Anas clypeata © Félix Fernández
BIRDS IN WETLAND HABITATS
BIRDS IN WETLAND HABITATS After years of working to conserve Spanish wetlands, the situation for most of the associated bird species has not improved and many are still seriously threatened.
T
he biogeographical and climatic variety of Spain makes it one of the most diverse and complex countries in Europe in terms of its aquatic environments.The variety of wetland types is enormous, from lakes of glacial origin and high mountain rivers, through the endorrheic lakes and large rivers of the mainland interior, to the seasonal watercourses of the Mediterranean and the Canary Island ravines, and salt marshes, deltas, estuaries, fens and beaches. There is no up-to-date national information available regarding the total wetland surface, but according to official figures and in terms of the original surface, in the early 1990s Spain had already lost 80% of its floodplains, 69% of its inland lakes and 59% of its coastal wetlands.Although there are some examples of restored natural wetlands, these are isolated cases and have not slowed down the rate of loss caused by urban development and 20th century drainage projects. However, historical human intervention has also created new artificial aquatic environments such as reservoirs, ponds, salt-pans, ricefields, gravel pits, etc., which eventually acquire some biological interest. These habitats play a key role in the conservation of many species of birds, whether in their periods of reproduction, overwintering or migration, and constitute, in many cases, the greatest areas of concentration of birds in the Peninsula. The main threats in these habitats arise from poor water management.The excessive drying out of wetlands or sudden changes in water levels are incompatible with the conservation of aquatic birds. Furthermore, there are currently several other problems which must be addressed, such as sewage or industrial discharges, pollution from agriculture, urban development around wetland margins, removal of the natural vegetation, etc.
44 BIRDS CONSERVATION STATUS IN SPAIN 2010
In Spain the censuses of overwintering waterbirds are conducted on about 3,000 wetlands.
