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Las Tablas de Daimiel National Park is a series of wetlands which naturally originated from groundwater discharges from the Mancha Occidental aquifer, Spain. Despite the relatively large size of this aquifer, 30 years of intensive groundwater pumping have significantly depleted the water table. As a result, wetlands only remain functional due to artificial inflows. Infiltration loss is therefore a key parameter to evaluate how much water is needed to maintain ecosystem functionality. Although yearly infiltration estimates existed prior to this work, these did not take into account key parameters such as the temporal evolution of the flooded area. This paper presents a more concrete estimate of the average infiltration losses. Infiltration is calculated as the closure term of daily water balances during a period of time where all other elements were known to an acceptable accuracy. A validation mechanism is provided to check the potential utility of the calculated infiltration in wetland management practices., Depto. de Geodinámica, Estratigrafía y Paleontología, Fac. de Ciencias Geológicas, TRUE, pub

[EN] In the centre of Spain, Las Tablas de Daimiel National Park has been a protected natural area since 1973. During the pre-industrial era this reserve was known as the Real Dehesa de Zacatena and was enclosed by the Order of Calatrava and later managed by the Crown. Hispanic Monarchy. Due to its economic potential, the conservation of the Dehesa was one of the main concerns of its owners. Thanks to this, the historical documentation inform us about the protection measures in Zacatena since the XVIth century. The joint study of all these sources allows us to reconstruct in a very reliable way the natural landscape of the Dehesa, its extension and evolution. Visits, ordinances, descriptions complaints, and lawsuits allow us to understand one of the main pillars of the enclave: its natural patrimony, which in turn is the basis of the rich cultural and architectural heritage also preserved in the area., [ES] Situado en medio de la llanura manchega, el Parque Nacional de Las Tablas de Daimiel es uno de los pocos ámbitos de Europa en los que se desarrolla el ecosistema de tablas fluviales. Durante la época preindustrial este enclave fue conocido como la Real Dehesa de Zacatena, acotada por la Orden de Calatrava y posteriormente administrada por la Corona. Dada su potencialidad económica, la conservación del entorno fue una de las principales preocupaciones de sus gestores. Gracias a ello, se custodian en los archivos numerosos testimonios que nos informan acerca del nivel de protección que, desde siglos atrás, se dio a Zacatena. El estudio conjunto de todas esas fuentes permite reconstruir de una manera muy fidedigna el paisaje natural de la dehesa, su extensión y evolución a lo largo del tiempo. Las visitas, ordenanzas, descripciones, denuncia y, pleitos permiten conocer uno de los principales pilares del enclave: su patrimonio natural, base a su vez de la rica herencia cultural y arquitectónica preservada en la zona.

[EN] In the centre of Spain, Las Tablas de Daimiel National Park has been a protected natural area since 1973. During the pre-industrial era this reserve was known as the Real Dehesa de Zacatena and was enclosed by the Order of Calatrava and later managed by the Crown. Hispanic Monarchy. Due to its economic potential, the conservation of the Dehesa was one of the main concerns of its owners. Thanks to this, the historical documentation inform us about the protection measures in Zacatena since the XVIth century. The joint study of all these sources allows us to reconstruct in a very reliable way the natural landscape of the Dehesa, its extension and evolution. Visits, ordinances, descriptions complaints, and lawsuits allow us to understand one of the main pillars of the enclave: its natural patrimony, which in turn is the basis of the rich cultural and architectural heritage also preserved in the area., [ES] Situado en medio de la llanura manchega, el Parque Nacional de Las Tablas de Daimiel es uno de los pocos enclaves de nuestro país en los que se desarrolla el ecosistema de tablas fluviales. Durante la época preindustrial el lugar fue conocido como la Real Dehesa de Zacatena y fue propiedad de la Orden de Calatrava y de la Monarquía Hispánica. Dada su potencialidad económica, la conservación del lugar fue una de las principales preocupaciones de sus gestores. Gracias a ello, se custodian en los archivos numerosos testimonios que nos informan acerca del nivel de protección que, desde siglos atrás, se dio a Zacatena. El estudio conjunto de todas esas fuentes permite reconstruir de una manera muy fidedigna el paisaje natural de la dehesa, su extensión y evolución a lo largo del tiempo. Se trata de cuestiones de primer orden, que, en última instancia, permiten conocer uno de los principales pilares del enclave: su patrimonio natural, base a su vez de la rica herencia cultural y arquitectónica de la que es garante el lugar.

Las Tablas de Daimiel National Park is one of Spain's most representative groundwater‐ dependent ecosystems. Under natural conditions, water inflows combined brackish surface water from River Gigüela with freshwater inputs from River Guadiana and the underlying aquifer. Since the mid‐1970s, aquifer overexploitation caused the desiccation of the wetlands and neighbouring springs. The National Park remained in precarious hydrological conditions for three decades, with the only exception of rapid floods due to extreme rainfall events and sporadic water transfers from other basins. In the late 2000s, a decrease in groundwater abstraction and an extraordinarily wet period reversed the trend. The aquifer experienced an unexpected recovery of groundwater levels (over 20 m in some areas), thus restoring groundwater discharge to springs and wetlands. The complex historical evolution of the water balance in this site has resulted in substantial changes in surface and groundwater quality. This becomes evident when comparing the pre‐1980 groundwater quality and the hydrochemical status in the wetland in two different periods, under “dry” and “wet” conditions. Although the system is close to full recovery from the groundwater‐level viewpoint, bouncing back in the major hydrochemical constituents has not yet been obtained. These still appear to evolve in response to the previous overexploitation state. Moreover, in some sectors, there are groundwater‐dependent ecosystems that remain different to those found in preoverexploitation times. The experience of Las Tablas de Damiel provides an observatory of long‐term changes in wetland water quality, demonstrating that the effects of aquifer overexploitation on aquatic ecosystems are more than a mere alteration of the water balance and that groundwater quality is the key to aquifer and aquatic ecosystem sustainability.

Las Tablas de Daimiel National Park is one of Spain's most representative groundwater‐ dependent ecosystems. Under natural conditions, water inflows combined brackish surface water from River Gigüela with freshwater inputs from River Guadiana and the underlying aquifer. Since the mid‐1970s, aquifer overexploitation caused the desiccation of the wetlands and neighbouring springs. The National Park remained in precarious hydrological conditions for three decades, with the only exception of rapid floods due to extreme rainfall events and sporadic water transfers from other basins. In the late 2000s, a decrease in groundwater abstraction and an extraordinarily wet period reversed the trend. The aquifer experienced an unexpected recovery of groundwater levels (over 20 m in some areas), thus restoring groundwater discharge to springs and wetlands. The complex historical evolution of the water balance in this site has resulted in substantial changes in surface and groundwater quality. This becomes evident when comparing the pre‐1980 groundwater quality and the hydrochemical status in the wetland in two different periods, under “dry” and “wet” conditions. Although the system is close to full recovery from the groundwater‐level viewpoint, bouncing back in the major hydrochemical constituents has not yet been obtained. These still appear to evolve in response to the previous overexploitation state. Moreover, in some sectors, there are groundwater‐dependent ecosystems that remain different to those found in preoverexploitation times. The experience of Las Tablas de Damiel provides an observatory of long‐term changes in wetland water quality, demonstrating that the effects of aquifer overexploitation on aquatic ecosystems are more than a mere alteration of the water balance and that groundwater quality is the key to aquifer and aquatic ecosystem sustainability.

In this paper we analyse and compare the efficiency of electrical resistivity imaging (ERI) and ground-penetrating radar (GPR) as tools for stratigraphic and sedimentological studies. To this end, we carried out borehole drilling and geophysical survey campaigns in two locations in Las Tablas de Daimiel area (Ciudad Real, Spain). In this region, the Quaternary record is build up by siliciclastic deposits (gravel, sand and silt) of fluvial origin and organic matter-rich sediments (peat, clay and silty clay rich in organic matter) and carbonates (biogenic deposits mainly made up of Characeae) deposited in fluvial wetland environments that rest on Ordovician quartzites and Pliocene karstified carbonates. Electrical resistivity imaging (ERI) supported by surface and subsurface (boreholes) lithological information allow to identify the geometry of the basement-Quaternary boundary in two areas. The morphology of this boundary is controlled by fractures and the karstification of the top of the Pliocene limestones. Thirteen GPR profiles (100 and 250 MHz antenna) provide information about the morphology and internal structure of the sedimentary units, down to 4 m below the surface. The observed features include: onlap of the sediments on the edge of the basin, fossilization of small paleo-reliefs by lacustrine deposits and channel fills in the Holocene deposits, and the sinking-collapse structures in the Neogene substratum.

Human settlements around the fluvial wetland of Las Tablas de Daimiel (central Spain) have been related to the water availability in this area for nearly 5500 years; however the relationship of the hydrology of the wetland to climate change remains uncertain. Whilst archaeological and pollen data provide contradictory arguments, statistical empirical mode decomposition of geochemical data from core S-1 reveals arid periods ca. 1.8 cal. ka BP, ca. 3.3 cal. ka BP and ca. 5.5 cal. ka BP between which periods both Bronze Age and Iberian-Roman settlements developed. These periods can be identified in other records of the Iberian Peninsula and around the western Mediterranean. Comparison of these records points to a complex spatial pattern that evolved in time and, despite a number of forcings (volcanism, solar activity, atmosphere-ocean interactions) being invoked to explain such periods, there is no clear mechanism to explain their spatial pattern and the changes that have taken place since 2.5 ka BP.

Human settlements around the fluvial wetland of Las Tablas de Daimiel (central Spain) have been related to the water availability in this area for nearly 5500 years; however the relationship of the hydrology of the wetland to climate change remains uncertain. Whilst archaeological and pollen data provide contradictory arguments, statistical empirical mode decomposition of geochemical data from core S-1 reveals arid periods ca. 1.8 cal. ka BP, ca. 3.3 cal. ka BP and ca. 5.5 cal. ka BP between which periods both Bronze Age and Iberian-Roman settlements developed. These periods can be identified in other records of the Iberian Peninsula and around the western Mediterranean. Comparison of these records points to a complex spatial pattern that evolved in time and, despite a number of forcings (volcanism, solar activity, atmosphere-ocean interactions) being invoked to explain such periods, there is no clear mechanism to explain their spatial pattern and the changes that have taken place since 2.5 ka BP.

Las Tablas de Daimiel National Park has experienced many hydrological and ecological modifications through out its history, both of natural as well as anthropogenic origin, which have affected its carbon storage capacity and carbon fluxes. The study of those variations has been carried out by the analysis of its sedimentary record (geochemistry and pollen) and historical data. The natural changes have a wider variation range than the anthropogenic ones, showrepetitive patterns and the system reacts readjusting the equilibrium among its components. Anthropogenic effects depend on the direct or indirect impact on the wetlands of change and its intensity. In addition, the anthropogenic impacts have the capacity of breaking the natural balance of the ecosystem and the internal interactions.

Las Tablas de Daimiel National Park has experienced many hydrological and ecological modifications through out its history, both of natural as well as anthropogenic origin, which have affected its carbon storage capacity and carbon fluxes. The study of those variations has been carried out by the analysis of its sedimentary record (geochemistry and pollen) and historical data. The natural changes have a wider variation range than the anthropogenic ones, showrepetitive patterns and the system reacts readjusting the equilibrium among its components. Anthropogenic effects depend on the direct or indirect impact on the wetlands of change and its intensity. In addition, the anthropogenic impacts have the capacity of breaking the natural balance of the ecosystem and the internal interactions.