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Las Tablas de Daimiel National Park is a semiarid, hypertrophic wetland located in La Mancha (Ciudad Real, Central Spain). During the period 1996-2002 we carried out monthly samplings at three sites of Las Tablas. Thirty five taxa of Euglenophytes of the genera Astasia (1 taxon), Euglena (15), Lepocinclis (6), Phacus (9), and Trachelomonas (4) were identified. Six taxa are new records for Spain. Abundance, species richness, species groups and absolute and relative biomass of Euglenophytes widely fluctuated spatio-temporally in Las Tablas, without any statistically significant relationship (P > 0.05) with organic carbon (either particulate or dissolved), which has been long considered the main factor controlling the occurrence and abundance of Euglenophytes. The same lack of relationship was observed for other nutrients, such as ammonia, soluble reactive phosphorus and total nitrogen and phosphorus. Our results challenge the role of Euglenophytes for assessing environmental degradation in hypertrophic ecosystems, a topic of increasing interest in view of the newly implemented European Water Framework Directive and its proposals for biological monitoring. However, these results might invigorate ecological studies on Euglenophytes, still in its infancy unlike in other algal groups.El Parque Nacional Las Tablas de Daimiel es un humedal semiárido hipertrófico, situado en la llanura manchega (Ciudad Real). Entre 1996 y 2002 se realizaron muestreos mensuales en tres lugares representativos del Parque, en los que se identificaron 35 táxones diferentes de Euglenófitas: 1 del género Astasia, 15 de Euglena, 6 de Lepocinclis, 9 de Phacus y 4 de Trachelomonas, de los cuales 6 son citas nuevas para España. En este trabajo se ofrecen la descripción y una amplia iconografía de los mismos. Densidad, riqueza específica, grupos de especies y biovolúmenes absoluto y relativo fluctuaron mucho espacial y temporalmente en el humedal, sin manifestar relación alguna estadísticamente significativa (P > 0,05) con el carbono orgánico (tanto particulado como disuelto) presente en el agua, considerado desde antiguo como el principal factor que condiciona la presencia y la abundancia de las Euglenófitas, ni con otros nutrientes (amonio, ortofosfato, nitrógeno y fósforo totales). Estos resultados limitan en buena medida el uso de estos organismos como indicadores de la degradación ambiental en ecosistemas hipertróficos, de renovado interés por la puesta en marcha de la Directiva Europea del Agua, que contempla también la calidad biológica, y podrían contribuir a impulsar el estudio ecológico de las Euglenófitas, aún por desarrollar, a diferencia del de otros grupos de algas.

Ketenisse polder is a former intertidal brackish marsh (30ha) situated in the mesohaline part of the Schelde Estuary. In the 19th century its central part was embanked as a polder. In the mid 1980’s the area was raised above intertidal level when it was used as a dumping site for the excavated soil from the Liefkenshoek tunnel. In 2002 the area was restored, it was levelled with a weak slope below mean high water level, creating the optimal starting conditions for the development of intertidal mudflats and marshes. Geomorphological changes, sediment characteristics and colonisation by phytobenthos, vegetation, zoobenthos, water birds and breeding birds at the restored site are monitored. The monitoring results of the first year after tidal restoration are presented. Sedimentation as well as erosion between 0 and 30cm was observed in the first year. Local changes in stream current patterns caused erosion on parts of the former mudflats; sheltered depressions filled up relatively fast. Median grain size showed large variation. Organic carbon content of the sediment varied between 0.5 and 15% and was closely related to sediment medium grain size. Chlorophyll a concentrations were negatively correlated with median grain size and tended to increase from the low water line to the shore. They were comparable to nearby intertidal areas and displayed similar seasonal variability with a maximum in spring. The large surface covered wtithVaucheria was indicator of initiated succession towards tidal marsh. Scirpus maritimus and transitional vegetations to Chenopodiaceae-vegetations established with increasing altitude. The Chenopodiaceae-vegetations were relicts of earlier vegetations before the tidal restoration, and will probably disappear. The macrobenthos community was dominated by Oligochaetes, which were present in 73% of all samples and attained an average density of about 40*103 ind. m-2. Other macrobenthos species found were nematods, copepods and Corophium. On the sheltered sampling stations macrobenthic densities were high compared to those on nearby intertidal areas. In the first season, 15 breeding bird species were recorded, the most common species being the Pied Avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta). The most common waterbirds were Common Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna), Greylag Goose (Anser anser), Pied Avocet (Recurvirostra avoset) and Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus), typical species for the mesohaline part of the estuary. The first year’s results suggest that Ketenisse polder has the potential to develop towards a varied and normal functional intertidal area.