EcoFonts

Objective: The objective of this long-term project is to monitor 90 spring ecosystems distributed throughout Catalonia in order to study the changes undergone by their plant communities and the chemistry of their waters.
 
Introduction: Mediterranean spring ecosystems are in serious danger due to global change. The greatest threats are the increase in frequency and intensity of droughts, the rise in temperatures and the pollution of aquifers. The abandonment of traditional activities and the growth of intensive agriculture have also influenced the loss of many of these ecosystems.

Project actions: This project will assess the status of bryophyte and phanerogam communities in the spring ecosystems of Catalonia, to see how changes in climate, droughts and spring water chemistry (e.g. due to contamination of aquifers) affect the populations of the different species that inhabit the spring ecosystems. Dissemination will also be carried out in schools, for primary and secondary school pupils, to try to make the new generations aware of and respectful of these ecosystems.