open access publication

Article, 2024

The Cultural Ecohydrogeology of Mediterranean-Climate Springs: A Global Review with Case Studies

Environments, ISSN 2076-3298, Volume 11, 6, Page 110, 10.3390/environments11060110

Contributors

Pascual, Roger [1] Piana, Lucia 0009-0000-9787-2486 [2] Bhat, Sami Ullah 0000-0003-1358-9507 [3] Castro, Pedro Fidel [4] Corbera, Jordi 0000-0003-3583-3929 [5] Cummings, Dion [6] [7] Delgado, Cristina [8] Eades, Eugene [7] Fensham, Roderick John 0000-0003-3658-5867 [9] [10] Fernández-Martínez, Marcos 0000-0002-5661-3610 [5] [11] [12] [13] Ferreira, Verónica 0000-0001-7688-2626 [14] Filippini, Maria 0000-0001-5050-5072 [2] García, Guillermo [1] Gargini, Alessandro 0000-0002-9271-219X [2] Hopper, Stephen Donald 0000-0002-0364-2856 [7] Knapp, Lynette [6] [7] Lewis, Ian D [15] Peñuelas, Josep 0000-0002-7215-0150 [11] [12] [13] Preece, Catherine 0000-0001-6584-3541 [16] Resh, Vincent H [17] Romero, Estela 0000-0003-3115-7572 [12] [13] [18] Samraoui, Boudjéma 0000-0002-0608-9021 [19] Samraoui, Farrah 0000-0003-2407-3004 [20] Segadelli, Stefano 0000-0001-5260-6256 [21] Skoulikidis, Nikolaos Th. [22] Solak, Cüneyt Nadir 0000-0003-2334-4271 [23] Solé, Jaume [1] Villholth, Karen Grothe 0000-0002-7552-6715 [24] Wani, Huma Khurshid 0009-0006-0830-1598 [3] Cantonati, Marco 0000-0003-0179-3842 (Corresponding author) [2] Stevens, Lawrence E 0000-0003-4377-974X [25]

Affiliations

  1. [1] BioSciCat, Catalan Society of Sciences for the Conservation of Biodiversity, Apodaca 25, Baixos, 43004 Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain;, rpascual@bioscicat.org, (R.P.);, ggarcia@bioscicat.org, (G.G.);, jsole@bioscicat.org, (J.S.)
  2. [NORA names: Spain; Europe, EU; OECD];
  3. [2] University of Bologna
  4. [NORA names: Italy; Europe, EU; OECD];
  5. [3] University of Kashmir
  6. [NORA names: India; Asia, South];
  7. [4] University of the Balearic Islands
  8. [NORA names: Spain; Europe, EU; OECD];
  9. [5] Delegació de la Serralada Litoral Central, Institució Catalana d’Història Natural (ICHN), 08302 Mataró, Catalonia, Spain;, corberajordi@gmail.com, (J.C.);, m.fernandez@creaf.uab.cat, (M.F.-M.)
  10. [NORA names: Spain; Europe, EU; OECD];

Abstract

Cultures in Mediterranean climate zones (MCZs) around the world have long been reliant on groundwater and springs as freshwater sources. While their ecology and cultural sustainability are recognized as critically important, inter-relationships between springs and culture in MCZs have received less attention. Here we augmented a global literature review with case studies in MCZ cultural landscapes to examine the diversity and intensity of cultural and socio-economic relationships on spring ecohydrogeology. MCZs are often oriented on western and southern coasts in tectonically active landscapes which control aquifer structure, the prevalence of westerly winds, and aridity, and generally expose associated habitats and cultures to harsh afternoon sunlight. Cultural appreciation and appropriation of springs ranges widely, from their use as subsistence water supplies to their roles in profound traditions such as Greco-Roman nymphalea as well as Asian and Abrahamic spiritual cleansing and baptism. The abandonment of traditional ways of life, such as rural livestock production, for urban ones has shifted impacts on aquifers from local to regional groundwater exploitation. The commoditization of water resources for regional agricultural, industrial (e.g., mining, water bottling, geothermal resorts), and urban uses is placing ever-increasing unsustainable demands on aquifers and spring ecosystems. When the regional economic value of springs approaches or exceeds local cultural values, these irreplaceable aquatic ecosystems are often degraded, over-looked, and lost. Sustainable stewardship of springs and the aquifers that support them is a poorly recognized but central conservation challenge for modern Mediterranean societies as they face impending impacts of global climate change. Solutions to this crisis require education, societal dialogue, and improved policy and implementation.

Keywords

Global, Mediterranean climate zone, Mediterranean societies, abandonment, activity landscape, appreciation, approach, appropriateness, aquatic ecosystems, aquifer, aquifer structure, aridity, attention, baptism, case study, cases, challenges, changes, cleansing, climate change, climate zones, coast, commoditization, conservation, conservation challenges, crisis, cultural appreciation, cultural landscape, cultural sustainability, cultural values, culture, dialogue, diversity, ecology, ecosystem, education, exploitation, freshwater, freshwater sources, global climate change, global literature review, groundwater, groundwater exploitation, habitat, impact, impacts of global climate change, impending impact, implementation, improve policies, intensity, inter-relationships, landscape, life, literature review, livestock production, local cultural values, ones, over-looked, policy, prevalence, production, regional economic value, relationship, resources, review, societal dialogue, society, socio-economic relationships, solution, source, southern coast, spiritual cleansing, spring, spring approach, spring ecosystems, structure, study, subsistence, sunlight, sustainability, sustainability stewardship, tectonically active landscapes, tectonics, tradition, traditional way, urban ones, urban use, use, values, water, water resources, way, westerly winds, wind, world, zone

Funders

  • European Research Council
  • Science and Engineering Research Board
  • Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness
  • Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia
  • European Commission

Data Provider: Digital Science