en El Delta de L'Ebre Natural Park appearance unique.The expansive rice fields, changing remaining examples of salt pans in Catalonia. Hunting according to the season (muddy in winter, flooded and sport fishing have always been one of the with water in the spring, green in summer) dominate attractions of the Delta, but in addition to this, there the Delta's physiognomy. Along the coastal area lie are also a significant number of tourists who visit the some of the most appealing landscapes of the Delta today as much for the scientific interest they Mediterranean: large lagoons surrounded by reed have in the area's flora and fauna as for its scenic swamps and rushes. On the edge of the area there are beauty. wide expanses of saline soils and salt marshes, and For many years the coast around the Delta area was long, deserted beaches surrounded by dunes crowned feared by sailors. For this reason, the area was marked with beachgrass and other plants that are well and lit up in 1864 with 3 iron lighthouses, situated at adapted to the environment. La Punta del Fangar point, on the island of L'illa de Buda and at La Punta de la Banya point. The El Delta de L'Ebre (the Ebro delta) offers us an lighthouse on L'illa de Buda was swallowed by the sea THE DELTA AND HUMANS TODAY incomparable, unique and singular natural area, with in 1960 and the lighthouse at El Fangar was replaced a landscape of great biological richness and a wide several times until the current picturesque concrete variety of fauna. With an area of 320 km2, it is the Agriculture, and predominantly rice growing (over lighthouse was constructed. Of the original iron most extensive aquatic habitat in Catalonia, and as 20,000 ha and therefore almost all of the production lighthouses, the only one remaining is the lighthouse such, represents a vitally important enclave within the of this cereal in Catalonia), is one of the major at La Banya, which can be visited from the port of wetland areas of the Mediterranean. economic bases in the Delta. Market gardens and fruit Tarragona. The biological richness of the Delta provides a sharp trees occupy a small part of the area. Agricultural contrast to the more intensive human exploitation and cooperatives play an important role here, in particular agricultural transformation of a large part of the area. the rice-growing cooperatives. In order to encourage harmony between the natural Fishing is also a fundamental activity in the area, with Cover: Aerial view of the flamingo colony at La Punta de la Banya value of the area and its use by humans, the the nutrients brought by the river Ebro influencing the Photo: Francesc Vidal Government of Catalonia declared El Delta de L'Ebre ports of Sant Carles de la Ràpita, L'Ampolla, Deltebre, Natural Park in 1983, at the request of those living in Les Cases d'Alcanar, L'Ametlla de Mar and Vinaròs. Opposite page: Fisherman with trammel, fishing in the lagoons at La the area. Its importance is recognised on an Fishing in the pools is an ancient activity that uses Tancada international level by the leading specialised traditional equipment and skills. Photo: Mariano Cebolla organisations. There is little developed industry, and what there is The landscape of the Delta has a strong personality of almost always has an agricultural basis. The La Trinitat This page: Aerial view of the mouth of the Ebro Photo: Archive of PNDE its own, with its entirely flat terrain making its salt pans, at La Punta de la Banya, are the only 1 5 7 10 2 3 4 6 8 9 11 12 sand dunes that are more or less fixed by their freshwater springs, the elegant white water lily Fish: living between fresh and salt water The intensive farming of various bivalve molluscs, such THE DELTA ENVIRONMENTS vegetation. The most common species to be found (Nymphaea alba) and other mid-European plants can The meeting of the two aquatic environments in the as mussels, oysters and clams, along with fish such as 1 Sand dunes at La Punta del Fangar Photo: Teresa Martí here are marram grass (Ammophila arenaria be found. Delta, the marine and the continental environments, eels, sea bass or gilthead sea bream means that there The lagoons of the Delta originated as a direct subsp. arundinacea), sand couch grass (Elymus results in a great diversity of fish species. Whether is now a consolidated fish farming industry both in the 2 Dune toadstools consequence of the evolutionary dynamic of the Delta. farctus subsp. farctus) and the splendid sea FAUNA accidentally, temporarily or permanently, some 50 bays and in the open sea. Photo: Ferran Aguilar The majority were formed by the gathering of large daffodil (Pancratium maritimum). species colonise the waters of the Delta. Of particular bodies of marine water, progressively surrounded by The reed swamps are situated mainly around the interest are the Spanish toothcarp (Valencia Mammals 3 Night of the full moon sand bars and strands. lagoons and freshwater springs, areas that are A paradise for birds hispanica), a species that is endemic to the Iberian The high human population of the Delta means that the Photo: David Villasís Human control of the irrigation network of the Delta frequently flooded with fresh or salt water. The birds of the Delta are internationally important Peninsula, the fartet (Lebias ibera) and the freshwater presence of larger mammals is sporadic. This is the case 4 Appearance of the rice paddies after harvest has reversed the natural annual water cycle in the Characteristic plants of these areas are the common both in number and in variety. This area has some of blenny (Salaria fluviatilis). These three species are of of wild boars (Sus scrofa) and badgers (Meles meles). Photo: Ferran Aguilar lagoons and has conditioned the amount of reed (Phragmites australis) and the very large reed the most important breeding colonies of sea birds in special relevance, as they are in danger of extinction. There are still some wild rabbits (Oryctolagus freshwater entering the area. As a result, the (Phragmites australis subsp. Chrysanthus). The great the Mediterranean. Of particular interest among these In the continental waters we can find typical species cuniculus) and red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and, although 5 Working in the rice paddies underwater vegetation predominant in this area fen-sedge (Cladium mariscus) is dominant in peaty are the Adouin's gull (Larus audouinii), the sandwich such as the carp (Cyprinus carpio), the eel (Anguilla they are less common, there are still some hedgehogs Photo: Mariano Cebolla depends above all on the salinity of the water. and drier soils, while the bulrush (Typha sp. pl.) tern (Sterna sandvicencis) and the slender-billed gull anguilla) and the barbel (Barbus graellsii); there are (Erinaceus europaeus) and weasels (Mustela nivalis). The saline soil and salt marshes, dominated by dominates the less salty areas that are often flooded. (Larus genei). also other species that are in regression, such as the There are large numbers of Southern water voles 6 Weeding the rice Photo: Mariano Cebolla plants that are highly adapted to salinity, are Traditionally, these plants have been used in the The Delta is also used as a nesting area by other Twaite shad (Alosa fallax), the European sea (Arvicola sapidus), mice (Mus sp.) and shrews situated mainly along the coastal areas due to the making of woven seats, mats, baskets and so on. species of sandpiper, duck and wader. In the cold sturgeon (Acipenser sturio) and the sea lamprey (Crocidura sp.). The bat population in the Delta, 7 Adouin's gull (Larus audouinii) high salinity of the water table and the flooding The riparian forest, the only forest land in the area, is months, thousands of birds from Northern Europe (Petromyzon marinus), and species introduced by currently undergoing a process of recovery, consists of Photo: Daniel Oro caused by sea storms. In these areas there are also the potential plant life of the shores of the Ebro, where arrive at the Delta to spend the winter in its more humans such as the Wels catfish (Silurus glanis), the six different species. These mammals are good for the land is raised and the soil is less salty. The highest temperate climes, resulting in large flocks of ducks, zander (Stizostedion lucioperca) and the bleak humans, as they feed on mosquitoes. 8 Kingfisher (Alcedo Athis) ground is populated by poplar trees, mainly white coots and sandpipers in the lagoons and the flooded (Alburnus alburnus), which can cause major problems Photo: Ferran Aguilar poplar (Populus alba), although there is also white rice paddies. Other species of great interest that can in the structure of the fish populations. 9 Flamingos (Phoenicopterus roseus) willow (Salix alba), alder (Alnus glutinosa), ash be seen in the Delta include the shelduck (Tadorna In the zones of marine influence, such as the basins, Photo: Miguel Moya (Fraxinus sp. pl.) and elm (Ulmus minor), along with a tadorna), the flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus), the the bays and the river mouths, we can find species few interesting climbing vines, such as the glossy ibis (Plegadis falcinellus), the pratincole such as the gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata), the 10 Fresh-Water blenny (Salaria fluviatilis) honeysuckle (Lonicera biflora). As we move further (Glareola pratincola), and the oystercatcher sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax), the grey mullet Photo: Mariano Cebolla towards the sea, this woodland is replaced by (Haematopus ostralegus). (Mugil cephalus) and the sole (Solea vulgaris). The tamarisk woods. More than 350 bird species of the 600 that exist in majority of these species are of commercial 11 Squacco heron (Ardeola ralloides) Photo: Ferran Aguilar Sadly, there is very little of this vegetation left.