| |
| 7ES001 |
Parque
Nacional de Doņana |
|
|
| Coordinates: |
36š57'N
- 006š19'W |
Elevation:
0-36 m |
Area:50,720
ha |
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| Location:
|
The
site is situated approximately 50 km southeast of the city of Huelva and
50 km southwest of Sevilla, in Huelva province, in the autonomous region
of AndalucĄa (southwestern Spain). This is about 50 km southeast of the
Marismas del Odiel Ramsar site (7ES006) and 30 km northwest of the Laguna
Salada, part of Ramsar site Lagunas de Cádiz (7ES004). |
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| Criteria:
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1a,
1c, 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, 3a, 3b, 3c
Doņana is one of the largest and most important remaining wetlands in
Europe. It consists of a vast coastal marshland complex in the floodplain
of the lower Guadalquivir River, separated from the Atlantic Ocean by
an extensive system of both active and stabilized dunes. The area is of
international importance for breeding, staging and wintering birds. It
is a breeding site of the endangered duck Marmaronetta angustirostris
and the rare gull Larus genei. The trees in one area of the "Vera" (grasslands)
support a large mixed nesting colony of Ardea cinerea, Egretta garzetta,
Nycticorax nycticorax, Ciconia ciconia and Platalea leucorodia. Nesting
species also include Anas strepera, Aythya ferina, Netta rufina, Porphyrio
porphyrio (1,000-2,000 pairs), Fulica cristata, Himantopus himantopus,
Recurvirostra avosetta and Chlidonias hybridus. Wintering species include
Anser anser (80,000), Anas penelope (120,000), A. acuta (20,000), A. crecca
(170,000), A. clypeata (80,000), Fulica atra (40,000) and Limosa limosa
(40,000). Lynx pardina is the most notable mammal.
|
|
| Wetland
Types:
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Sp,
Tp, E, M, N, Ss, Ts, 4 (dominant types listed first)
The area contains fresh and brackish areas, including permanent and seasonal
marshes, dunes, and permanent and seasonal lakes. |
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Biological/
Ecological notes
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Nowadays
the marshes cover 27,000 ha, but they are the last remnant of wetlands,
which once occupied 200,000 ha of the lower Guadalquivir floodplain. The
stabilized dunes or Cotos form an undulating landscape with a vegetation
cover varying with the height above the water table. The southern zone
of the Cotos is covered by low Pinus pinea forest. The area between the
Cotos and the marshland consists of grassland, which is referred to as
Vera because it is always green and lush. The emergent vegetation is dominated
by Scirpus lacustris in areas of deeper, more permanent water and by S.
maritimus in the seasonal marshes. The flora also includes halophytes
of genera such as Arthrocnemum, Suaeda, Salicornia, and Tamarix scrub.
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|
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Hydrological/
Physical notes
|
The
marshes are fed mainly by autumn and winter rainfall and river flow, and
therefore show marked seasonal variations in their extent. There are salinity
gradients (increasing from north to south and from west to east), while
subtle variations in the relief of the generally flat plain lead to the
occurrence of deeper areas of water (Lucios) and slight elevations (Caños,
Vetas and Paciles). |
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| Human
uses
|
The
area is owned by the state and is primarily devoted to nature conservation.
Land use activities which are compatible with conservation objectives
are permitted within the site. These include charcoal production, bee
keeping, gathering of Pinus wood, fishing and extensive stock grazing.
There is also development of tourism. |
|
|
Conservation
Measures
|
The
area has been declared a National Park (Parque Nacional). It is also a
UNESCO Man and Biosphere Reserve and an EU Special Protection Area for
wild birds. It was also awarded a Council of Europe Diploma. In 1990 the
site was included in the Montreux Record. In April 1998 a Coordination
Commission of the State Administration and the Autonomous Administration
of AndalucĄa was established to deal with the spillage of toxic waste
described below. The Spanish Ministry of Environment has formulated a
project, "Doņana 2005", which encompasses a series of strategic actions
to restore the traditional hydraulic dynamics of the site. Doņana is twinned
with Ramsar site Humedal Caribe Noreste in Costa Rica (6CR006). |
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Adverse
Factors |
In
April 1998 there was an accidental spillage, upstream of the site, of
millions of cubic metres of toxic mining waste, which contaminated a large
area with highly acidic material rich in heavy metals. The Coordination
Commission mentioned above has provided the principal framework for the
authorities concerned to address the clean-up and restoration work. In
recent years concern also has been expressed over the impact of mass tourism
and intensive irrigated agriculture in the region outside the National
Park. There have been fears that these activities are causing over-exploitation
of regional aquifers, leading to a fall in groundwater levels and a gradual
reduction of the extent and duration of seasonal flooding in the marshes |
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| References |
{a16} |
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