Monitoring of waterbird habitats in saline wetlands of South-Eastern Spain : Guidelines for their management

Robledano, Francisco (1997) Monitoring of waterbird habitats in saline wetlands of South-Eastern Spain : Guidelines for their management. MAGYAR VÍZIVAD KÖZLEMÉNYEK, 3. pp. 53-60. ISSN 1416-1389 (nyomtatott); 1419-6107 (elektronikus)

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Abstract

During a study made in 1987-88 on waterbird use of saline wetlands of SE Spain, it became evident that under current management regimes, much wetland surface and resources were unusable for a large number of species While tt seemed worth preserving large tracts of particular wetland habitats, for those favouring deep or highly hypersaline waters (e g Blacknecked Grebe, Shelduck, Red-breasted Merganser. Avocet, Flamingo), it also looked essential to maintain particular structural and functional features, favoured by other bird groups -namely waders, and to reproduce these in managed sites Recently, the environmental office of Murcia Region (Consejena de Medio Ambiente) has started a more detailed ornithological monitoring programme of particular habitats, most of them belonging to protected areas, and some managed directly by it, focusing on both waterbird use and features tied to management opportunities. Many different situations are found, ranging from almost natural functioning of wetlands, to conservation or industrially-oriented artificial management Among the latter, of special importance are the salinas, submitted to different levels of human use. In the active industrial ones, bird use can be prevented by too nigh water levels and loss of structural quality. Traditional salinas prone to abandonment, and small unused surfaces inside industrial ones, provide a experimental field for habitat management solutions. All the experience gained during natural and man-made active wetlands' monitoring, can be incorporated in restoration projects of actually abandoned and derelict sahnas and other degraded wetlands. The mam preliminary results of this monitoring programme are presented and discussed, as a contribution to the adjustment of current management to these findings. Particular attention is paid to the complementary or alternative role that newly created or restored wetlands can play under unfavourable conditions in natural or industrially managed ones.

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