This thematic program focuses on monitoring the processes that drive the storage and emission of carbon in the Doñana ecosystems, in particular its fixation by primary producers and its subsequent consumption by herbivores.
It comprises the following monitoring topics:
6.1. Gas and water flows:ICTS-RBD counts with three Eddy-Covariance towers used to determine to determine exchange rates at and to quantify gas emissions rates from its terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. They are mainly used to estimate heat, water vapor and carbon dioxide fluxes – thus providing information on the carbon sequestration and evapotranspiration rates of different ecosystems. ICTS-RBD towers are currently measuring at three sites, considered representative of brackish-marsh, shrubland and Juniper-forest ecosystems. See live data. See protocol and summary data.
6.2. Biomass production of herbaceous plants:herbaceous plants represent the main trophic resource for Doñana’s ungulates and other herbivores. The biodiversity monitoring program estimates, each year, their biomass production and consumption by herbivores using paired, open and excluded plots (15×15 to 20×20 m) distributed over the five main habitat types (3 plots per type): shrubland, grassland ecotone, bulrush marsh, glasswort marsh and marsh channels (caños).Within each plot, 4-5 replicate samples are sampled by clipping all standing biomass at ground level in a rectangle of 10x100 cm, and their fresh and dry weight determined in the lab. See protocol and summary data.
