COUNTRY Spain

NAME Doñana National Park

IUCN MANAGEMENT CATEGORY
II (National Park)
UNESCO-MAB Biosphere Reserve
Ramsar site (Wetland of International Importance)
Natural World Heritage Site - Criteria ii, iii, iv

BIOGEOGRAPHICAL PROVINCE 2.17.06 (Mediterranean Sclerophyll)

GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION On the south coast of Spain, in the area delimited by the towns of Sevilla, Huelva and Cadiz; between the right bank of the Guadalquivir River and the Atlantic Ocean; the provinces of Huelva and Sevilla. Lies between 36°48'-37°08'N, and 6°16'-6°34'W. Central point 37°00N, 06°38'W.

DATE AND HISTORY OF ESTABLISHMENT Doñana received legal protection as a biological reserve in 1965, and 34,625ha were gazetted as a national park by Decree 2.412 in 1969. Decree 3.101 declared a zone of complete refuge in the park (1973). Law 91 of 28 December 1978 reclassified the park and increased its area. The site was accepted in 1982 as an internationally important wetland under the Ramsar Convention, and designated in 1988 as a zone for the special protection of birds by the EEC under Directive 79/409 (Gil, 1993). Internationally recognised as a Biosphere Reserve under UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere Programme in 1980 and inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1994.

AREA National Park and Ramsar site 50,720ha; peripheral buffer zone 26,540ha; total area of 77260ha inscribed as Biosphere Reserve)(Gil, 1993).

LAND TENURE State 27,937ha (55.08%), including 3,214ha owned by WWF but ceded to state; municipal 8,622ha (17.0%); private 9,124ha (18%), in phase of compulsory purchase by the state; private 43ha (0.08%), in phase of purchase; private 4,994ha (9.8%). The peripheral buffer zone is private property.

ALTITUDE Sea-level to 40m

PHYSICAL FEATURES Situated on quaternary deposits: mainly sand sheet and groups of shifting dunes, some of which move very rapidly. Vegetation cover has stabilized some dunes and there are lagoons and marshy areas in the dune slacks. The water table is fairly high. Almost half the reserve area comprises swamps on flat clay soil filled with muddy sediments (marismas) with features including: canals with slight elevations ("vetas" and "paciles") that have been carved by natural drainage; closed hollows "lucios" which hold stillwater; and "ojos" - points at which ground water reaches the surface. The clay sediments of the marshes are rich in calcium and magnesium and the marismas form a diverse mosaic of microhabitats: pools, banks, streams, reedbeds and mudflats. The marismas flood in winter creating ideal conditions for large flocks of migrating birds (Gil, 1993).

CLIMATE Mean annual temperature is 17°C and mean annual precipitation 600mm. The climate is Mediterranean with warm dry summers and cool wet winters. July and August are the hottest months. Rainfall is concentrated in the winter, peaking at around 90mm per month in December (Llamas, 1988).

VEGETATION Plant communities on the dunes have Atlantic - North African affinities and a notable degree of endemism. Rhamno-Juniperetum macrocarpas communities occur on the outer dunes with Rhamno-Juniperetum sophora on the dry, inland (established) dunes. Cold sand (Pseudoglei type) vegetation includes Oleo-Quercetum suberis (plantations of cork oak, olive trees and capers), Ficario-Fraxinetum angustifoliae and Viti-Salicetum atrocinerae. The heathland (matorral) vegetation varies with water availability. In the damp hollows Erica scoparia and E. ciliaris occur and on the drier ridges Rosmarinus officinalis, Lavandula stoechas and scattered trees such as Pinus pinea (introduced species), cork oak Quercus suber and Arbutus unedo (occidental Mediterranean communities). In the mobile dune system, there are species such as marram grass Ammophila arenaria, and camarina Corema album. The covering vegetation of the marsh depends on the conditions of the pools and the salt content of the soil (Moore et al., 1982). In the highest zones, species of seablite and glasswort Suaeda sp., Salicornia sp., Arthrocnemum sp., are found. The depressed zones of seasonal inundation are covered by sea club rush Scirpus maritimus, bulrush Schoenoplectus lacustris, rushes Juncus sp. and brackish water crowfoot Ranunculus baudotii. Freshwater lake communities are similar to classes Phragmitea, Littorelletea and Potametea of Atlantic-European type. Brackish water swamp have communities similar to Spartinetea, Artrocnemetea and Ruppietea of an arid North African type. Some 750 species of plants have been identified including two species new to science and at least 45 new to Europe. Four globally-threatened species (all national endemics) are present (Gil, 1993): Linaria tursica (V), Micropyropsis tuberosa (V), Gaudinia hispanica (V), and Vulpia fontquerana (E).

FAUNA Contains mostly Mediterranean fauna with a few elements from North Africa and northern Europe. Identified vertebrate species include 20 fishes (four of them introduced), ten amphibians, 19 reptiles, and 30 mammals. Aphanius iberus, spur-thighed tortoise Testudo graeca, Latastes viper Vipera lastasti gaditana, and spiny-footed lizard Acanthodactylus erythrurus are among the species present. Carp Cyprinus carpio and eels Anguilla anguilla are common. Mammals include wild boar Sus scrofa, fallow deer Dama dama, red deer Cervus elaphus, otter Lutra lutra, small-spotted genet Genetta genetta, red fox Vulpes vulpes, wild cat Felis silvestris, Egyptian mongoose Herpestes ichneumon and common rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus (Gil, 1993). The park contains a significant population of the threatened Spanish lynx Lynx pardinus (E), numbering approximately 40 individuals (Palomares et al., 1991).

Doñana has a very rich and diverse avifauna, with a total of 365 recorded species of resident and migratory birds. The marsh lies on the west Europe to west Africa migration route and is indispensable as a winter habitat for species such as the greylag goose Anser anser (flocks of up to 70,000), teal Anas crecca (200,000), wigeon Anas penelope (100,000) and avocet Recurvirostra avosetta (10,000). It is also a spring nesting area for Mediterranean and African birds including spoonbill Platalea leucorodia. The Marismas are used as a feeding area by almost 20,000 greater flamingo Phoenicopterus ruber (during periods of high rainfall, this species also nested in the area). Important breeding wetland species include 400 marbled teal Marmaronetta angustirostris (V), 70 white-headed duck Oxyura leucocephala (V) (which nest mainly in artificial ponds in surrounding areas), and purple gallinule Porphyrio porphyrio. Other species recorded include Adalbert's eagle Aquila adalberti (E) - the population numbers up to 15 breeding pairs, about one tenth of the world's population - cinereous (or black) vulture Aegypius monachus (V), ferruginous pochard Aythya nyroca, slender-billed gull Larus genei, stone-curlew Burhinus oedicnemus, squacco heron Ardeola ralloides, short-toed eagle Circaetus gallicus, booted eagle Hieraaetus pennatus, buzzard Buteo buteo, black Milvus migrans and red kites M. milvus (K), and hobby Falco subbuteo (Gil, 1993; Grimmett and Jones, 1989).

CULTURAL HERITAGE Doñana has a known history of over 700 years. It was the favorite hunting reserve of Spanish kings such as Philip IV, Philip V and Alfonso XIII. It was owned by the Duchess of Alba and formed the backdrop of her portrait by Goya. The palace of Doñana remains as a testimony to this exalted past.

LOCAL HUMAN POPULATION Regional agricultural interests present a constant problem, as do tourist developments in the vicinity of the park. Twenty-five families, mostly park staff, live inside the park.

VISITORS AND VISITOR FACILITIES Entrance is free, but visitors must be accompanied by a local guide. There is a well-developed system of professional guides, accompanied tours, visitor centres, observation points, bird hides and marked trails. Education materials include student and teachers' guides, displays, and specially trained teachers who are available to visiting school parties (Grunfeld, 1988). The visitor centres receive 250,000 visitors each year. Two excursions in four-wheel drive vehicles, with a maximum of 125 people per trip, are allowed each day.

SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AND FACILITIES Research is being carried out on certain endangered species, ecological interactions and population dynamics, contamination of water which drains into the park and studies on the regeneration of the park's water system. A complete list of references of researches that were carried out in Doñana, plus other including project proposals presented between 1988-1995, are available. The scientific research is coordinated by the director of the Doñana Biological Station, that is dependent on the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas.

CONSERVATION VALUE The site is one of the largest and best-known wetlands in Europe. It is particularly remarkable for the large breeding colonies of many bird species, and is the most important wetland for wintering ducks in Spain. It represents the last tract of relatively undisturbed marsh in the Guadalquivir delta, contains a large stretch of undeveloped coastline, and protects one of the few mobile dune systems found on the Iberian peninsula.

CONSERVATION MANAGEMENT The national park is zoned, as stated in the management plan (Royal Decree 1772/1991), in the following way: special use zones (buildings, park facilities, hamlets, etc.) 173ha, moderate use zones (visitors centres and traditional tracks) 382ha, restricted use zones (surroundings of visitors centres where theyare allowed to move around freely) 100ha, reserve zones (closed areas with access restricted to park managers and staff, researchers, private owners and their staff, and specially authorized people) 50,065ha. Protected under law from hunting, drainage, forestry plantation and excessive tourist exploitation. Management plans exist and are being implemented for the park as a whole (the most recent dated 1991), and for the Spanish lynx and Adalbert's eagle. The Water Management Plan was approved in 1994. Exotic plantations are gradually being converted to indigenous habitats (Gil, 1993).

MANAGEMENT CONSTRAINTS The seasonal wet and dry cycle is vulnerable to the failure of winter rains which severely affects the ecosystem. There was a severe drought cycle at the beginning of the 80s and at the beginning of the 1990s. Such dry periods are natural and have occurred many times during the last two centuries.

Agricultural activities have caused numerous problems, including poisoning due to uncontrolled use of pesticides - an estimated 30,000 birds died in and around the park in 1986 during an episode that was related to massive poisoning (Grunfeld, 1986); contamination by agricultural runoff; and perhaps most seriously, modification of the hydraulic regime of Doñana by drainage and irrigation schemes (Llamas, 1988; Hollis et al. 1988). The main problem facing the Marismas is the continue land reclamation and agricultural development north to the park borders. This has caused the diversion of some natural canals (caños) that once used to bring water to the Marismas of Doñana. In the long term, Doñana may be in danger of drying up unless steps are taken to replenish over-exploited aquifers (Luke, 1992). A project to build a canal which would restore, to some degree, the former hydrological system has been considered. River pollution, increased tourist development in the vicinity of the park, poaching, illegal fishing (particularly for crayfish), and over-grazing by domestic livestock are also management problems (Gil, 1993). Problems such as these led to the inclusion of the Doñana National Park in the Montreux Record of Ramsar sites requiring priority attention because of the potential for change in their ecological character (added in 1990), and in the same year the Conference of Parties to the Ramsar Convention passed a recommendation (C.4.9.1) suggesting actions that should be taken by the Spanish Government and regional authorities.

In the late 1980s/early 1990s the park was threatened by the proposed construction of a 32,000-bed holiday resort "Costa Doñana" on its borders, but the development was successfully contested and suspended by environmentalists (Egger, 1991). In April 1998 the park was threatened by pollution. Toxic mine waste from an impoundment reservoir 40 miles north of the park broke through the dam and entered the Guadiamar River. Emergency measures were taken to prevent the flow itself entering the park and this seems to have been successful, but there may still be problems resulting from the pollution of the surrounding farmland and the underground water. These effects have still to be assessed.

STAFF A total of 178 staff in 1995, managed by a Director (named Director-Conservador). Of these, 79 are permanent employees and the rest seasonal workers. Staff are currently deployed (1995) in five departments: conservation (11), works (42), public services (33), surveillance (77), and administration. In addition, there is an EU worker.

BUDGET The average annual budget for the period 1990-1995 was 1,400,000,000 pesetas (US$ 11,000,000).

LOCAL ADDRESSES

Central Administration: ICONA National Parks Department, Gran Via de San Francisco 428005 Madrid

Park Headquarters: Administrative Centre "El Acebuche", Route El Rocio-Matalascañas 21760 Matalascañas

Doñana Biological Station of C.S.I.C. (Council of Scientific Research), Avda. María Luisa, s/n. Pabellón de Perú, 41071 Sevilla

REFERENCES

Anon. (1993). Informe sobre el estado de la Reserva de la Biosfera de Doñana. Unpublished report to the Spanish Committee of the Man and the Biosphere Programme. 73 pp.

Egger, J-P. (1991). Can the law save Doñana? WWF Features, August 1991. 2pp.

Gil, D.H. (1993). Proposition d'inscription du Parc National de Doñana dans la liste du patrimoine mondial naturel.

Grimmett, R.F.A. and Jones, T.A. (1989). Important Bird Areas in Europe. ICBP, Cambridge, UK. 888 pp.

Groombridge, B. (Ed.) (1993). 1994 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland, and Cambridge, UK. liv + 268 pp.

Grunfeld, F.V. (1988). Wild Spain. Ebury Press, London. 222pp.

Hollis, T., Heurteaux, P., and Mercer, J. (1988). The implications of groundwater extraction for the long term future of Coto Doñana National Park. Unpublished WWF/IUCN/ADENA Mission Report.

Hollis, G.E. and Varley, A. (eds). (1992). Strategies for sustainable socio-economic development of the Doñana Region (English translation). Report produced by International Commission of Experts nominated by the President of Andalucia. 93 pp.

Llamas, M. Ramón. (1988). Conflicts between wetland conservation and groundwater exploitation: two case histories in Spain. Environ. Geol. Water Sci. Vol. 11, No. 3, 241-251.

Luke, A. (1992). Officials hold back report on endangered reserve. New Scientist, 11 January.

Mabberley, D.J. (1987). The plant-book. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 706 pp.

Moore, P., Garcia Novo, F. and Stevenson, A. (1982). Coto de Doñana. New Scientist, 11 November.

Mountfort, G. 1958. Portrait of a Wilderness. Hutchinson, London.

Mountfort, G. & Mountfort, C. (1969). Portrait of a wilderness. The story of the Coto Doñana expeditions. David & Charles. Newton Abbot, Devon.

Palomares, F., Rodriguez, A., Laffitte, R. and Delibes, M. (1991). The status and distribution of the Iberian Lynx Felis pardina (Temminck) in Coto Doñana Area, Spain. Biol. Conserv. 57, 159-169.

Rodriguez, F. (1990). Guía del Parque Nacional de Doñana. Rodilla, Madrid, 170pp.

Udvardy, M.D.F. (1975). A classification of the biogeographical provinces of the world. IUCN Occasional Paper No. 18, Morges, Switzerland. 48 pp.

DATE 1982, revised July 1986, April 1994, July 1994, July 1995, April 1998