Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
Sanabria Lake (42°07′30′′N; 06°43′00′′W; altitude 1000 m) is the largest natural lake in
the Iberian Peninsula, located in Spain, in the north-west of the province of Zamora-
Autonomous Region of Castilla-Léon (Figures 1 and 2). It is of glacial origin and has a
maximum depth of 53 m. The mean water volume of the lake, which occupies an area
of about 3.5 km2, is 96.3 Hm3 (water residence time (1942–1993): 0.76 years). This lake
is not an enclosed lake, being fed by the Tera River and its Cárdenas and Segundera tributaries.
It is part of the protected area of the Sanabria Lake Natural Park, also part of the
Natura 2000 network.
Similar to other Iberian rural territories, mostly those located in the inland and border
areas, this region is continuously losing population for several decades (Almonte & Pazos-
García, 2016). Most of the year around the lake there are about 200 inhabitants, but in
summer, this Natural Park is subject to great tourist pressure (according to Junta de Castilla y Leon (2015) more than 600,000 people visited the Park in this present year).
Therefore, Lake Sanabria is a very important socioeconomic resource for the inhabitants
of its surroundings, representing the main tourist attraction of this region. Besides, it offers
different environmental and ecosystem services, having a high biodiversity and, like all oligotrophic
mountain lakes, is an extremely sensitive ecosystem (Guillén Oterino, 2015;
Jambrina-Enríquez, Recio, Vega, & Valero-Garcés, 2017; Negro, De Hoyos, & Vega,
2000). Recreational activities on, in and along freshwaters can stress aquatic ecosystems
(Venohr et al., 2018). Therefore, a question arises: how to balance recreational/educational
activities in freshwater ecosystems, disturbances and ecological integrity?
Description
Keywords
Pedagogical Context
Citation
Geraldes, Ana Maria; Oterino Guillén, Antonio; Salvador Velasco, David de (2019). An innovative model for environmental interpretation in freshwater ecosystems: the case of a solar-wind cruise through Lake Sanabria (NW Spain). Journal of Ecotourism. ISSN 1472-4049. p. 1-9