Conservation Doñana National Park

view of doñana national park visitors centre @ el acebuche

the spanish businessman mauricio gonzález-gordon y díez, marquis of bonanza, family owned large estate in doñana, became interested in ecosystems , birdlife, , invited ornithologists on europe visit. in 1952, spanish ornithologists josé antonio valverde , francisco bernis visited property, gonzález-gordon serving guide. valverde , gonzález-gordon family saw wetlands, richly diverse wildlife, threatened spanish government s proposals drain them farming , planting of eucalyptus trees. mauricio, father, asked bernis try , influence spanish dictator francisco franco abandoning plans. trio wrote memorandum presented franco himself mauricio s father manuel. november 1953 bernis had finished report on status of doñana showed area had exceptional ecological value. group sought , obtained international support goals. efforts of gonzález-gordon dissuade franco exposed him danger, franco government conceded , drainage plans aborted.

valverde led first organised scientific expedition donana in 1957, joined british naturalists guy mountfort, roger peterson, , sir julian huxley. group of european conservation experts – including guy monfort, max nicholson , luc hoffmann –then demonstrated crucial importance of area stopover birds migrating between european , african continents. in 1959, gonzalez family sold part of land in doñana development of matalascañas resort. alarmed european conservationists, leading various institutions , anonymous donors offer buy part of property. valverde, hoffman, , nicholson, in partnership british nature conservancy, formed association organised international drive funds expand park. campaign raised 2 million swiss francs buy 7,000 hectares of land annexation donated gonzález-gordon. finally, in 1963 spanish government , wwf bought part of territory , created first doñana preserve, , in 1964 established doñana biological station , spanish national research council (consejo superior de investigaciones científicas - csic) study biodiversity of doñana , other spanish ecosystems.

el porrón observatory

in 1969, wwf again joined forces spanish government purchase section of guadalquivir delta marshes , establish doñana national park. same year doñana national park created decree, part of territory owned ministry of economy , competitiveness (ministerio de economía y competitividad) , part still in private hands. ten years later protected area expanded , so-called preparque doñana created. in 1980, unesco recognised doñana national park biosphere reserve of 77,260 hectares. core zone consists of 50,720 hectares in national park of doñana. buffer zone 54,250 hectares in natural park of doñana. altitude ranges sea level 40 meters above sea level. unesco considers doñana of world significance, based on variety of ecosystems , wide number of species harbor. in 1982 included in list of wetlands of ramsar convention, , in 1989 regional government of andalusia converted preparque doñana natural park. in 1994 listed unesco world heritage site, enabling establishment of programs preserve , manage area. historically, these vital wetlands have been threatened schemes increase local agricultural output , tourism. wwf still supports doñana, , fighting proposals drain marshes , syphon off water irrigation of agricultural land along coast , expansion of tourist facilities.

in 1998, aznalcóllar disaster occurred when holding dam burst @ los frailes mine owned boliden-apirsa (formerly andaluza de piritas, s.a.), spanish subsidiary of boliden, releasing flood of toxic sludge entered river guadiamar, main water source park. in 2000, after major environmental catastrophe, spanish ministry of environment promoted doñana 2005 program, aimed @ regenerating marshes. in 2006 responsibilities of maintaining park transferred government of andalusia royal decree of 9 june; functions , services of nature conservation administration transferred andalusian state widened, , doñana national park , natural park became natural area of doñana , single territory divided areas different levels of environmental protection. in 2008 park twinned regional natural park camargue in france, shares anthropological , ethnographic aspects.

during tenure, spanish prime minister felipe gonzález began using doñana vacation retreat, setting precedent successors josé maría aznar , josé luis rodríguez zapater. in 2010, 9200 hectares of land on coastline expropriated former ministerio de medio ambiente (ministry of environment) protection. in july 2012, unesco approved extension of biosphere reserve of doñana 77,260 hectares on 255,000 hectares , enabled compliance guidelines of man , biosphere program. created transition zone socio-economic interests of various municipalities in doñana region represented.