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In this itinerary, you will visit the Comapedrosa Natural Park, an area of great natural value. If you listen carefully, at the end of the itinerary, you might hear some of the marmots that live there. From here you will reach the Pla de l'Estany refuge, where if you want, you can spend the night. The Comapedrosa Communal Natural Park has a protected area of 1,540 hectares, equivalent to more than 1,400 football fields. Here you will find the highest peak in Andorra, Comapedrosa, at 2,942 meters above sea level. A terrain large enough and with enough elevation to support a wide diversity of species of fauna and flora. It is precisely to conserve this biodiversity that the park has developed a monitoring program that analyzes the status of the different animal and plant communities. Some of these species are also bioindicators: organisms that, due to their abundance and physiological characteristics, reflect the conservation status of the environment and natural habitats. Monitoring these species, through the annual comparison of their populations, allows us to assess air and water quality and detect the possible presence of contaminants. Among these bioindicator species, day-flying butterflies are a particularly sensitive group and, as such, are included in the monitoring network Butterfly Monitoring Scheme of Andorra (BMSAnd). The proliferation of species adapted to warmer climates against the regression of species more adapted to cold climates are indicators that showcase the consequences of climate change, as well as the proliferation of species with lower water requirements could indicate the impact of drought situations. The data obtained in the Comapedrosa Park, as well as in other natural areas of the country, are integrated into the European monitoring of the BMS network, which has already allowed the establishment of some effects of climate change. Human activity has a direct impact on the conservation status of the biodiversity that surrounds you. Respect the flora and fauna of the Park, only travel on the marked trail network and use the authorized places to dispose of waste. Complete the challenge Cub a Cub of La Massana with the information you will find in the cubes along the path.
