Article

The botanical interest of peatlands from Xistral and Ancares Mountains (NW Iberian Peninsula) is analysed to assess the importance of their conservation. These peatlands are old ecosystems whose origin goes back to the time of complete melting away of the ice in the last glaciation. Since then, they have served as genetic reservoir for many species. As a consequence, these ecosystems present numerous endemic and relict taxa with restricted distribution in the Iberian Peninsula. The environmental importance of these ecosystems and their floristic particularities support the need to establish management plans to assure their conservation.