Portugal

Portugal consists of the peninsular mainland and the volcanic Atlantic archipelagos of Madeira and the Azores. It has a terrestrial area of close to 92,000km² and a marine area of 4 million km². It is bordered by only 1 country. The highest point is Mount Pico (on the Azores) at 2,351m. Portugal has a population of 10.3 million people and a population density of 113 people per km².

of land covered

by protected areas

of marine waters

covered by protected areas

species protected

under EU law

habitats protected

under EU law

Protected areas in Portugal cover a total of km² on land and km² at sea, representing the third largest marine protected areas network in the EU.

Percentage of area covered by protected areas

Currently, of Portugal's terrestrial area is designated as protected areas, which is below the EU value of 26.4%. The EU Biodiversity Strategy has set a target of reaching 30% protected area coverage at the EU level by 2030. In the marine waters of Portugal, protected areas coverage is currently at , which is below the EU value of 12.1%.

Number of protected areas

Portugal has a total of protected areas, comprising sites designated under national laws and recognized as Natura 2000 sites. These Natura 2000 sites are designated under the Birds Directive, encompassing Special Protection Areas, and the Habitats Directive, encompassing Sites of Community Importance. Many sites are designated under both Directives.

Number of protected areas

Protected areas designated

under national laws

Designated sites

in the Natura 2000 network

Distribution of protected areas between national designations and Natura 2000

In Portugal more than half of the terrestrial protected areas are designated solely as Natura 2000 sites with further covered by areas where Natura 2000 sites overlap with national designations. About half of the marine protected areas network of Portugal consists of areas designated solely as Natura 2000 sites and the other half of nationally designated areas, with almost no overlap between them.

Spatial distribution of protected areas network

Protected areas designated under national laws

Designated sites in the Natura 2000 network

Size distribution of protected areas network

Both terrestrial and marine protected areas in Portugal are quite diverse in their size. About 18% of marine protected areas are larger than 1,000km².

Natura 2000 sites

Natura 2000 sites in Portugal cover species and habitats from the nature directives. The number of species and habitats protected in each site varies depending on the location of the site, the biodiversity in the region, the designation being used, and the features the site is being created to protect.

Species protected in Portugal under EU law fall under the Habitats and Birds Directives. Portugal hosts protected under the Habitats Directive, which is approximately 24% of the total of the Habitats Directive’s species and protected birds, which is approximately 52% of the species protected under the Birds Directive.

species protected under EU law

species under the Habitats Directive

species under the Birds Directive

Conservation Status of species: Habitats Directive

In Portugal, of species assessments indicate a good conservation status, while the EU average corresponds to 27.5%. The proportion of assessments indicating bad conservation status is reaching , compared to the EU average of 20.6%.

Protected species composition by taxonomic group

In Portugal, the distribution of protected species across taxonomic groups highlights the prominence of birds, comprising the largest proportion at 41.6%. They are followed by vascular plants, accounting for 31.3% of protected species, and mammals, representing 10.9%.

Conservation Status by Taxa

In Portugal, the assessment of species groups reveals that vascular plants have the highest proportion of species with a good conservation status, standing at 40%. On the other hand, molluscs exhibit the highest percentage of species with a bad conservation status, reaching 28.5%, followed by fish with 22.8%. Fish also have a significant proportion of species in poor conservation status, standing at 71.4%. All other invertebrates and arthropods have unknown conservation status.

Habitats protected in Portugal under EU law fall under the Habitats Directive. Portugal hosts habitat types, which is approximately 42.5% of the total of habitat types protected by the Habitats Directive.

habitats protected under EU law in Portugal

Conservation status of habitats

In Portugal, 23.7% of habitats assessments indicate a good conservation status which is above the EU average of 14.7%. On the other hand, the proportion of assessments indicating a bad conservation status, amounting to 28.8%, is below the EU average of 35.8%.

Protected habitat composition by group

In Portugal, the group of protected habitats with the largest number consists of forest, coastal and salt-tolerant habitats, each accounting for 18.1% of the total. Following behind are freshwater habitats, encompassing 13.1% of the protected habitats.

Conservation status by group

In Portugal the assessment of habitat groups reveals that rocky habitats have the highest proportion of good conservation status, standing at 53.3%. Following behind are heath and scrub, with 40% of habitat types in good conservation status. On the other hand, dune habitats exhibit the highest percentage of habitat types with a bad conservation status, reaching 60%, while bogs, mires and fens also have a significant proportion of habitat types in bad conservation status at 50%.

Portugal is predominantly characterised by two main types of ecosystems: forest ecosystems, which cover 46% of the country, followed by agroecosystems occupying 37.7% of the land area. However, Portugal has relatively smaller proportions of heathlands (9.5%), urban ecosystems (5.8%), rivers and lakes (1%), and wetland ecosystems (0.08%).

In terms of the protected area network, forests constitute the largest portion, covering 44.2% of the protected areas. Agroecosystems make up 36.5% of the protected areas, reflecting the importance of conserving and managing agricultural landscapes for biodiversity. Heathland ecosystems account for 16% of the protected areas, while urban areas contribute to 2.04%. Rivers and lakes represent 1%, and wetlands comprise 0.3% of the protected areas.