In Los Pedroches, the dehesa is the dominant landscape: a Mediterranean woodland shaped by people to combine livestock farming with conservation. By clearing part of the scrub and spacing the trees, the growth of pasture for extensive grazing is encouraged while valuable biodiversity is maintained.
Not all dehesas are the same. Clear differences can be seen between the western and eastern sectors of the region. In the west, many dehesas now have more scattered tree cover, and some areas are almost treeless, the result of historical processes, land clearance and difficulties in natural regeneration. These are more open landscapes where pasture plays a greater role.
In the eastern part of the region, by contrast, dehesas often retain greater density and diversity of trees. Here, alongside the holm oak, Portuguese oak (Quercus faginea) and Pyrenean oak (Quercus pyrenaica) are especially important. Favoured by particular soil, rainfall and relief conditions, these oaks provide more tree cover, seasonal colour and a more complex landscape structure.
These differences reflect distinct histories of land use, management and regeneration. The abundance of Portuguese and Pyrenean oaks gives this corner of Los Pedroches its own identity and reminds us of the close relationship between nature and traditional activity.
