Ebook: Ecology of Threatened Semi-Arid Wetlands: Long-Term Research in Las Tablas de Daimiel

Playing a critical role in both influencing climate change and mitigating its impacts, the world’s diverse wetlands have become one of the world’s most threatened ecosystems as unsustainable land-use practices coupled with irrational use of water have already resulted in large-scale wetlands loss and degradation. To develop sound management and conservation schemes to assure wetlands sustainability in the long term requires long-term understanding of wetlands ecology. Yet until now, long-term interdisciplinary research into these systems has been limited to only a few systems from tropical or temperate climates (such as the Florida Everglades, and Czech biosphere reserve). This new book adds to the existing wetlands literature, providing a unique reference in basic and applied Mediterranean wetland ecology, based on results from long-term interdisciplinary research at the RAMSAR and UNESCO Biosphere site, of Las Tablas de Daimiel, Spain. Dating back to the early 1990s the research highlights changes in the biotic and abiotic environment in response to cumulative anthropogenic stressors, and provide guidance on applying this understand to sound management and conservation. With particular relevance to researchers dealing with semi-arid wetlands in the Mediterranean and elsewhere, as well as to resource managers, the book discusses the complexity of the interacting abiotic and biotic environment across different spatial and temporal scales and across various levels of biological hierarchy is highlighted, and reveals how management based on poor knowledge causes more damage than repair. The book will be of interest to researchers interested in freshwater ecology, hydrobotany, hydrology, geology, biogeochemistry, landscape ecology and environmental management.

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Playing a critical role in both influencing climate change and mitigating its impacts, the world’s diverse wetlands have become one of the world’s most threatened ecosystems as unsustainable land-use practices coupled with irrational use of water have already resulted in large-scale wetlands loss and degradation. To develop sound management and conservation schemes to assure wetlands sustainability in the long term requires long-term understanding of wetlands ecology. Yet until now, long-term interdisciplinary research into these systems has been limited to only a few systems from tropical or temperate climates (such as the Florida Everglades, and Czech biosphere reserve). This new book adds to the existing wetlands literature, providing a unique reference in basic and applied Mediterranean wetland ecology, based on results from long-term interdisciplinary research at the RAMSAR and UNESCO Biosphere site, of Las Tablas de Daimiel, Spain. Dating back to the early 1990s the research highlights changes in the biotic and abiotic environment in response to cumulative anthropogenic stressors, and provide guidance on applying this understand to sound management and conservation. With particular relevance to researchers dealing with semi-arid wetlands in the Mediterranean and elsewhere, as well as to resource managers, the book discusses the complexity of the interacting abiotic and biotic environment across different spatial and temporal scales and across various levels of biological hierarchy is highlighted, and reveals how management based on poor knowledge causes more damage than repair. The book will be of interest to researchers interested in freshwater ecology, hydrobotany, hydrology, geology, biogeochemistry, landscape ecology and environmental management.

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Playing a critical role in both influencing climate change and mitigating its impacts, the world’s diverse wetlands have become one of the world’s most threatened ecosystems as unsustainable land-use practices coupled with irrational use of water have already resulted in large-scale wetlands loss and degradation. To develop sound management and conservation schemes to assure wetlands sustainability in the long term requires long-term understanding of wetlands ecology. Yet until now, long-term interdisciplinary research into these systems has been limited to only a few systems from tropical or temperate climates (such as the Florida Everglades, and Czech biosphere reserve). This new book adds to the existing wetlands literature, providing a unique reference in basic and applied Mediterranean wetland ecology, based on results from long-term interdisciplinary research at the RAMSAR and UNESCO Biosphere site, of Las Tablas de Daimiel, Spain. Dating back to the early 1990s the research highlights changes in the biotic and abiotic environment in response to cumulative anthropogenic stressors, and provide guidance on applying this understand to sound management and conservation. With particular relevance to researchers dealing with semi-arid wetlands in the Mediterranean and elsewhere, as well as to resource managers, the book discusses the complexity of the interacting abiotic and biotic environment across different spatial and temporal scales and across various levels of biological hierarchy is highlighted, and reveals how management based on poor knowledge causes more damage than repair. The book will be of interest to researchers interested in freshwater ecology, hydrobotany, hydrology, geology, biogeochemistry, landscape ecology and environmental management.
Content:
Front Matter....Pages i-xvi
Front Matter....Pages 1-1
The Wetland, Its Catchment Settings and Socioeconomic Relevance: An Overview....Pages 3-20
Front Matter....Pages 21-21
Paleoenvironmental Reconstruction of Las Tablas de Daimiel and Its Evolution During the Quaternary Period....Pages 23-43
Climate and Hydrologic Trends: Climate Change Versus Hydrologic Overexploitation as Determinants of the Fluctuating Wetland Hydrology....Pages 45-83
The Effects of Anthropogenic Stressors on Wetland Loss and Habitat Quality Deterioration in the Upper Guadiana River Basin: A Long-Term Assessment (1970–2000)....Pages 85-107
A Story of the Wetland Water Quality Deterioration: Salinization, Pollution, Eutrophication and Siltation....Pages 109-133
Front Matter....Pages 135-135
Plankton Ecology and Diversity....Pages 137-173
Macrophyte Ecology and Its Long-term Dynamics....Pages 175-195
Fish and Avian Communities: A Testimony of Wetland Degradation....Pages 197-212
Front Matter....Pages 213-213
Biomanipulation: A Useful Tool for Wetland Rehabilitation....Pages 215-228
Analysis of Applied Environmental Management Strategies for Wetland Conservation During the Last 30 Years: A Local History....Pages 229-237
Front Matter....Pages 239-239
The Man and Las Tablas de Daimiel....Pages 241-254
Front Matter....Pages 255-255
Synthesis: The Past, Present and Future of Las Tablas de Daimiel....Pages 257-277
Back Matter....Pages 279-292

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Playing a critical role in both influencing climate change and mitigating its impacts, the world’s diverse wetlands have become one of the world’s most threatened ecosystems as unsustainable land-use practices coupled with irrational use of water have already resulted in large-scale wetlands loss and degradation. To develop sound management and conservation schemes to assure wetlands sustainability in the long term requires long-term understanding of wetlands ecology. Yet until now, long-term interdisciplinary research into these systems has been limited to only a few systems from tropical or temperate climates (such as the Florida Everglades, and Czech biosphere reserve). This new book adds to the existing wetlands literature, providing a unique reference in basic and applied Mediterranean wetland ecology, based on results from long-term interdisciplinary research at the RAMSAR and UNESCO Biosphere site, of Las Tablas de Daimiel, Spain. Dating back to the early 1990s the research highlights changes in the biotic and abiotic environment in response to cumulative anthropogenic stressors, and provide guidance on applying this understand to sound management and conservation. With particular relevance to researchers dealing with semi-arid wetlands in the Mediterranean and elsewhere, as well as to resource managers, the book discusses the complexity of the interacting abiotic and biotic environment across different spatial and temporal scales and across various levels of biological hierarchy is highlighted, and reveals how management based on poor knowledge causes more damage than repair. The book will be of interest to researchers interested in freshwater ecology, hydrobotany, hydrology, geology, biogeochemistry, landscape ecology and environmental management.
Content:
Front Matter....Pages i-xvi
Front Matter....Pages 1-1
The Wetland, Its Catchment Settings and Socioeconomic Relevance: An Overview....Pages 3-20
Front Matter....Pages 21-21
Paleoenvironmental Reconstruction of Las Tablas de Daimiel and Its Evolution During the Quaternary Period....Pages 23-43
Climate and Hydrologic Trends: Climate Change Versus Hydrologic Overexploitation as Determinants of the Fluctuating Wetland Hydrology....Pages 45-83
The Effects of Anthropogenic Stressors on Wetland Loss and Habitat Quality Deterioration in the Upper Guadiana River Basin: A Long-Term Assessment (1970–2000)....Pages 85-107
A Story of the Wetland Water Quality Deterioration: Salinization, Pollution, Eutrophication and Siltation....Pages 109-133
Front Matter....Pages 135-135
Plankton Ecology and Diversity....Pages 137-173
Macrophyte Ecology and Its Long-term Dynamics....Pages 175-195
Fish and Avian Communities: A Testimony of Wetland Degradation....Pages 197-212
Front Matter....Pages 213-213
Biomanipulation: A Useful Tool for Wetland Rehabilitation....Pages 215-228
Analysis of Applied Environmental Management Strategies for Wetland Conservation During the Last 30 Years: A Local History....Pages 229-237
Front Matter....Pages 239-239
The Man and Las Tablas de Daimiel....Pages 241-254
Front Matter....Pages 255-255
Synthesis: The Past, Present and Future of Las Tablas de Daimiel....Pages 257-277
Back Matter....Pages 279-292
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