Temporary ponds and sustainability.

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The temporary ponds are part of the natural landscape that surrounds our towns and cities. It is a natural heritage that brings countless benefits to society. Some of these benefits are the regulation of the climate, the conservation of biodiversity, they regulate runoff and the desiccation of arid areas, they can be essential points for fauna to come to drink and feed, or simply allow us to observe the animals and plants in its natural environment. These temporary lagoons are characterized by recurring flooding and drying out, which makes them dry in summer. In fact, they present a very characteristic diversity with an often exclusive fauna and flora, since they have to be adapted to the drying period and the unpredictability of the flood, and they do not usually tolerate the presence of fish. This characteristic high diversity has led Mediterranean temporary lagoons to be considered as priority habitats for conservation by the Habitats Directive of the European Union (code: 3170). These are ecosystems that are highly vulnerable to external disturbances. The low volume they contain, their dependence many times on the recharge of underground aquifers in poor condition, and their invisibility during the period of desiccation has meant that, in recent decades, they have suffered a high degradation, many of them even disappear. Its current threats include anthropic effects, such as changes in land use (plows, road construction, etc.), climate change, since they depend directly on the rainfall regime, and the arrival of exotic species, since that these bodies of water are highly vulnerable to the risk of invasion. For the activity, we will take samples of aquatic insects and other inhabitants of these temporary pools, which we can observe under a binocular magnifying glass and an optical microscope, and the public will be able to learn about them. Also, an informative poster will be placed on the operation of temporary ponds, their benefits for society and their conservation in the face of current threats.