Saladas de Sástago-Bujaraloz. 07/01/11; Aragón; 8,145 ha; 41º23'59"N 000º12'36"W. Natura 2000 (SPA, SIC). An endorheic complex of 26 seasonal saline lakes located in a salt steppe ecosystem representing a habitat which is unique in Western Europe due to its geomorphological, geochemical, hydrological and ecological characteristics. Many of the lakes contain water for only short periods of time following heavy precipitation events and are mostly covered with a typical salt crust. Only 16 of the lakes are flooded regularly. The site is exceptionally rich in species specifically adapted to such extreme saline environments. It contains several threatened and endemic species such as crustacean Candelacypris aragonica, endemic to these salt lakes, as well as 31 species of flora endemic to the Iberian Peninsula or to the Ebro basin like Limonium stenophyllum. Furthermore, 238 vertebrate species have been recorded in the wider area, many of them of European interest. The site is of cultural importance due to its history of salt exploitation. It is used to some extent for rain-fed agriculture, research and nature tourism. Threatening factors include the possible future transformation from rain-fed to irrigated agriculture and the use of some of the lakes as a waste dump due to a lack of appreciation of the site's values. Ramsar Site number: 2038. Most recent RIS information: 2012.

Date de dernière publication: 01-01-2012