Altitude (m): 106 Topography: middle slope Orientation: E Slope: 8.0 Hydrology: Site is situated in the Tagus hydrographic basin. The lower part of site is 10-15 m apart from seasonal water course, which flows some 250m along the site margin South containment: 0 Soil type: LEPTOSOLS Soil sub-type: vertic Parent rock: basic to ultrabasic volcanic rocks Soil depth (cm): 60
Climate
Average temperature (°C): 17.5 Average precipitation (mm): 826 Number of frost days: 0 Reference period for climatic data: 1960-2012
History of the site
The arboretum site is located at Tapada da Ajuda, which is a walled Public Property covering 100 ha, where Instituto Superior de Agronomia (ISA) is located. The area is managed by ISA, mainly for educational and research purposes. ISA proffers teaching and research excellence in agronomy, forestry, biology, environment, food, zootechnics and landscape architecture, and includes the climate change impact theme as one of its major action topics. ISA board promptly accepted the possibility to install an arboretum in its intramural area. Nowadays, “Tapada da Ajuda” has an area of approximately 100 hectares. Since the XVI century it was used as a royal hunting reserve. In 1910, with the establishment of the Republic, this area was given to the Institute of Agronomy (ISA) “for the educational benefit of farmers or any other visitors, as well as for tuition of children and students of all schools” as specifically mentioned in the conveyance deed. Awareness of the heritage value of “Tapada da Ajuda” led to the classification of the existing intramural structures as Property of Public Interest under a protection law (nº5/2002, Official Bulletin No.42 of 19th February, 2002). This location coincides with REINFFORCE’s Portuguese Team headquarters, allowing for more frequent monitoring. The Tapada da Ajuda arboretum is the most Southern arboretum of the network. The arboretum is divided into 2 parcels, separated from each other by a 6m wide road. The parcels are: -P1, 1 ha, which was fully occupied with Acacia sp., since the 1940's, but where conifers are now installed; -P2, 1 ha, previously used for grazing, where broadleaves are now installed. Soil preparation for the arboretum installation was initiated in September 2011, consisting mainly in Acacia and spontaneous vegetation removal/ control.
copyrigth IEFC network