Satellite picture of Doñana National Park captured on April 15, 2023, by the Operational Land Imager on Landsat 8. Satellite picture of Doñana National Park caught on April 9, 2024, by the Operational Land Imager-2 on Landsat 9. Heavy rains in spring 2024 brought short-lived relief to Spains drought-stricken Doñana National Park, boosting wetland healing and wildlife, though long-lasting water issues persist.Protected wetlands in Spains Doñana National Park saw a reprieve from persistent drought in spring 2024. Rainfall in late March assisted flood marshes, fill little short-term ponds, and revive vegetation in this special habitat.Record Temperatures and Drought ConditionsFor more than a decade, the location has actually received below-average levels of rainfall. The circumstance has actually become more severe over the previous 3 years, when a few of the most affordable annual rainfall overalls have actually been tape-recorded. Abnormally high temperatures have intensified dry spell conditions throughout the country.January 2024 was Spains warmest January on record, with temperature levels 2.4 degrees Celsius (4.3 degrees Fahrenheit) higher than average, and the very first quarter of 2024 may have been its warmest because records began in 1961. Satellite Images Show Wetland RecoveryHeavy rains in late March 2024 brought some relief to Doñana National Park in the Andalusia region. These images compare the location on April 15, 2023 (upper), when wetlands were mostly dried up, to the very same area on April 9, 2024 (lower), following a period of rain. They were obtained by the OLI (Operational Land Imager) on the Landsat 8 satellite and the OLI-2 on Landsat 9, respectively.Agricultural fields and arrays of greenhouses surround the secured area, which is designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Biosphere Reserve, as well as a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance.Significant Rainfall RecordedA weather station in the park recorded 145 millimeters (5.7 inches) of rain in March 2024, making it the 2nd wettest March on record. More than 400 millimeters have already fallen throughout the present water year, defined in this case as running from September 2023 through August 2024. That is more than has fallen in each of the past 3 complete water years, however still below the historical annual average of more than 500 millimeters.Temporary Ponds and Marsh FloodingThe western part of the park contains countless little, shallow swimming pools called Mediterranean momentary ponds that go through natural cycles of flooding and dry spell. After the rain, the Doñana Biological Station reported that several of the largest ponds flooded. Marsh locations further inland likewise flooded, although some parts remained dry.Water Demands Impact WetlandsWater demands from advancement outside the secured location are taxing the underlying aquifer and influencing the environment. Increased growing of thirsty crops simply beyond the parks boundaries, in addition to a surrounding resort town, have drawn groundwater away from the safeguarded wetlands.A 2023 research study discovered that a number of the intermittent ponds have actually been flooding less extensively and for less time over the past couple of decades, and some have actually remained dry for at least 10 years.Wildlife and Ecological ConcernsWildlife populations have diminished together with the water in Doñanas wetlands, dunes, and marshes. According to a Doñana Biological Station report, the reduction in flooding has added to decreases in breeding waterfowl, amphibians, and fish, in addition to butterflies and endangered plants. However, the spring 2024 flooding can be found in time to stimulate a development of plants that prefers breeding waterfowl such as herons, grebes, and coots, the center noted.Long-Term Concerns Despite Immediate ReliefExperts caution that the changes on the surface area do not necessarily show long-lasting relief from water lacks.”The rains have partly reduced the most instant drought problems, however they do not fix the invisible issue of groundwater overexploitation,” stated Javier Bustamante, a researcher at the Doñana Biological Station, in a declaration. The general effect of the rains, he added, will become clearer in the coming months.NASA Earth Observatory images by Wanmei Liang, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey and limit data from ProtectedPlanet.
Heavy rains in spring 2024 brought short-term relief to Spains drought-stricken Doñana National Park, boosting wetland healing and wildlife, though long-term water problems persist.Protected wetlands in Spains Doñana National Park saw a reprieve from persistent dry spell in spring 2024. Unusually high temperature levels have exacerbated drought conditions throughout the country.January 2024 was Spains hottest January on record, with temperature levels 2.4 degrees Celsius (4.3 degrees Fahrenheit) higher than average, and the first quarter of 2024 may have been its warmest since records began in 1961. Satellite Images Show Wetland RecoveryHeavy rains in late March 2024 brought some relief to Doñana National Park in the Andalusia region.
