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Research in Macaronesia has led to substantial advances in ecology, evolution and conservation biology. We review the scientific developments achieved in this region, and outline promising research avenues enhancing conservation. Some of these discoveries indicate that the Macaronesian flora and fauna are composed of rather young lineages, not Tertiary relicts, predominantly of European origin. Macaronesia also seems to be an important source region for back-colonisation of continental fringe regions on both sides of the Atlantic. This group of archipelagos (Azores, Madeira, Selvagens, Canary Islands, and Cabo Verde) has been crucial to learn about the particularities of macroecological patterns and interaction networks on islands, providing evidence for the development of the General Dynamic Model of oceanic island biogeography and subsequent updates. However, in addition to exceptionally high richness of endemic species, Macaronesia is also home to a growing number of threatened species, along with invasive alien plants and animals. Several innovative conservation and management actions are in place to protect its biodiversity from these and other drivers of global change. The Macaronesian Islands are a well-suited field of study for island ecology and evolution research, mostly due to its special geological layout with 40 islands grouped within five archipelagos differing in geological age, climate and isolation. A large amount of data is now available for several groups of organisms on and around many of these islands. However, continued efforts should be made toward compiling new information on their biodiversity, to pursue various fruitful research avenues and develop appropriate conservation management tools. The Island Biology Interest Group (IBIG, http://www.ibigbiology.com) is grateful to the organisers of the 2016 Island Biology Conference held in the Azores for promoting the symposium that led to this manuscript. We thank Joaquin Hortal for useful comments on an early version of the manuscript, and also Guido Jones for his language editing funded by the Cabildo de Tenerife, under the TFinnova Programme supported by MEDI and FDCAN funds. We are grateful to Salvador de la Cruz and Elena Morales for extracting updated information from the Biodiversity Data Bank of the Canary Islands. We also thank Ricardo Ramalho (Cardiff University) for fruitful discussions on the geological age of the Cabo Verde islands. This manuscript is a contribution by the INCT in Ecology, Evolution and Biodiversity Conservation funded by MCTIC/CNPq/FAPEG (grant 465610/2014-5).

23 páginas.-- 10 figuras.-- 4 tablas.-- 53 referencias.-- Se puede descargar en https://www.mapama.gob.es/en/red-parques-nacionales/programa-investigacion/3-sistemalagunas38-60_tcm38-66005.pdf, [ES]: El sistema de lagunas temporales de Doñana contiene una alta riqueza en flora y fauna, que incluye unconsiderable número de especies amenazadas. La biodiversidad del sistema se mantiene gracias a lagran abundancia y heterogeneidad de lagunas y a su amplio gradiente de hidroperiodo, así como porla diferenciación geomorfológica del parque. Las principales amenazas para la conservación del sistema son la desecación y la introducción de es-pecies invasoras, como el cangrejo rojo americano (Procambarus clarkii). Se detectan tendencias impor-tantes de desecación asociadas a la sobreexplotación del acuífero en los alrededores del parque, queafecta también a las mayores lagunas del parque. Como consecuencia de los descensos del acuífero, seestá produciendo el acortamiento del hidroperiodo de las lagunas y la pérdida de las especies propiasde los medios más permanentes. Entre ellas destacan algunas con alto valor de conservación, que ac-tualmente restringen su distribución a lagunas profundizadas artificialmente (denominadas localmentezacallones), ya que son los únicos medios que actualmente se pueden considerar permanentes. Mientrasque no se solucionen los graves problemas que conllevan los descensos del acuífero, los zacallones tie-nen en la actualidad un importante valor para mantener la diversidad del sistema, por lo que requierenun plan de mantenimiento y gestión, [EN]: The Doñana temporary pond network is characterized by a high flora and fauna species richness, in-cluding a high number of rare and threatened species. This high biodiversity is due to the high abun-dance of ponds of different size across a broad hydroperiod range. The different geomorphologicalareas within the park contribute to increase the heterogeneity of the whole pond network. Two main problems are currently threatening the conservation of the pond network: the observed trendsof pond desiccation and the introduction of invasive species, such as the swamp crayfish (Procambarusclarkii). Desiccation trends are currently detected associated with groundwater overexploitation in agri-cultural and urban areas around the park. As a consequence, we detect a tendency to pond hydroperiodshortening that involves the loss of aquatic species requiring longer inundation cycles, being some ofthem threatened species. These species are presently only found in ponds that have been artificiallydeepened (“zacallones”) so they offer available water during summer or in dry periods. These semiar-tificial ponds have an important role for preservation of aquatic communities and should be includedinto a management plan for conservation of the biodiversity of the pond network.

Helochares lividus (Forster, 1771) Material. 18 AdUlT SpEcImEnS. COllEcTEd On 03/x/2012. "LAgOA dO CAIAdO"���PIcO ISlAnd. UTM: 26 S 390945 4257289; OnE AdUlT SpEcImEn. 20/Ix/2012. "LAgOA dO CAldEIr��O GrAndE"���S��O MIgUEl ISlAnd. UTM: 26 S 610277 4186665. Habitat. Helochares lividus IS WIdESprEAd And lOcAllY AbUndAnT In nATUrAl pOndS, ESpEcIAllY In pOndS rIch In SIlTY SUbSTrATES (RIbErA et al. 1996b And DEnTOn 2013). ThE SpEcIES cAn AlSO bE fOUnd In ArTIfIcIAl EnVIrOnmEnTS SUch AS dITchES Or ArTIfIcIAl pOndS (DOnISThOrpE 1913; PIcAzO et al. 2010). Azorean habitat. ThE SpEcIES hAS bEEn dETEcTEd In A lArgE VArIETY Of hAbITATS And EnVIrOnmEnTAl cOndITIOnS. IT hAS bEEn rEgISTErEd In TEmpOrArY And pErmAnEnT pOndS, lAkES And ArTIfIcIAl TAnk-WATEr, lOcATEd In nATIVE fOrEST And In ArEAS clOSE TO pASTUrElAndS, frOm 387 TO 912 m. A.S.l. ThE AQUATIc SYSTEmS hAd pH VAlUES rAngIng frOm 4.9 TO 9.9, ThE dISSOlVEd OxYgEn cOncEnTrATIOn rAngEd frOm 4.2 TO 10.7 10.7 mg L���1, WhIlE ThE ElEcTrIc cOndUcTIVITY prESEnTEd lOW VAlUES (frOm 28.8 TO 79.5 ��S cm���1). World distribution. ThIS SpEcIES hAS A WESTErn PAlEArcTIc dISTrIbUTIOn. IT IS prESEnT In EUrOpE, ASIA And NOrTh AfrIcA (GArrIdO-GOnz��lEz et al. 1996; HAnSEn 1996; HAnSEn 2004; KArAmAn et al. 2008). Azores distribution. ThE SpEcIES hAd OnlY bEEn prEVIOUSlY rEcOrdEd In TErcEIrA ISlAnd. WITh ThIS nEW rEcOrd, ThE ArEA Of dISTrIbUTIOn In ThE AzOrES ISlAndS ExpAndS TO PIcO And S��O MIgUEl ISlAndS (SEE FIg. 1)., Published as part of Lamelas-L��pez, Lucas, Raposeiro, Pedro Miguel, Borges, Paulo A. V. & Florencio, Margarita, 2017, Annotated checklist of aquatic beetles (Coleoptera) and true bugs (Heteroptera) in the Azores Islands: new records and corrections of colonization status, pp. 117-132 in Zootaxa 4353 (1) on pages 124-125, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4353.1.7, http://zenodo.org/record/1064562

Anisops sardeus Herrich-Schaeffer, 1849 Material. OnE jUVEnIlE. COllEcTEd On 20/VIII/2014. "LAgOInhA dA SErrETA" - TErcEIrA ISlAnd. UTM: 26 S 471127 4289052. Habitat. Anisops sardeus InhAbITS SEVErAl AQUATIc hAbITATS, InclUdIng pOndS And lAkES, TEmpOrArY Or pErmAnEnT, frEShWATEr, brAckISh Or SAlT WATErS WITh prESEncE Of AQUATIc VEgETATIOn (BrOOkS 1951; BArrY 1997; LAhr et al. 1999). ThE SpEcIES IS AlSO cOmmOnlY fOUnd In cATTlE TAnkS (AbEll��n et al. 2004). Azorean habitat. WE cOllEcTEd A SInglE SpEcImEn In A pErmAnEnT pOnd lOcATEd In A hIgh-ElEVATIOn nATIVE fOrEST (767 m. A.S.l). ThIS pOnd IS chArAcTErIzEd bY SlIghTlY AcIdIc WATEr ExhIbITIng A pH VAlUE Of 5.5; ThE WATEr ElEcTrIc cOndUcTIVITY WAS 47.8 ��S cm���1, And ThE dISSOlVEd OxYgEn cOncEnTrATIOn WAS 7.6 mg L���1. World distribution. ThIS SpEcIES hAS A WIdESprEAd dISTrIbUTIOn. IT IS prESEnT In MEdITErrAnEAn EUrOpE, NOrTh AfrIcA And MIddlE EAST (BrOOkS 1951; POlhEmUS 1996; KlEmEnTOV�� & SVITOk 2014). Azorean distribution. AzOrES IS ThE WESTErnmOST dISTrIbUTIOn Of ThIS SpEcIES. ITS prESEncE hAd bEEn prEVIOUSlY rEgISTErEd In ThE AzOrES bUT WIThOUT A rEfErEncE TO AnY SpEcIfIc ISlAnd (ZImmErmAnn 1984)., Published as part of Lamelas-L��pez, Lucas, Raposeiro, Pedro Miguel, Borges, Paulo A. V. & Florencio, Margarita, 2017, Annotated checklist of aquatic beetles (Coleoptera) and true bugs (Heteroptera) in the Azores Islands: new records and corrections of colonization status, pp. 117-132 in Zootaxa 4353 (1) on pages 122-123, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4353.1.7, http://zenodo.org/record/1064562

Hygrotus confluens (Fabricius, 1787) Material. OnE AdUlT SpEcImEn. COllEcTEd On 15/V/2014. ArTIfIcIAl TAnk-WATEr - TErcEIrA ISlAnd. UTM: 26 S 471955 4289511; ThrEE AdUlTS And OnE lArVA. 16/V/2014. ArTIfIcIAl TAnk-WATEr - TErcEIrA ISlAnd. UTM: 26 S 476038 4287687; OnE lArVA. 16/V/2014. ArTIfIcIAl TAnk-WATEr - TErcEIrA ISlAnd. UTM: 26 S 476465 4287767; OnE AdUlT And OnE lArVA. 23/V/2014. ArTIfIcIAl TAnk-WATEr - TErcEIrA ISlAnd. UTM: 26 S 481296 4285624; TWO SpEcImEnS. COllEcTEd bY IgnAcIO RIbErA. 03/Ix/2012. " CASAS dA FAlcA" - TErcEIrA ISlAnd. UTM: 26 S 475521 4286501; 11 SpEcImEnS. COllEcTEd bY IgnAcIO RIbErA. 03/Ix/2012. "LAgOA dO GInjAl" - TErcEIrA ISlAnd. 26 S 486263 4282967. Habitat. Hygrotus confluens IS USUAllY fOUnd In pErmAnEnT pOndS WITh mInErAlIzEd WATErS And In TEmpOrArY ShAllOW pOndS, WITh SpArSE AQUATIc VEgETATIOn. ThE SpEcIES IS AlSO frEQUEnTlY fOUnd In SmAll ArTIfIcIAl pOndS (PIcAzO et al. 2010) And In ThE cATTlE TAnkS (RIbErA & AgUIlErA 1995; RIbErA et al. 1996A). Azorean habitat. ThE SpEcIES hAS bEEn fOUnd In hAbITATS ASSOcIATEd WITh hUmAn AcTIVITIES, lIkE ArTIfIcIAl TAnk- WATEr lOcATEd In mEdIUm-hIgh AlTITUdE (498- 793 m.A.S.l.) WITh bASIc WATErS (pH VAlUES rAngIng frOm 9.9 TO 10.3), dISSOlVEd OxYgEn cOncEnTrATIOnS rAngIng frOm 7.8 TO 11.2 mg L���1 And ElEcTrIc cOndUcTIVITY rAngIng frOm 50 TO 112 ��S cm���1). ThE SpEcIES hAS AlSO bEEn dETEcTEd In A dITch In An AgrO-fOrESTrY ArEA AT 550 m. A.S.l. And In An AnThrOpOgEnIc dISTUrbEd pOnd, In InTEnSIVElY mAnAgEd pASTUrElAnd AT 390 m. A.S.l. And ExhIbITIng lArgE cOVEr Of AQUATIc VEgETATIOn (mAInlY Potamogeton Spp.). World distribution. EUrOpE, ASIA And NOrTh AfrIcA (FErY 2003). Azorean distribution. ThE SpEcIES IS prESEnT In S��O MIgUEl, SAnTA MArIA And fOr ThE fIrST TImE IS rEcOrdEd fOr TErcEIrA ISlAnd (SEE FIg. 1)., Published as part of Lamelas-L��pez, Lucas, Raposeiro, Pedro Miguel, Borges, Paulo A. V. & Florencio, Margarita, 2017, Annotated checklist of aquatic beetles (Coleoptera) and true bugs (Heteroptera) in the Azores Islands: new records and corrections of colonization status, pp. 117-132 in Zootaxa 4353 (1) on page 123, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4353.1.7, http://zenodo.org/record/1064562

Enochrus fuscipennis (Thomson, 1884) Material. OnE AdUlT SpEcImEn. COllEcTEd On 15/V/2014. ArTIfIcIAl TAnk-WATEr - TErcEIrA ISlAnd. UTM: 26 S 471955 4289511; fIVE AdUlT SpEcImEnS. 21/V/2014. "LAgOA dAS PATAS " - TErcEIrA ISlAnd. UTM: 26 S 478548 4287528; 13 AdUlT SpEcImEnS. 23/V/2014. "LAgOA dO PIcO dO ArEEIrO" - TErcEIrA ISlAnd. UTM: 26 S 483574 4285357; FOUr AdUlT SpEcImEnS. 03/x/2012. "LAgOA dO CAIAdO" - PIcO ISlAnd. UTM: 26 S 390945 4257289; ThrEE SpEcImEnS. COllEcTEd bY IgnAcIO RIbErA. 03/Ix/2012. "LAgOA dO NEgrO" - TErcEIrA ISlAnd. UTM: 26 S 476639 4287739. Habitat. ThIS SpEcIES IS cOmmOnlY fOUnd In pOndS And OThEr AQUATIc hAbITATS (BIlTOn et al. 2009), SUch AS nATUrAl pOndS ASSOcIATEd WITh SmAll And cOnTInUOUS SUrfAcE drAInAgE SYSTEmS (PIcAzO et al. 2010). IT IS AlSO prESEnT In STrEAmS (P��rEz-BIlbAO et al. 2010) And STAgnAnT WATErS rIch In OrgAnIc mATTEr (VAllAdArES 1995). E. fuscipennis IS A cOmmOn SpEcIES In TEmpOrArY pOndS In ThE MEdITErrAnEAn rEgIOnS. ThESE pOndS USUAllY ExhIbIT lOW ElEcTrIc cOndUcTIVITY VAlUES (55.0 ��S cm���1) And lArgE cOVEr Of EmErgEnT VEgETATIOn (ArOUnd 86%). ThIS SpEcIES hAS bEEn AlSO fOUnd In pErmAnEnT pOndS WITh hIghEr VAlUES Of ElEcTrIc cOndUcTIVITY (485.9 ��S cm���1) And A mEdIUm cOVEr Of EmErgEnT VEgETATIOn (ArOUnd 62%) (P��rEz-BIlbAO et al. 2014). Azorean habitat. ThIS SpEcIES hAS bEEn rEgISTErEd In SEVErAl AQUATIc SYSTEmS, (I) In nATUrAl pOndS WITh lOW cOVEr Of EmErgEnT VEgETATIOn (25-50%) lOcATEd AT mEdIUm AlTITUdE (bETWEEn 448 TO 553 m. A.S.l.), pH VAlUES rAngIng frOm 5.2 TO 6.9, lOW VAlUES Of ElEcTrIc cOndUcTIVITY (frOm 37.9 TO 49.5 ��S cm���1) And dISSOlVEd OxYgEn cOncEnTrATIOn Of 7.1 mg L���1; (II) In A dISTUrbEd pOnd WITh SlIghTlY AcId WATErS (pH VAlUE 5.6), lOW ElEcTrIc cOndUcTIVITY (38.8 ��S cm���1) And dISSOlVEd OxYgEn cOncEnTrATIOn Of 7.1 mg L���1; (III) And In ArTIfIcIAl TAnk-WATEr AT hIgh AlTITUdE (736 m. A.S.l.), WITh bASIc WATErS (pH VAlUE 9.9), lOW ElEcTrIc cOndUcTIVITY (60.5 ��S cm���1) And dISSOlVEd OxYgEn cOncEnTrATIOn Of 10.7 mg L���1. World distribution. Enochrus fuscipennis hAS A WESTErn PAlEArcTIc dISTrIbUTIOn, OccUpYIng EUrOpE, NEAr EAST And CEnTrAl ASIA (VAllAdArES 1995; HAnSEn 2004). Azorean distribution. ThIS SpEcIES hAd nOT bEEn cITEd fOr ThE AzOrES. OUr nEW rEcOrdS cOnfIrm ITS prESEncE In TErcEIrA And PIcO ISlAndS, AS WEll AS fOr ThE fIrST TImE In ThE AzOrES ArchIpElAgO (SEE FIg. 1)., Published as part of Lamelas-L��pez, Lucas, Raposeiro, Pedro Miguel, Borges, Paulo A. V. & Florencio, Margarita, 2017, Annotated checklist of aquatic beetles (Coleoptera) and true bugs (Heteroptera) in the Azores Islands: new records and corrections of colonization status, pp. 117-132 in Zootaxa 4353 (1) on page 124, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4353.1.7, http://zenodo.org/record/1064562

Ochthebius freyi d���Orchymont, 1940 Material. SIx SpEcImEnS. COllEcTEd bY IgnAcIO RIbErA. 04/Ix/2012. ROckpOOlS In S��O PEdrO- TErcEIrA ISlAnd. UTM: 26 S 479719 4278623. Habitat. ROck pOOlS (ISrAElSOn 1984). IT mAY AlSO bE fOUnd In TErrESTrIAl EnVIrOnmEnTS clOSE TO ThE cOASTlInE (SVEnSSOn 1973). World distribution. Ochthebius freyi IS An EndEmIc SpEcIES In ThE AzOrES ArchIpElAgO. Azores distribution. FlOrES, FAIAl And S��O MIgUEl ISlAndS. OUr nEW rEcOrdS cOnfIrm ITS prESEncE In TErcEIrA ISlAnd (SEE FIg. 1)., Published as part of Lamelas-L��pez, Lucas, Raposeiro, Pedro Miguel, Borges, Paulo A. V. & Florencio, Margarita, 2017, Annotated checklist of aquatic beetles (Coleoptera) and true bugs (Heteroptera) in the Azores Islands: new records and corrections of colonization status, pp. 117-132 in Zootaxa 4353 (1) on page 125, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4353.1.7, http://zenodo.org/record/1064562

Agabus bipustulatus (Linnaeus, 1767) Material. OnE AdUlT SpEcImEn And TWO lArVAE. COllEcTEd On 13/VII/2011. "CAldEIr��O" - COrVO ISlAnd. UTM: 25 S 662065 4397306. Habitat. ThIS SpEcIES IS A cOmmOn SpEcIES InhAbITIng A lArgE VArIETY Of AQUATIc hAbITATS InclUdIng SmAll rIVErS, pOndS, lAkES And EnVIrOnmEnTS WITh pEbblY dEpThS, SIlT And mArgInAl VEgETATIOn. ThIS TAxOn AlSO InhAbITS TEmpOrArY pOndS And hUmAn-mAdE rESErVOIrS (FrIdAY 1988; DOnISThOrpE 1913; PIcAzO et al. 2010; DrOTz et al. 2012). Azorean habitat. ThIS SpEcIES hAS bEEn fOUnd In pErmAnEnT And TEmpOrArY pOndS, frEQUEnTlY lOcATEd In mEdIUm-hIgh AlTITUdES (bETWEEn 500 TO 912 m. A.S.l.), AlThOUgh IT hAS AlSO bEEn ObSErVEd In lOW AlTITUdES (390 m. A.S.l. "CAldEIr��O - COrVO) And In cATTlE TAnkS. A. bipustulatus USUAllY OccUrS In AcIdIc WATErS (pH VAlUES rAngIng frOm 4.4 TO 7.1) And OxYgEnATEd WATErS (dISSOlVEd OxYgEn cOncEnTrATIOn VAlUES rAngIng frOm 6.7 TO 8.1 mg L���1). World distribution. Agabus bipustulatus hAS A PAlEArcTIc dISTrIbUTIOn. WIdESprEAd And ExTEndEd In EUrOpE, NOrTh AfrIcA And SOmE rEgIOnS Of AfrIcA (SErrAnO & BOrgES 1987; DrOTz et al. 2003; DrOTz et al. 2012). Azorean distribution. AzOrES IS ThE WESTErnmOST ArEA In ThE dISTrIbUTIOnAl rAngE Of ThIS SpEcIES. IT IS prESEnT In FlOrES, PIcO, S��O JOrgE And TErcEIrA ISlAndS. OUr nEW rEcOrd cOnfIrmS ThE prESEncE In COrVO ISlAnd (SEE FIg. 1)., Published as part of Lamelas-L��pez, Lucas, Raposeiro, Pedro Miguel, Borges, Paulo A. V. & Florencio, Margarita, 2017, Annotated checklist of aquatic beetles (Coleoptera) and true bugs (Heteroptera) in the Azores Islands: new records and corrections of colonization status, pp. 117-132 in Zootaxa 4353 (1) on page 123, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4353.1.7, http://zenodo.org/record/1064562

Gyrinus distinctus Aub��, 1836 Material. FIVE AdUlT SpEcImEnS And OnE lArVA. COllEcTEd On 23/V/2014. "LAgOA FUndA" - TErcEIrA ISlAnd. UTM: 26 S 472391 4287599. Habitat. Gyrinus distinctus InhAbITS In lAkES (FrIdAY 1988), cOASTAl ArEAS Of ThE rESErVOIrS And In SlOW-mOVIng rIVErS, In frESh Or brAckISh WATErS (SVEnSSOn 1977; KıYAk et al. 2006). DUE TO ITS AbIlITY TO flY, ThE SpEcIES cAn dISpErSE TO OThEr pOndS WhEn ThE OrIgInAl hAbITATS drY OUT (DOnISThOrpE 1913). Azorean habitat. WE hAVE fOUnd ThIS SpEcIES OnlY In "LAgOA FUndA", WhIch IS A frEShWATEr pErmAnEnT pOnd nEAr TO nATIVE VEgETATIOn pATchES, In ThE "RESErVA NATUrAl InTEgrAl dE SAnTA B��rbArA", ApprOxImATElY AT 850 m. A.S.l. ThIS pOnd hAd AcIdIc WATErS (pH VAlUE Of 5.5), WATEr ElEcTrIc cOndUcTIVITY Of 28.0 ��S cm���1 And dISSOlVEd OxYgEn cOncEnTrATIOn Of 8.3 mg L���1. World distribution. ThIS SpEcIES IS WIdESprEAd And dISTrIbUTEd In EUrOpE, ASIA And RUSSIA (ZAITSEV 1972; BrInck 1978; FrAncIScOlO 1979; GUEOrgUIEV 1981; HOlmEn 1987). Azorean distribution. ThIS SpEcIES hAS bEEn dETEcTEd In ThE S��O MIgUEl, SAnTA MArIA, PIcO, FAIAl And FlOrES ISlAndS. ThE nEW rEcOrd cOnfIrmS ThE prESEncE In TErcEIrA ISlAnd (SEE FIg. 1)., Published as part of Lamelas-L��pez, Lucas, Raposeiro, Pedro Miguel, Borges, Paulo A. V. & Florencio, Margarita, 2017, Annotated checklist of aquatic beetles (Coleoptera) and true bugs (Heteroptera) in the Azores Islands: new records and corrections of colonization status, pp. 117-132 in Zootaxa 4353 (1) on page 124, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4353.1.7, http://zenodo.org/record/1064562

Póster presentado en el 7th European Pond Conservation Network Workshop + LIFE Charco Seminar 1st May – 4th May 2017 Universidade do Algarve, Faro, Portugal, The pond network in the Doñana National Park, in SW Spain, is composed of more than 3000 temporary ponds that are usually dry during summer. This network is complemented with approximately 200 artificially deepened ponds that were transformed for old human uses (i. e., cattle drinking, farm irrigation, charcoal production). They are locally known as “zacallones”. We have recorded plant and animal species present in zacallones in order to assess their value for conservation. These water bodies act as permanent ponds; they are the reproductive habitats of those species with long larval phases, and the summer refuges of many coleopterans and heteropterans. They are also the habitats of plants that do not resist long dry phases. Some of these ponds are subject to occasional restoration tasks that mainly consist in the removal of thick bottom layers of mud. We have analysed and compared the water quality, and also animal and plant species richness of these ponds during two subsequent years after these tasks. Water quality was generally better in restored zacallones, and vegetation cover as well as animal and plant richness also increased. In unrestored zacallones, the concentration of total-P in the water was significantly higher than in recently restored sites. Additionally, the P-adsorption capacity of the sediment (estimated as the ratio between iron-hydroxides and P-inorganic fractions) was significantly higher in the restored sites. The removal of the bottom layer did not prevent the development of a rich community of aquatic macrophytes, including some threatened species. Our results suggest that zacallones can provide refuge to some significant species, particularly in recent years as the Doñana temporary ponds are being reduced in number and wet-phase duration (or hydroperiod). However, the water quality of these transformed ponds can deteriorate very rapidly (due to their small size and intensive use for wild fauna and cattle drinking), and hence they require periodical monitoring and management.

La importancia del sistema de lagunas de Doñana radica en la gran cantidad de lagunas y su elevada heterogeneidad, lo que le permite albergar a un gran número de especies, muchas de ellas singulares, al ser exclusivas de este tipo de medios acuáticos, caracterizados por un periodo de desecadón recurrente. Esta compleja red de lagunas se ha ido conformando, a lo largo del tiempo, coroo consecuencia de la interacción de los aprovechamientos tradicionales del suelo sobre las coodiciones hidrogeolágicas del manto eólico litoral onubense, en un contexto donde fluctúan períodos dimaticamente húmedos y secos.

The Doñana National Park is given the highest degree of environmental protection in Spain as it has been designated as a Ramsar Site, a Biosphere Reserve, a Special Protection Area for birds, and a Natural World Heritage Site. Nevertheless, it is located in an area with a wide variety of pressures due to the exploitation of water resources. The intensification of agriculture, urban growth, and the development of tourist resorts on the fringe of this protected land has long threatened the conservation value of the Doñana National Park and has, consequently, added this park to the Montreux Record of Ramsar Sites under threat in 1990.