Serra da Malagueta

Serra da Malagueta

Serra da Malagueta
Highest point
Elevation 1,064 m (3,491 ft)
Prominence 2nd in Santiago
Listing List of mountains in Cape Verde
Coordinates 15°10′46″N 23°40′20″W / 15.17944°N 23.67222°W / 15.17944; -23.67222Coordinates: 15°10′46″N 23°40′20″W / 15.17944°N 23.67222°W / 15.17944; -23.67222 
Geography
Serra da Malagueta
northern Santiago
Geology
Age of rock Miocene and Pliocene
Mountain type Stratovolcano
Type of rock basalt, basanite
Climbing
Easiest route climb

Serra da Malagueta is a mountain located in the northern part of the island of Santiago, Cape Verde. At 1064 m elevation, it is the second highest peak of Santiago island, after Pico da Antónia (1394 m), also that mountain is separated by 15.7 km. The mountain and its ranges forms a part of Serra da Malagueta Natural Park (Eco Serra Malagueta or Parco Natural de Serra da Malagueta), established on February 24, 2005 and covers 774 hectares. It is situated on the border of the municipalities Tarrafal, São Miguel and Santa Catarina. The mountain range dominates the north of the island stretching from Poilão in Santa Cruz up to the vicinity of Tarrafal. Its name etymology is from a plant (Capsicum), a variety of pepper, the "Malagueta pepper". It also gives its name to a nearby settlement in the westcentral portions named Serra da Malagueta or Serra Malagueta, it is also known by its short form of Serra.

The mountain area forms a source of several streams including Ribeira Principal (the main stream) and a few nearby springs. Other sources of other streams include Ribeira de Cuba and Ribeira de São Miguel.

History

During the Ice Age from around 15000 to 10000 BC, the elevation was under 1,200 meters, up to about 5000 BC, the elevation was over 1,100 meters.

The mountain range was best known for the communities with Rabelados movement. The largest of which lives in the settlement of Espinho Branco located northwest of Calheta de São Miguel.

In 1983, the route between Assomada and Tarrafal opened crossing through the middle of Serra Malagueta and bypassing Figueira das Naus and Ribeira da Prata and its dangerous curves by the Atlantic in the range's west. Construction started somewhere at the end of the 1970s.[1]

Geology

Its geology is similar to that of the rest of Santiago. It is composed of basalt, basanite and basanitoids out of volcanic eruptions of nearby Pico da Antónia. Its rocks date to the miocene and pliocene periods.[2] Its rock formation dominate the north of the island.

Flora

Echium hypertropicum (cowtongue) by Ribeira Principal
View of Serra da Malagueta facing the southwest

The park features about 124 species of plants,[3][4] of which 28 are endemic.

The flora are being threatened by invasive species from outside the park including Lantana camara (lantuna) and Furcraea foetida (Carrapato).

The west of Serra da Malagueta with Tarrafal from Monte Graciosa on a slight hazy day

Nearly endangered plants includes Lantana camara (lantuna), Furcraea foetida (carrapato) and a few others. Medicinal plants in the mountain include Artemisia gorgonum (losna), Campanula jacobaea (contra bruza azul), Campylantus glaber ssp. Glaber (alecrim-brabo), Echium hypertropicum (cowtongue or cow tongue, Portuguese: lingua de vaca), Globularia amygdalifolia (mato-boton/modronho), Lavandula rotundifolia (aipo-rotcha), Satureja forbesii (erva-cidreira), Sideroxylon marginata ssp. marmulano (ironwood, English: marmulano, Cape Verde ironwood), Tornabenea annua (funcho), Umbilicus schmidtii (Schmidt's balsam, Portuguese: balsamo), Verbascum capitis-viridis (sabão de feiticeira). Other that uses for food include Sonchus daltonii (king's heart, Portuguese: coroa de rei) and Euphorbia tuckeyana (tortolho).[3][4] Plants that are threatened include Conyza feae (losna-brabo), Conyza pannosa (taba) and Limonium lobinii (carqueja de Santiago).[3][4]

Fauna

The park features 19 species of birds, eight are endangered, the birds include Ardea purpurea bournei (garça vermelha de Santiago), Apus alexandri and Cape Verde sparrow (Passer iagoensis),[5] threatened birds include Cape Verde warbler (Acrocephalis brevipennis).[6] Six species of reptiles are founded, four are endemic including Chioninia spinalis spinalis (Portuguese: lagartixa pintada), Chioninia vaillanti (Vaillant's skink, Portuguese: lagarto) and Tarentola rudis rudis, Bufo regularis, the only amphibian species in the mountain and the park and an introduced species.[5]

Invertebrates such as insects are founded including Acherontia atropos and Papilio demodocus, one is threatened, Diplognata gagetes.

Panoramics

It is one of the places that offers best panoramics including the north and most of the south of the island but not Ribeira Grande de Santiago. Also the islands can be seen including Maio to the east, Fogo to the west-southwest and most of Boa Vista to the northeast.

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Michel Lesourd, État et société aux îles du Cap-Vert : alternatives pour un petit État insulaire [State and Society in the Cape Verde Islands: Alterantives for a Small Island State], Karthala, Paris, 1996, p. 163 ISBN 2-86537-625-7
  2. ↑ Republic of Cape Verde, p. 31
  3. 1 2 3 "Endemic Plants of Serra Malagueta". Eco Serra Malagueta.
  4. 1 2 3 Gomes, Isildo (2003). Endemic plants and indigenous trees of the Cape Verde islands. Ministry of Environment, Agriculture and Fishery and the Projects Conservation and Exploration of the Natural Resources on the Island Fogo (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeitand) and Conservation of Biodiversity.
  5. 1 2 Wildlife of Serra Malagueta. Eco Serra Malagueta.
  6. ↑ Batalha, Helena R.; Wright, David J.; Barr, Iain; Collar, Nigel J.; Richardson, David S. (2017-04-01). "Genetic diversity and divergence in the endangered Cape Verde warbler Acrocephalus brevipennis". Conservation Genetics. 18 (2): 343–357. ISSN 1566-0621. doi:10.1007/s10592-016-0909-3.

Bibliography

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