Climate change affects ecosystems differently. There may be some that are more vulnerable due to their geographical location, others due to temperature ranges, rainfall, etc. Researchers from the University of Granada (UGR) collaborated with a scientific team from Canada and discovered that the aquatic ecosystems of the Sierra Nevada have undergone changes due to global warming in the last 150 years.
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Changes in Sierra Nevada
The changes detected in Sierra Nevada are mainly due to the effects produced by climate change. Among these changes, a reduction in rainfall and an increase in temperatures can be observed, mainly.
In this natural environment, not only do these effects of climate change take place, but there has also been another determining factor of the aforementioned changes. This is an increase in the deposition of Saharan dust. Some may think, what does climate change have to do with the intrusion of Saharan dust into the ecosystems of the Sierra Nevada?
Climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of droughts. A place with less rainfall triggers greater soil erosion as the particles are no longer rooted in vegetation. With less rainfall in the Sahara and Sahel regions, the amount of Saharan dust entering Spain increases, and therefore is deposited in the natural environment of the Sierra Nevada. Furthermore, it is interesting to observe the impact of Saharan dust in the region and its effects on the environment, as well as on the climate of the Sierra Nevada.
What are the effects of Saharan dust?
Research has managed to detail some of the effects of Saharan dust on this ecosystem. Among them you can see the fertilizing effect in primary production, since this dust that enters is rich in phosphorus. When entering the lagoons of Sierra Nevada during the last decades, has contributed to the further development of cladocerans like Daphnia. These animals have high requirements for calcium in their diet, which they also receive from this Saharan powder.
These lagoons that are located in Sierra Nevada, such as the Laguna de Aguas Verdes or the Laguna de Río Seco, have provided this research group with clear evidence that climate change is having an impact on all the world's ecosystems. What happens in one country can have repercussions on ecosystems in another, since nature knows no political boundaries. It is also notable that mud rain phenomenon, which is related to the arrival of Saharan dust and can have a significant impact on the health of the environment.
“Mainly, due to the changes observed in the biological communities and primary production that began at the beginning of the XNUMXth century, but which intensify in recent decades, and which indicate a regional-scale response to climate and Saharan dust deposition,” says Laura Jiménez, a researcher at the UGR, who also adds that “the study confirms that the high mountain lagoons of the Sierra Nevada are excellent systems for reconstructing the past environmental conditions of these aquatic ecosystems on a scale of centuries.”
Study conclusions
In general, the increase in air temperature and the decrease in rainfall during these last decades are generating effects in the lagoons of Sierra Nevada. It is only necessary to see that every year the precipitations in the form of snow are more scarce. One of the effects that is being seen the most is that of advance in the removal of snow and ice, Increased water temperature and increased water residence time. This phenomenon is related to studies on the effects of climate change in other regions and the impact they have on aquatic ecosystems.
They also have to take into account that Saharan dust affects cladoceran communities and favors the development of certain species such as Alona quadrangularis, a more generalist species than others better adapted to more extreme conditions or colder environments such as Chydorus sphaericus, which shows a change in the biodiversity of the environment.
Ultimately, this study represents further proof that climate change increases the intrusion of Saharan dust in the Iberian Peninsula, since droughts in the Sahara are more frequent. Therefore, this dust is changing the trophic state of the lagoons and the structure of the biological communities that live in them.
