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A quantitative hydrogeomorphic approach to the classification of temporary wetlands in the Doñana National Park (SW Spain)

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Abstract

A quantitative hydrogeomorphic approach was applied to an extensive survey of temporary wetlands in the Doñana National Park (SW Spain) in search for quantitative thresholds for wetland classification. Twenty freshwater ponds on the aeolian sand mantle and 46 sites on silty-clay substrate, located in the southern marshland, were surveyed during the heaviest rainy period so far recorded (October 1995–September 1997). On average, temporary ponds showed higher water depth, longer flooding period, lower conductivity (<0.5 mS cm−1), lower pH (6.7), lower phosphate concentration (0.4 μM) and a more balanced proportion of Ca2+/Na+ than temporary marshes. During floods, marshland sites exhibited higher water transparency, pH (9.5), alkalinity (3.5 meq l−1), conductivity (8.2 mS cm−1), phosphate concentration (0.7 μM), Na+ and Ca2+ concentrations (97.2 and 3.5 meq l−1, respectively) than ponds. Study sites were significantly segregated (ANOSIM test: R = 0.88, P < 0.01, n = 92) in relation to water depth and conductivity. A conductivity of 1.6 mS cm−1 is proposed as a threshold between marshland sites and ponds during floods. Marshland sites were further segregated into two groups (ANOSIM test: R = 0.777, P < 0.01, n = 23) according to the Na+/Ca2+ ratio (in meq l−1) at a threshold value of 25. An ordination by PCA showed that five variables grouped 81.4% of the total variance in two axes. The first PCA axis (60.7% of variance) separated temporary wetlands into ponds and marshland sites according to variables related to substrate and hydrology (Na+/Ca2+ ratio, conductivity, water depth and flooding period). Other variables (e.g., water transparency, alkalinity, pH, submersed macrophyte biomass, phosphate, nitrate and planktonic chlorophyll concentrations) did not produce a significant segregation between marshland and pond sites during floods. Further discrimination within each wetland type was thus not achieved.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to L. Clemente for his support while preparing the manuscript and to C. Urdiales for supplying flooding records in the marshland. We also thank Khalid Fahd and Jose Luis Moreiras for their help in laboratory and field work. Financial support came from the Spanish Ministry of the Environment (MMA, project 05/99), CICYT (AMB95-1054) and the Junta de Andalucía (research groups #4086 and 4033).

Author information

Author notes

  1. José L. Espinar

    Present address: Southeast Environmental Research Center, Florida International University, 11200 SW, 8th Street, OE-218, Miami, FL, 33199, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Geoecología, Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiología de Sevilla (CSIC), P.O. Box 1052, 41080, Sevilla, Spain

    José L. Espinar

  2. Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, University of Sevilla, P.O. Box 1095, 41080, Seville, Spain

    Laura Serrano

Authors
  1. José L. Espinar
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  2. Laura Serrano
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Laura Serrano.

Appendices

Appendix 1

Marshland site

Date

aDepth

bEC

cAlka.

dCa2+

eNa+

pH

fi-P

gNO3−

hNH4+

iS.disc

jChl

kBiomass

1

20/04/96

0.55

35.9

    

1.9

 

357.1

100

 

339.6

2

20/04/96

0.12

7.5

    

0.9

 

30.6

100

 

100.6

3

20/04/96

0.09

11.9

      

114.9

100

 

133.7

4

20/04/96

0.12

11.9

    

0.9

 

25.2

42

 

58.9

5

20/04/96

0.18

2.6

      

39.9

100

 

183.3

6

3/05/96

0.43

31.2

    

0.4

 

146.2

100

 

304.7

7

3/05/96

0.29

11.2

    

0.2

 

58.9

100

 

146.5

8

1/04/96

0.23

18.4

    

0.6

 

42.6

100

 

350.5

9

1/04/96

0.20

2.1

    

0.4

 

35.4

100

 

161.0

10

27/04/96

0.39

2.2

    

0.4

 

27.6

49

 

58.1

11

27/04/96

0.35

2.4

    

3.2

 

11.4

29

 

118.1

12

1/04/96

0.35

2.4

    

1.2

 

23.4

34

 

39.1

13

27/04/96

0.39

30.0

    

2.6

 

43.9

57

 

83.5

14

30/04/96

0.25

3.5

    

3.8

 

40.8

24

 

51.1

15

30/04/96

0.13

3.2

    

1.9

 

58.9

30

 

94.8

16

6/03/96

0.20

23.4

       

100

  

17

6/03/96

0.28

24.1

       

100

 

3.7

18

6/03/96

0.20

17.0

       

100

 

213.6

19

30/04/97

0.50

5.8

1.6

4.1

136.2

10.5

0.7

21.0

10.9

100

106.5

10.5

20

30/04/97

0.16

5.1

1.7

2.1

97.1

11.0

0.5

19.0

16.2

100

147.1

58.9

21

30/04/97

0.06

5.2

2.1

2.3

107.0

10.5

0.6

23.3

39.1

100

3.8

27.1

22

30/04/97

0.04

27.4

2.6

15.8

546.4

11.0

0.7

10.0

 

100

1.4

51.4

23

30/04/97

0.08

3.7

2.2

1.6

84.0

11.0

0.4

12.0

28.5

100

2.4

 

24

30/04/97

0.06

4.5

3.3

3.2

87.3

12.0

0.1

12.9

36.0

100

3.5

56.2

25

30/04/97

0.10

7.0

1.6

4.4

131.5

10.5

0.2

7.3

47.0

100

2.4

87.5

26

30/04/97

0.15

4.4

2.5

1.8

96.7

10.5

0.1

 

27.2

100

2.8

66.3

27

30/04/97

0.10

4.9

2.2

2.5

106.1

11.0

0.1

8.5

62.4

100

5.4

82.1

28

30/04/97

0.18

4.0

4.0

2.6

76.5

8.2

0.1

10.7

34.2

100

2.0

43.6

29

16/05/97

0.27

4.2

4.2

3.5

93.6

9.0

0.6

13.0

 

100

14.0

119.2

30

16/05/97

0.28

4.7

2.0

2.0

101.2

11.0

0.2

13.5

 

100

 

174.1

31

16/05/97

0.24

5.5

1.9

2.3

118.6

11.0

0.2

15.6

 

100

2.1

231.6

32

16/05/97

0.12

2.4

4.0

2.9

40.9

 

0.3

18.4

 

50

8.8

40.6

33

16/05/97

0.25

2.5

2.4

1.7

46.4

8.0

0.2

18.8

 

100

10.4

50.1

34

16/05/97

0.06

2.5

4.6

3.4

37.3

9.5

0.1

16.2

 

100

8.1

53.4

35

16/05/97

0.25

5.0

2.7

3.3

98.2

9.0

0.0

11.0

 

100

2.5

38.1

36

30/04/97

0.24

2.8

5.4

4.2

46.0

7.5

1.5

31.2

 

100

66.7

42.6

37

15/05/97

0.28

2.3

4.9

3.3

34.5

7.5

0.4

21.2

 

100

14.6

9.9

38

15/05/97

0.15

2.3

4.3

3.0

34.5

8.5

0.3

22.3

 

100

16.4

80.4

39

15/05/97

0.38

2.2

4.4

2.8

32.7

8.5

0.7

20.2

 

47

9.3

284.0

40

15/05/97

0.29

3.0

5.2

4.0

59.1

8.0

1.0

26.6

 

100

15.1

86.3

41

16/05/97

0.24

4.5

2.4

2.0

114.8

10.0

0.0

8.1

 

100

2.2

171.0

42

16/05/97

0.29

4.8

4.2

2.8

106.5

9.0

0.5

20.6

 

70

1.1

145.4

43

15/05/97

0.16

3.6

3.6

3.2

74.4

 

0.0

22.1

60.6

100

28.8

131.9

44

15/05/97

0.25

3.1

5.8

3.6

50.0

8.5

1.6

26.9

72.4

60

73.5

153.6

45

15/05/97

0.22

4.1

6.1

3.9

84.5

8.5

1.2

23.7

54.0

52

52.6

72.4

46

15/05/97

0.31

4.1

5.7

4.3

80.5

8.5

0.1

23.4

71.2

30

48.3

45.9

  1. aDepth: water depth at sampling date (m); b EC: electrical conductivity at 25°C (mS·cm−1); c Alka: total alkalinity (meq l−1); d Ca2+: calcium concentration (meq l−1);e Na+: sodium concentration (meq l−1); f i-P: inorganic phosphate concentration (μM); g NO3−: nitrate concentration (μM); h NH4+: ammonium concentration (μM); i S. disk: percentage of Secchi-disc depth in the water column (%); j Chl: planktonic chlorophyll a concentration (μg l−1); k Biomass: submerged macrophyte biomass (g m−2)

Appendix 2

Pond site

Date

aDepth

bEC

cAlka

dCa2+

eNa+

pH

fi-P

gNO3−

hNH4+

iS.disc

jChl

kBiomass

RAS

20/03/96

0.30

0.3

0.6

   

0.1

6.7

128.0

25

2.3

 

JAB

20/03/96

0.36

 

0.5

   

0.4

107.0

94.0

 

2.7

 

INF

20/03/96

0.30

0.5

1.1

   

0.1

21.5

93.0

62

1.1

 

AMA

20/03/96

0.61

0.2

0.5

  

5.7

0.2

23.8

155.0

26

1.7

 

NAV

20/03/96

1.02

0.3

0.7

   

0.3

58.1

37.0

20

4.3

 

APA

20/03/96

0.48

0.5

0.1

   

0.2

30.7

94.0

44

8.4

 

MOR

20/03/96

0.70

0.3

0.6

   

0.6

47.3

185.0

23

2.2

 

MAR

20/03/96

0.90

0.3

0.3

  

5.7

0.2

43.6

65.0

47

73.2

 

PER

20/03/96

0.11

0.8

2.2

   

0.1

20.1

46.0

100

8.8

 

CTO

28/03/96

0.60

0.3

0.5

  

5.9

0.4

107.0

94.0

100

2.7

 

ZAH

28/03/96

1.10

0.5

1.0

  

6.3

0.1

1.9

106.0

27

0.5

 

TAR

28/03/96

1.40

0.4

1.1

  

6.2

0.2

21.7

98.0

14

0.4

 

LVE

28/03/96

1.16

0.4

1.3

  

5.5

0.1

22.9

84.0

15

3.3

 

DUL

20/03/96

1.70

0.7

1.3

  

6.5

0.1

31.1

153.0

29

1.9

 

SOL

20/03/96

2.98

1.1

2.1

   

0.3

17.5

170.0

25

3.3

 

INF

15/04/96

0.44

0.6

0.9

   

0.0

13.0

56.0

77

6.0

46.8

DUL

15/04/96

0.70

0.6

1.6

   

1.0

35.8

47.0

71

2.4

41.0

AMA

15/04/96

0.46

0.3

1.0

   

0.2

41.8

82.0

41

3.1

24.8

APA

15/04/96

0.42

0.5

0.3

   

0.1

56.7

102.0

48

52.2

40.0

INF

20/05/96

0.50

0.4

0.8

   

0.0

14.8

23.0

82

59.0

29.4

DUL

20/05/96

0.83

0.4

1.3

   

0.1

72.9

21.0

49

14.7

73.2

AMA

20/05/96

0.77

0.2

0.6

   

0.1

 

21.0

44

13.5

17.8

APA

20/05/96

0.56

0.3

0.3

   

0.3

35.8

23.0

49

2.5

77.0

INF

17/06/96

0.27

0.7

1.3

   

0.1

25.9

 

74

185.0

15.3

DUL

17/06/96

0.68

0.6

2.2

   

0.1

10.2

24.0

62

27.8

61.2

AMA

17/06/96

0.48

0.3

0.9

   

0.1

17.6

15.0

38

68.5

33.1

APA

17/06/96

0.48

0.3

0.2

   

0.1

34.5

11.0

45

9.0

32.5

DUL

23/07/96

0.34

0.9

3.4

   

0.1

 

25.0

65

49.5

 

AMA

23/07/96

0.10

0.6

2.1

   

0.2

 

42.0

57

447.1

 

APA

23/07/96

0.22

0.2

0.5

   

0.0

4.3

18.0

51

  

AMA

27/05/97

0.70

0.3

0.4

0.8

2.1

6.6

0.5

51.4

0.0

42

7.8

 

APA

27/05/97

0.38

0.2

0.2

0.4

1.5

6.2

0.4

20.5

0.0

38

15.4

 

BRE

14/02/97

0.84

0.3

0.3

0.5

2.7

5.3

0.6

3.1

5.4

35

55.4

 

CAM

14/02/97

0.25

0.3

0.8

0.03

0.08

7.3

 

0.0

82.2

100

18.4

 

CAÑ

15/02/97

0.25

0.3

0.8

  

6.3

 

0.3

87.3

75

1.5

 

CTO

27/05/97

0.89

0.7

2.5

1.5

5.3

7.3

0.3

3.7

58.8

52

0.6

 

DUL

27/05/97

1.34

0.6

1.7

1.2

4.0

7.6

1.8

10.1

31.9

31

69.7

 

JAB

27/05/97

0.10

0.3

1.0

0.7

2.6

6.7

0.9

10.7

33.6

10

22.4

 

MAR

27/05/97

0.67

0.3

0.4

0.6

2.2

6.3

0.7

1.7

50.4

29

3.5

 

MOR

27/05/97

0.60

0.3

0.3

0.6

1.9

6.8

0.6

14.1

43.6

23

18.3

 

NAV

27/05/97

1.03

0.4

2.3

0.7

2.5

7.1

1.2

0.0

42

20

13.1

 

PER

14/02/97

0.25

0.6

2.3

0.08

0.2

8.0

 

0.0

63.6

100

1.6

 

RN1

15/02/97

0.20

0.1

0.5

0.01

0.02

6.4

 

9.1

73.3

100

0.6

 

RN2

27/05/97

0.40

0.4

0.5

0.4

2.1

6.8

0.7

15.4

82.3

100

13.1

 

SOL

27/05/97

2.28

0.7

3.2

2.4

4.4

8.3

0.7

0.0

36.9

25

28.5

 

TAR

27/05/97

0.87

0.8

1.0

1.7

5.7

7.4

1.3

0.0

50.4

16

15.4

 

ZAH

27/05/97

0.70

0.7

1.6

1.2

7.1

7.3

2.1

15.4

48.7

19

4.3

 

LVE

27/05/97

0.91

0.6

 

0.5

5.2

7.3

0.2

 

57.1

15

42.6

 

RAS

27/05/97

 

0.4

0.4

  

6.5

0.5

 

36.9

25

11.2

 
  1. a Depth: water depth at sampling date (m); b EC: electrical conductivity at 25°C (mS cm−1); c Alka: total alkalinity (meq l−1); d Ca2+: calcium concentration (meq l−1); e Na+: sodium concentration (meq l−1); f i-P: inorganic phosphate concentration (μM); g NO3−: nitrate concentration (μM); h NH4+: ammonium concentration (μM); i S. disc: percentage of Secchi-disc depth in the water column (%); j Chl: planktonic chlorophyll a concentration (μg l−1); k Biomass: submerged macrophyte biomass (g m−2)

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Espinar, J.L., Serrano, L. A quantitative hydrogeomorphic approach to the classification of temporary wetlands in the Doñana National Park (SW Spain). Aquat Ecol 43, 323–334 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10452-007-9162-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10452-007-9162-7

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