JBCLM | 2010-2026
2. Dehesa de Zacatena (Daimiel)
This area has been inhabited for over 3,000 years, since the Bronze Age. But its most significant change came in 1183 when the territory was granted to the Order of Calatrava, which protected it for centuries due to its strategic importance as grazing land for its war cavalry.
Opposite the gallery forests, along the same soil-moisture gradient, lies the Dehesa de Zacatena in Ciudad Real, which naturally occurs surrounding the Tablas de Daimiel National Park. This agroforestry landscape has been shaped by over 3,000 years of human use, notably when the Order of Calatrava received the land in 1183 and protected it for centuries as grazing for their warhorses—key to conserving the park’s current territories.
The recreation features Mediterranean species such as holm oak, Aleppo pine and strawberry tree, along with shrubs illustrating the transformation from Mediterranean woodland to dehesa: turpentine tree, mastic tree, rosemary, rockroses and false olive. For humans and cattle, the trees supply edible acorns while the herbaceous layer of grasses, legumes, and asters provide pasture. Traditional moderate grazing promotes high biodiversity, making the dehesa meadows among the world’s richest plant communities.
Nearer the pond, wetter pastures appear with teasel, red clover and tall fescue, underscoring the importance of the wetlands. A side path offers closer views of the adjacent Lamiaceae Collection.
