HRA Field Station
Explore the “montado” ecosystem and biodiversity
The “Herdade da Ribeira Abaixo” (HRA) is the Field Station of the Centre of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes (CE3C) and an infrastructure of the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon (Ciências ULisboa). The overall goal of the Field Station is to provide a location and other facilities for students, researchers and visiting scientists to undertake their research in the area of Ecology. The HRA is located in one of the largest areas of cork-oak (Quercus suber) woodland (“montado de sobro”), an important ecosystem of SW Iberia due to its economical importance, as well as to its biodiversity. This was the main reason for its choice by the CE3C.
The 221 ha Field Station is located in the eastern of Serra de Grândola (Baixo Alentejo), 100km south of Lisbon, between the altitudes of 150 – 240m.
The Field Station is mainly covered by cork-oak woodland ("montado") and is crossed by several temporary small streams. The “montados” of the HRA are the final result of the transformation of the original forests by a traditional rural system, being a resource of great local and national economic importance. In fact, the export of cork and its derivatives has a very significant weight in the national economy. The “montado” yields a great diversity of products and services with commercial value: cork, honey, wood, charcoal, fruits, wild plants and mushrooms, pasture.