Project title: Lasfuentes wetland team

Team: Lasfuentes wetland team

IES Pedro Cerrada   Utebo   Spain   9 Student’s age: 16-17 years old

How is climate change affecting the ecosystem of the “Las Fuentes” wetland?

We plan to analyze the effects of the drought that Spain is suffering in the wetland sponsored by our school. For this we carried out a multidisciplinary study, focused on 3 points. Study of the water level in relation to rainfall, analysis of water quality and classification of vegetation and fauna.
To establish the relationship between the water level, the level of the Ebro river and rainfall, we use the Sentinel-2 NDWI through the Copernicus open access hub to establish the area occupied by the water surface, the Ebro flow data through from the Ebro’s Automatic Hydrological Information System and data from the local weather station through AEMET to obtain the monthly amount of water in mm.
On the other hand, we carry out monthly analyzes of water quality, measuring Ph, electrical conductivity, temperature, dissolved oxygen, turbidity and nitrogen.
Finally, we carry out a classification of the species of fauna and vegetation that sustains the wetland through direct observations, camera traps and nets for invertebrates.

Thanks to data collected by the Sentinel-2 satellite, we discovered that the surface area of the wetland was not influenced by changes in the Ebro river’s flow or rainfall. Despite the prolonged drought and reduced river flow, the wetland remained largely unchanged. This prompted us to reconsider our hypothesis and instead focus on identifying the primary water source. By employing a conductivity meter, we analyzed water samples from the Ebro river, the wetland, and other nearby water sources. Our findings revealed that the water in the wetland had the same conductivity as that of the Imperial canal, constructed in the 19th century. To further verify our theory, we used topographical cuts and relief maps and established a clear relationship between the wetland’s water level and the periods in which the canal was closed for maintenance. Our conclusion was that water losses from the canal supplied the wetland and were not initially affected by changes in water level due to the drought in the Ebro river.

However, our analysis of water quality revealed a high level of nitrates in the water. The canal, which always carries a constant flow of water, draws from the Ebro river. The reduced flow of the river has significantly impacted its self-purification level, resulting in a worrying increase in nitrate concentration month after month. Therefore, while the water level in the wetland remains unaffected, its water quality is declining and may negatively impact macroinvertebrates and fish due to a decrease in oxygen levels. We conclude that although the drought is not affecting the wetland’s water level so far, it is affecting its water quality.

There are several actions that can be taken to help minimize the problem of water pollution and reduce the impact on the ecosystem of the wetlands.
Encouraging sustainable agriculture practices,
Creating buffer zones around wetlands to help to filter out pollutants.
Implementing more advanced wastewater treatment systems.
We consider that as a school the best way to act is to educate the local communities about the importance of wetlands and their impact on the ecosystem. So we are organizing an awareness campaign with the help of the city council.

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