In Mediterranean regions like ours, riparian forests —or gallery forests— are highly productive ecosystems. They grow along both sides of river courses, so they are rarely short of water and their soils are very rich in nutrients. As a result, they host a great diversity of flora and fauna.

Their vegetation plays a very important role in the ecosystem, as it provides shelter for flora and fauna, acts as a biological corridor (very important in highly fragmented areas due to human infrastructures), filters river water, works as a buffer against floods, and improves aquifer recharge, among other functions.

The Onyar river, which rises between the municipalities of Brunyola and Vilobí d’Onyar, makes its way across the plain of La Selva towards Girona, where it joins the Ter River. The flat morphology of the la Selva depression, through which the Onyar flows, has favoured a strong development of human activities, which is why it is essential to preserve all associated riparian forests. Among these forests, the alder woods stand out, dominated by the alder (Alnus glutinosa), which have been replaced in many areas by timber plantations of poplars, plane trees, etc.

In the alder woods of the Onyar, you can observe in full bloom, at the end of winter or the beginning of spring, when sunlight still reaches deep into the forest before the alders leaf out, herbaceous species such as wood anemone (Anemone nemorosa), snowdrop (Galanthus nivalis), liverleaf (Anemone hepatica), buttercups (Ranunculus spp.), martagon lily (Lilium martagon), and many others. Associated with all this vegetation, there is also a wide range of fauna, from mammals such as the badger (Meles meles) and amphibians such as the fire salamander (Salamandra salamandra), to a long list of birds such as the moorhen (Gallinula chloropus), among many others, which find in riparian forests an oasis in the middle of heavily modified landscapes.

You can discover the value of riparian forests along the different hiking or cycling routes in the municipality. Always do so respecting the environment and behaving responsibly, in order not to disturb these fragile ecosystems, which are, at the same time, essential.