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The Physical Framework and Historic Human Influences in the Ebro River

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Book cover The Ebro River Basin

Part of the book series: The Handbook of Environmental Chemistry ((HEC,volume 13))

Abstract

The river Ebro watershed is highly diverse, including high mountain sub-watersheds (Pyrenees) flowing on siliceous material to slow flow meandering areas in the middle reach and canyon type channel at the lower part of the main Ebro River. The large depression at the middle part of the watershed, draining a calcareous gypsum soil, determines high conductivity values of the river water. The geography of the river also determines a large range of climatic conditions from the Atlantic climate type to the semi-arid Mediterranean climate. At the same time, vegetation is also highly diverse including boreal species and Mediterranean species. However, the biogeochemical characteristics of the river water are highly influenced by anthropogenic activities. The main effects are those due to discharge regulation (i.e., the construction of the large reservoirs) and agriculture (determining increases in nitrate concentration).

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Acknowledgments

The manuscript was partially funded by Consolider-Ingenio SCARCE (CSD2009-00065). The Confederación Hidrográfica del Ebro (CHE) provided long term physical and chemical data.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Aquatic Ecology and Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Girona, Campus de Montilivi, 17071, Girona, Spain

    A. M. Romaní

  2. Catalan Institute of Water Research, University of Girona, Girona, Spain

    S. Sabater

  3. University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

    I. Muñoz

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  1. A. M. Romaní
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  2. S. Sabater
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  3. I. Muñoz
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Correspondence to A. M. Romaní .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Department of Environmental Chemistry, IDAEA-CSIC, c/Jordi Girona 18-26, Barcelona, 08034, Spain

    Damià Barceló

  2. , Department of Environmental Chemistry, IDAEA-CSIC, Jordi Girona 18-26, Barcelona, 08034, Spain

    Mira Petrovic

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Romaní, A.M., Sabater, S., Muñoz, I. (2010). The Physical Framework and Historic Human Influences in the Ebro River. In: Barceló, D., Petrovic, M. (eds) The Ebro River Basin. The Handbook of Environmental Chemistry(), vol 13. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/698_2010_66

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