Wetland place names as indicators of manifestations of recent climate change in SW Spain (Doñana Natural Park)

Abstract

Recent studies have shown the value of place names as environmental indicators. Until now they have not been applied to the effects of climate change, because verifying such relationship by this approach requires a multidisciplinary analysis and a study area where the anthropic impact has been recent. This study aims to test the possibility in a study area little altered by man until the second half of the twentieth century (Doñana Natural Park, SW Spain), and with a heritage very rich in wetlands. The results show that the desiccation of these wetlands is reflected in the local toponymy, and that in turn this regression is related with the end of the Little Ice Age and with the beginning of warming in southern Europe during the twentieth century. The coincidence of these results with data published for Arctic latitudes reveals-in our opinion-the possibility that certain place names can be used as indicators of recent climate changes, at least in some ecosystems.

Does Ecophysiology Determine Invasion Success? A Comparison between the Invasive Boatman Trichocorixa verticalis verticalis and the Native Sigara lateralis (Hemiptera, Corixidae) in South-West Spain

“…This ability may enhance the competitive advantage of T. v. verticalis over other corixids in the face of global change. During the twentieth century, the wetlands in southern Spain and the rest of the Mediterranean region have become increasingly prone to development and extraction of fresh water [19], [20] and these factors, together with projected climate-induced changes in hydrology, increase salt concentrations in remaining waterbodies [21].…”

Effect of Protection Level in the Hydroperiod of Water Bodies on Doñana’s Aeolian Sands

“…The system of ponds on Doñana's aeolian sands is a good example of Mediterranean temporary ponds. They have been declining with climate change by an increased aridification since the "Little Ice Age" [10][11][12]53,54] but have also been suffering an increased anthropogenic pressure [1,55]. It has been documented how groundwater abstraction for agriculture [13] or for tourism resorts has negatively influenced or dessicated certain ponds in the system [34].…”

“…It is considered a single aquifer from the perspective of groundwater dynamic although it has been recently divided in 5 sections from a water management point of view [7]. The Doñana's system of Mediterranean temporary ponds on the aeolian sands has received substantial attention from the perspective of its hydrology [8,9], geomorphology [10][11][12], relation to groundwater [4,13,14], water chemistry [15,16], biodiversity [17][18][19][20] but most studies have been conducted in a few ponds and only for a few years.…”

Tracking the ancestral Portuguese name of the osprey across the Atlantic: hints from language, literature, history and geography

“…Similar approaches have been applied in studies on past land uses (Conedera et al, 2007), vegetation cover and landscape changes (Sousa & García-Murillo, 2001;Guanghui et al, 2015), and climate change (Sousa et al, 2010).…”