Evolution of soil and vegetation in semiarid Mediterranean salt marshes in relation to human activities: the role of soils in nutrient, metal and pesticide retention.

Project
National
Public Funding
Funding

MINISTERIO DE CIENCIA Y TECNOLOGÍA OF SPAIN

Duration

2002-2004

Project Manager
Dr. José Álvarez Rogel
Staff
Dr. José Álvarez Rogel
Dr. Antonio Luis Alarcón Vera
Dr. Francisco José Jiménez Cárceles
Dr. María José Delgado Iniesta
Consuelo Egea Nicolás
Partnership Entities

Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena/Universidad de Murcia/Consejería de Medio Ambiente de la Comunidad Autónoma de Murcia

General Objectives

To identify the evolution of soils (salinity, water regime and nutrients) and vegetation (cover and species diversity) in the last 10 years, and to relate these changes with human activities (agriculture practices and others) in nearby areas.

To identify the role of the soils in nutrients, metals and pesticides retention (natural filter effect).

Summary

The project focus on the evolution of soil and vegetation in two mediterranean salt marshes of SE of Spain. In previous studies (1991-1993) we identified plant zonation and edaphic gradients in these salt marhes. Now, the objectives are as follow: 1.- to identify the evolution of soils (salinity, water regime and nutrients) and vegetation (cover and species diversity) in the last 10 years, and to relate these changes with human activities (agriculture practices and others) in nearby areas. 2.- to identify the actual role of the soils in nutrients, metals and pesticides retention (natural filter effect).

The results obtained will help to use the halophyte plants as bioindicators of changes in soil characteristics due to natural (v.g. climate change) or anthropic (v.g. waste water pollution) causes. Finally, the information obtained will be use to revalue ecological functions of explain the ecosystems at several social levels.

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Project Results

Papers

Jiménez-Cárceles, F.J.; C. Egea; A. B. Rodríguez-Caparrós; O. Barbosa; M.J. Delgado; R. Ortiz; J. Álvarez-Rogel. 2006. Contents of nitrogen, ammonium, phosphorus, pesticides and heavy metals in a salt marsh in the coast of the Mar Menor lagoon (SE Spain) Fresenius Environmental Bulletin 15 ( 5), 370-378.

Álvarez Rogel, Jiménez Cárceles and Egea Nicolás. 2006.  Phosphorous and nitrogen content in the water of a coastal wetland in the Mar Menor lagoon (SE Spain): relationships with effluents from urban and agricultural areas Water, Air and Soil Pollution  173:21-38.

Álvarez-Rogel, J.; Jiménez-Cárceles, F.J.; Roca, M.J. and Ortiz, R.  2007. Changes in soils and vegetation in a Mediterranean coastal salt marsh impacted by human activities Estuarine Coastal and Shelf Science.

Álvarez-Rogel, J.; Jiménez-Cárceles, F.J. and Egea, C. 2007.  Phosphorous retention in a coastal salt marsh in SE Spain. Science of the Total Environment 378; 71-74.

Jiménez-Cárceles, F.J.; Álvarez-Rogel, J.; Conesa-Alcaraz, H.  2008. Trace element concentrations in salt marsh soils strongly affected by wastes from metal sulphide mining areas Water, Air and Soil Pollution 188:283-295.

Jiménez-Cárceles, F.J. and  Álvarez-Rogel, J. 2008. Phosphorus fractionation and distribution in salt marsh soils affected by mine wastes and eutrophicated water: a case study in SE Spain Geoderma 144: 299-309.

González-Alcaraz, M.N., Egea, C., María-Cervantes, A., Jiménez-Cárceles, F.J., Álvarez-Rogel, J. 2011. Effects of eutrophic water flooding on nitrate concentrations in mine wastes. Ecological Engineering, 37: 693-702.

PhD Thesis

Papel de los suelos de los humedales del entorno del Mar Menor en la reducción de impactos ambientales causados por aguas eutrofizadas y residuos mineros: el caso de la Marina del Carmolí. Student: Francisco J Jiménez Cárceles. ETSIA-Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena. 2006.