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| 7ES028 |
Laguna
de Chiprana |
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| Coordinates: |
41º15'N
- 000º12'W |
Elevation:
150 m |
Area:162
ha |
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| Location:
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The
site is located in the municipality of Chiprana, in the extreme southeast
of the province of Zaragoza, in the autonomous region of Aragón. |
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| Criteria:
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1d,
2a
The endorrheic (closed basin) saline lakes of the Mediterranean zone constitute
a specific type of wetland which is now very rare. The Salada de Chiprana
is the only deep permanent endorrheic saline lake left in western Europe
and is a good example of this type of wetland because of its state of
conservation and its special ecological and geological characteristics.
Since 1985, one to three pairs of Tadorna tadorna have been nesting here.
This is one of the few Iberian breeding localities for this bird species.
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| Wetland
Types:
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Q,
Sp, 3, 9 (dominant type listed first)
The Laguna (or Salada) de Chiprana is a deep, permanent saline lake. The
site also includes the Salada de Roces, a much smaller lake that used
to be saline too, the Prado de Farol, a shallow basin filled with sediments
and covered with reeds, and parts of the surrounding land. |
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Biological/
Ecological notes
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The
vegetation of the shores of the lakes is sparse, except at the Prado de
Farol, and consists of patches of Phragmites australis. Low, halophytic
vegetation is distributed according to gradients in parameters such as
salinity and inundation, with Salicornia ramosissima, Suaeda maritima,
Limonium spp., Inula chritmoides and Aleuropus littoralis being the dominant
species. In areas with less open water and higher concentrations of organic
matter, there are beds of Juncus acutus and Juncus maritimus. Tamarix
boveana and T. canariensis are also fairly common. Owing to the salinity,
only two submerged macrophytes occur, both forming dense beds. These are
Ruppia maritima in shallow water and Lamprothamium papulosum in water
of average depth. Amongst the fish species, Gambusia affinis is very abundant
in the Salada de Roces. It can reach Chiprana through a drainage channel.
Salada de Roces also contains the fish species Carassius auratus. Rana
perezi and Bufo calamita are the only species of amphibians present at
the site. They are absent in the larger lake, due to its hypersaline character.
The lizard Podarcis hispanica is the most abundant and widely distributed
of the reptile species occurring here. Waterbirds are the best represented
group of the fauna. Regularly nesting species include Tachybaptus ruficollis,
Anas platyrhynchos, Netta rufina, Gallinula chloropus, Rallus aquaticus,
Fulica atra, Larus ridibundus, Charadrius alexandrinus and Himantopus
himantopus. |
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Hydrological/
Physical notes
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Salada
de Chiprana has 31 ha of open water. The maximum depth is 5.6 metres.
Salada de Roces measures 2.8 ha and Prado del Farol 1.5 ha. The whole
site lies within a closed drainage basin. The hydrological regime of Chiprana
itself is changing, because nowadays there is an almost continuous inflow
of freshwater coming from the Salada de Roces (also called Salobrosa).
This small lake has almost completely lost its saline character through
artificial inflow from an irrigation ditch. Chiprana also intermittently
receives supplies of the area's surplus irrigation water through other
channels. |
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| Human
uses
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The
land within the site is privately owned. The water surfaces of the lakes
themselves are public property. Hunting of waterbirds is a significant
activity. The land surrounding the Laguna de Chiprana complex is mainly
used for cereal cultivation, both irrigated and non-irrigated. In the
immediate vicinity of the eastern shore there are some olive groves. The
halophytic vegetation on the shores of the lake is used for sheep grazing. |
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Conservation
Measures
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The
site has no other national or international conservation status. It is
a "Private Hunting Reserve", which means that hunting is subject to a
special regime. The absence of legal protection means there is no plan
for usage and management of the resources in the Laguna de Chiprana complex. |
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Adverse
Factors |
The
changing water regime adversely affects the site, and the halophytic vegatation
is being overgrazed. |
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| References |
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