Landscape as a heritage resource in protected areas: the case of Sierra Nevada National Park (Spain)

Abstract

Sierra Nevada is a singular mountain range with an exceptional natural and cultural heritage. Natural landscapes are reflected in the rich biodiversity and wide range of landforms, which only have been weakly modified by human activities during the last centuries. The highest parts of the massif are protected under the consideration of National Park, which encompasses the diversity of the autochthonous flora, sedimentary records, Pleistocene-Holocene landscapes and human activities. The preservation of the natural resources in Sierra Nevada must be accompanied by sustainable development of the traditional economic activities in the massif and those more recent compatible with safeguarding the heritage resources of the landscape.