Climatic changes and aquatic ecosystem evolution of the "Tablas de Daimiel" National Park (Spain).

The "Tablas de Daimiel" National Park (TDNP) is a large wetland developed in the high Guadiana Basin (Southern Sub-Meseta, Spain). The study of the lithology, fossil pollen of terrestrial and aquatic plants, Charophytes algae and gastropods of a care obtained from a deposit located into the TDNP has allowed to reconstruct both the climatic changes occurred during the last 10,400 years BP and their incidence on the variations of the water level of the TDNP wetland. The development of the terrestrial vegetation has allowed to establish eight climatic stages with a general trend from extreme conditions to the present continental mediterranean climate. The study of the aquatic vegetation (hydrophytes, hygrophytes and Charophytes) has allowed to reconstruct ten stages of the variations of the water level as well as the characteristics of the aquatic environment which has changed from a fluvial system to the present palustrine-lacustrine one.