Functional analysis and restoration of Mediterranean lagunas in the Mancha Húmeda Biosphere Reserve (Central Spain)

Abstract

1. The Mancha Hú meda Biosphere Reserve includes approximately 50 lakes, most of them shallow and temporary (lagunas).2. Despite their international importance, numerous impacts affect them, including pollution in lagunas located near villages and the partial or total desiccation of most sites due to river channelization and groundwater over-exploitation.3. Restoration attempts over a period of years failed because they aimed to improve living conditions for only unrepresentative indicator taxa and neglected the temporal dynamics of aquatic systems.4. Key recommendations are discussed for restoration, based on functional analysis: i) Restoring and/or preserving the original hydroperiod (including drought) and the diversity of water input; ii) protecting the structure and function of sediments, considering nutrient availability to assess water quality; iii) categorizing the environments in terms of the dominant primary producers; iv) complementing estimates of production by considering its fate and form of consumption; and v) identifying key events triggering the main patterns of ecosystem organization (either episodical or periodical, abiotic or biotic).

Methane Emissions in Spanish Saline Lakes: Current Rates, Temperature and Salinity Responses, and Evolution under Different Climate Change Scenarios

“…Through Europe, the Iberian Peninsula is one of the territories presenting a greater amount of saline lakes and, within Spain, the lake district of "La Mancha Húmeda Biosphere Reserve" is among the most representative and large regions rich in saline lakes [14]. These lakes are naturally temporary, as they are shallow, and commonly develop on very small catchments on endorheic basins, with a marked seasonal water stress during the warmer months [15].…”

Human-mediated dispersal of aquatic invertebrates with waterproof footwear

“…Transport of these organisms may affect other taxonomic groups associated to these water bodies so as those in close areas with high conservation value (e.g., Tablas de Daimiel and Ruidera lakes). Indeed, the study area of ''La Mancha Húmeda'' Biosphere Reserve fulfills an important role as a refuge and feeding ground for a number of birds in the migration period (Florín and Montes 1999;Gosálvez et al 2012). Species composition and abundances shifts in the invertebrate metacommunities could modify the principal food resources for many waterbirds.…”

“…The shallow saline lakes of the Biosphere Reserve of ''La Mancha Húmeda,'' located on the southern sub-plateau of the Iberian Peninsula, are unique ecosystems in the Palearctic (Armengol et al 1975;Florín and Montes 1999). It is the largest steppic wetland area of Western Europe, encompassing 30 000 ha and including 12 protected areas (e.g., Tablas de Daimiel and Ruidera lakes).…”

“…Nevertheless, some of them have a hydrological regime disturbed by human activities. Urban waste water spilled into the lakes from near localities and the reduction of groundwater level through aquifers overexploitation by agriculture are leading problems for their preservation (Florín and Montes 1999). Sampling, experimental design, and sample processing…”

Monitoring Hydrological Patterns of Temporary Lakes Using Remote Sensing and Machine Learning Models: Case Study of La Mancha Húmeda Biosphere Reserve in Central Spain

“…Lakes in La Mancha Húmeda have rapidly deteriorated because of the alteration of their hydrological patterns and pollution, the former mainly linked to the continuous overexploitation of the aquifers within the last 50 years due to increased agricultural demand [30]. This water extraction caused an unsustainable draft of the aquifers.…”