A study warns of the loss of these spring ecosystems due to climate change and pollution
The sources of the Mediterranean region are in danger. This is revealed by research from the Center for Ecological Research and Forestry Applications (CREAF), which has found that these natural infrastructures are drying up at an alarming rate. This fact has serious consequences for biodiversity, as the springs host a wide variety of species, such as some mosses, amphibians and crustaceans, which depend on these wet environments to survive.
According to the authors of the study, the main causes of the drying up of the springs are persistent heat waves and periods of drought, which are aggravated by climate change. In addition, intensive agriculture and animal husbandry, microplastics or drugs also contribute to the degradation of water quality. The research, which has been published in the journal Science of the Total Environment, also shows that 46.2% of 31 springs in Catalonia have dried up since 2013, when monitoring began.
A natural and cultural heritage at risk
“This gives us an idea of what may be happening in other places,” warns Marcos Fernández-Martínez, CREAF researcher, first author of the study and coordinator of the case study. The expert recalls that the Mediterranean climate is distinguished by being dry and with little rain and that, for this reason, “the springs are small wet oases that are usually scattered in the landscape and isolated from each other”. As he explains, this means that there are many endemic species – which are only found in one or a few sources -.
“The problem is that when they dry up, these communities disappear with them,” he says. The researcher assures that in Catalonia the disappearance of some fountain ecosystems has already been observed in Montseny, such as the Font de les Naiades, or in the Maresme, such as the Font del Ferro, among others. In addition, the study indicates that, apart from the wealth that springs inhabit, they are also climatic refuges where animals come to protect themselves from the heat, drink water or reproduce.
Conservation and restoration measures
The authors of the study call for urgent measures to conserve and restore the Mediterranean springs, as they are a natural and cultural heritage of great value. Among the actions they propose, there is the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, the improvement of water management, the protection of fountain habitats, the awareness of the population and the involvement of local agents. They also emphasize the importance of continuing to monitor and research these ecosystems to better understand their state and threats.