-backed gull]], the [[Phalacrocorax carbo|great cormorant]] and [[Streptopelia decaocto|Eurasian collared dove]],{{Sfn|Cobos Suárez|Martín Sanz|2011|pp=90–91}} while the emblematic [[iberian ibex]] is presented as a case of a species "gone out of control" in [[La Pedriza]] following its [[re-introduction]] in the region in 1990 after roughly a century disappeared from the Madrilenian mountains.{{Sfn|Cobos Suárez|Martín Sanz|2011|p=92}}
[[File:Summer is coming - Se acerca el Verano (Salamandra salamandra under assault) (7655566054).jpg|thumb|left|A [[fire salamander]] in the {{ill|laguna de los Pájaros|es}}]]
The mountain amphibians living at a high altitude include the [[Salamandra salamandra|fire salamander]], the [[Triturus marmoratus|marbled newt]], the [[mesotriton alpestris|alpine newt]], the [[Rana iberica|iberian frog]], the [[Hyla arborea|European tree frog]] or the [[Alytes obstetricans|common midwife toad]].{{Sfn|Ayllón López|Barbera Luna|2011|p=59}} At a middle elevation in the mountain reaches close to water streams there are species such as the [[Lissotriton boscai|Bosca's newt]], the [[Triturus pygmaeus|southern marbled newt]], the [[Hyla meridionalis|mediterranean tree frog]] or the [[Alytes cisternasii|iberian midwife toad]].{{Sfn|Ayllón López|Barbera Luna|2011|p=60}} The [[Pelodytes punctatus|common parsley frog]] and the ''Alytes obstetricans pertinax'' dwell in the limestone lowlands near the Tagus in the south-east of the region.{{Sfn|Ayllón López|Barbera Luna|2011|p=60}} Among the all-around amphibians adaptable to different heights stand out the [[Bufo calamita|natterjack toad]], the [[Bufo bufo|common toad]] and the [[Pelophylax perezi|iberian green frog]].{{Sfn|Ayllón López|Barbera Luna|2011|p=60}} Other species with a wide distribution range (although in this case restricted by altitude) are the [[Pleurodeles waltl|gallipato]], the [[Pelobates cultripes|iberian spadefoot toad]], the [[Discoglossus galganoi|iberian painted frog]], and the [[Discoglossus jeanneae|Spanish painted frog]].{{Sfn|Ayllón López|Barbera Luna|2011|p=60}}
[[File:Psammodromus algirus 2601.jpg|thumb|right|An [[Psammodromus algirus|Algerian sand racer]] in [[Manzanares el Real]]]]
Regarding the reptiles, species such as the [[Iberolacerta cyreni|Cyren's rock lizard]], the [[Podarcis muralis|European wall lizard]], the [[Lacerta schreiberi|iberian emerald lizard]], the [[Anguis fragilis|deaf adder]] or snakes such as the [[Coronella austriaca|smooth snake]] or the ''[[Vipera latastei]]'' dwell in the mountain heights.{{Sfn|Ayllón López|Barbera Luna|2011|p=62–63}} At the lower reaches of the mountains the [[Emys orbicularis|European pond turtle]] and the [[Chalcides bedriagai|Brediaga's skink]] can be found, while the [[western false smooth snake]] is restricted to areas in the south of the region.{{Sfn|Ayllón López|Barbera Luna|2011|p=63}} Among the species of all-around reptiles, adaptable to different biomes stand out the [[Mauremys leprosa|Spanish pond turtle]], the [[Tarentola mauritanica|salamanquesa]], the [[western three-toed skink]], the [[Acanthodactylus erythrurus|spiny-footed lizard]], the [[Timon lepidus|ocellated lizard]], the [[Psammodromus algirus|Algerian sand racer]], [[Psammodromus hispanicus|Spanish psammodromus]], the ubiquitous [[Podarcis hispanica|iberian wall lizard]], the [[Blanus cinereus|iberian worm lizard]], the ''[[Coronella girondica]]'', the [[Malpolon monspessulanus|Montpellier snake]]; [[Natrix natrix|grass snake]] and the [[Natrix maura|viperine snake]].{{Sfn|Ayllón López|Barbera Luna|2011|pp=63–64}}

The fish species are affected by the high number of reservoirs in the region.{{Sfn|Gallego Calvo|2011|p=414}} Among the threatened species in the rivers stand out the [[Anguilla anguilla|European eel]], the [[iberian barbel]], the ''[[Squalius alburnoides]]'', the ''[[Cobitis calderoni]]'' and, potentially, the ''[[Chondrostoma lemmingii]]''.{{Sfn|Gallego Calvo|2011|p=418}} Conversely the set of invasive species of fish includes [[Esox lucius|pike]], [[Ictalurus melas|black bullhead catfish]], [[Lepomis gibbosus|pumpkinseed]], [[Stizostedion lucioperca|zander]], [[Alburnus alburnus|common bleak]] and [[Micropterus salmoides|black-bass]].{{Sfn|Gallego Calvo|2011|p=418}}

;Vegetation
[[File:Hayedo de Montejo y su especial Microclima.jpg|thumb|right|The summer drought is characteristic of the Madrid region's climate. {{ill|Montejo Beech|es|Hayedo de Montejo}} (part of the transnational [[Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe]] world heritage site) is a relict forest featuring a particular case of microclimate, allowing for Eurosiberian species that do not grow in the region in normal conditions.]]
In the vicinity of the mountain peaks, oromediterranean vegetation such as ''[[Agrostula truncatula]]'', ''{{ill|Armeria caespitosa|es}}'', ''[[Festuca indigesta]]'', ''{{ill|Jasione crispa|es}}'', ''{{ill|Jurinea humilis|es}}'', ''[[Minuartia recurva]]'', ''[[Pilosella vahlii]]'', ''[[Plantago holosteum]]'' and the ''[[Thymus praecox]]'' is common.{{Sfn|Grijalbo Cervantes|2011|p=31}} Below the summit line, shrubby species such as the [[Cytisus oromediterraneus]] and the [[Juniperus communis|common juniper]] as well as the [[Pinus sylvestris|Scots pine]] take over.{{Sfn|Grijalbo Cervantes|2011|p=32}} There are also masses of [[Pinus nigra|black pine]] and the [[Quercus pyrenaica|pyrenean oak]] situated above the domain of the holm oak.{{Sfn|Grijalbo Cervantes|2011|p=34}}
[[File:Arganda_del_Rey_(39301482444).jpg|thumb|left|Olive tree orchards in [[Arganda del Rey]]]]
Eurosiberian flora is not common in the region, and species such as the [[Betula alba|moor birch]] and the [[Betula pendula|silver birch]] are restricted to very specific humid valley areas with special climate conditions.{{Sfn|Grijalbo Cervantes|2011|p=35}}
The climax vegetation in the ''campiña'' is the [[Quercus ilex|holly oak]]. Some of the species that take over when the holly oak forest degrades are the [[Cistus ladanifer|"sticky shrub"]], the [[Retama sphaerocarpa]], the [[Lavandula pedunculata|French lavender]], the ''[[Thymus mastichina]]'' and the ''[[Thymus zygis]]''.{{Sfn|Grijalbo Cervantes|2011|p=39}}

The lower reaches of Guadarrama Mountain Range are populated by species such as the ''[[Juniperus thurifera]]'', the [[Pinus pinaster|maritime pine]], the [[Quercus faginea|Portuguese oak]], the [[Pinus pinea|stone pine]]; only in the somewhat more humid westernmost end of the region, near the {{ill|Alto del Mirlo|es}}, there are forests of [[Castanea sativa|chestnut trees]].{{Sfn|Grijalbo Cervantes|2011|pp=36–38}}

54,4% of the surface of the region is soil categorised as forest areas of which the 51.4% (27.7% of the total of the region) it is already covered by forests, so there is room for tree re-population.{{Sfn|Sanjuanbenito García|2011|p=163}} The first modest efforts towards tree re-population were taken in the Lozoya Valley in the late 19th century intending to achieve a purer water from the river,{{Sfn|Sanjuanbenito García|2011|p=161}} that provided the capital with water for consumption. However, the bulk of the process took place after the Spanish Civil War, with a largely successful repopulation with several species of [[conifers]].{{Sfn|Sanjuanbenito García|2011|p=162}}