ARTICLE
SCIENTIA
ge undensis,
16/2:27-41
(1990)
A COMPARATIVE LIMNOLOGICAL STUDY
OF THE GUADALHORCE RESERVOIRS SYSTEM
(MALAGA, S.E. SPAIN)
J.
A mengoll,
J.
Ca alánl,
N.
Gabellone2,
D.
Jaumel,
J.
de Manuell,
E.
Ma il, J.A. Mo guil, J. Nollal, J. Peñuelasl, M. Real',
J.L.
Rie al,
S. Saba e l,
F.
Saba e l,
&
J.
Toja2.
1. Depa amen &Ecologia, Facul a de Biologia. Uni e si a de Ba celona.
A inguda Diagonal, 645.08028 Ba celona.
2. Depa amen o de Ecologia, Facul ad de Biologia. Uni e sidad de Se illa.
Apa ado 1095. 41080 Se illa.
RESUM
A pa i de les dades ob ingudes en les isi es du an el pe íode de ba eja (ma $ 1988) i
es a i icació (se emb e 1988) en els es embassamen s del Sis ema Guadalho ce, s'anali -
zen les espec i es di e kncies ísico-químiques i biolbgiques.
To i que els es embassamen s p esen en un con ingu en sals dissol es ela i amen
al , Conde de Guadalho ce és d'aigües ca bona ades, men e que a Guadalho ce són impo -
an s els clo u s i Guadal eba é composició in e m dia. En aques s dos da e s embassa-
men s la p eskncia dels clo u s compo a la o mació d'una haloclina mol ma cada, que a
Guadalho ce és pe manen .
Pel que a a les se es ca ac ens iques b iques, Guadal eba i Guadalho ce són eu b i-
ques, la qual cosa es e lec eix en les al es concen acions de nu ien s i de pigmen s o o-
sin k ics, i en la se a ele ada espi ació i ETS. D'al a banda, Conde de Guadalho ce es po
conside a com a meso o ic, a més de no esgo a -se l'oxigen de l'hipoli nnion du an l'es iu.
RESUMEN
A pa i de 10s mues eos e ec uados du an e el pe íodo de mezcla (ma zo de 1988) y es-
a i icación (se iemb e de 1988) en 10s es embalses del sis ema Guadalho ce, se analizan
sus di e encias isicoquimicas
y
biológicas.
Aunque 10s es embalses p esen an un con enido de sales disuel as ela i amen e al o,
Conde de Guadalho ce es de aguas ca bona adas, mien as que en Guadalho ce son impo -
an es 10s clo u os y Guadal eba se encuen a en una posición in e media. En es os dos
61-
imos embalses la p esencia de clo u os de e mina la exis encia de una haloclina muy ma -
cada, que en el caso de Guadalho ce es pe manen e.
Desde el pun o de is a de sus ca ac e ís icas ó icas, Guadal eba
y
Guadalho ce son
eu ó icos, 10 que se e leja en la al a concen ación de nu ien es
y
pigmen os, asi como
po ene espi ación y ETS ele ados. Po el con a io, Conde de Guadalho ce puede con-
side a se como meso ó ico a pa i de 10s mismos pa áme os, además de pe manece con
oxigeno en el hipolimnion du an e odo el e ano.
28
J. ARMENGOL, J.
CATALAN,
N.
GABELLONE,
D.
JAUME
&
AL.
INTRODUCTION
Al hough he e a e mo e han 900 ese oi s in Spain, only a ew o hem ha e
c enogenic me omixis in he sense o Walke
&
Likens (1975). Among hem, wo
o he ese oi s in he Guadalho ce Sys em, Guadal eba and Guadalho ce, ha e
his ype o s a i ica ion. In con as , he hi d ese oi in his Sys em, Conde de
Guadalho ce, is wa m monomic ic in consonance wi h he clima ic cha ac e is ics
o he Medi e anean egion.
As he ese oi s a e oge he (Fig. 1) hey a e submi ed o simila clima ic
condi ions, and only he chemical composi ion o he wa e coming in o each one
can be conside ed as a ac o o di e gence in hei ecology. The main chemical
di e ences a e due o he concen a ion o o al dissol ed sal s and o he
dominance o ce ain majo i a y ions in he wa e composi ion.
This pape summa izes, om a compa a i e poin o iew, he empo al
changes o each ese oi caused by he di e en o al mine al con en dissol ed
in he wa e and he e ical dis ibu ion o chlo ide. As hese ese oi s we e
p e iously s udied be ween 1972 and 1974 (Ma gale e al., 1976), he changes in
he main limnological cha ac e is ics o each ese oi a e also conside ed.
Guadal
ho ce-
VALLE
DE ABDALAJIS
Figu e
.l.
Loca ion o he Guadalho ce Rese oi s Sys em.
A
LIMNOLOGICAL STUDY OF THE GUADALHORCE RESERVOIRS SYSTEM
29
Table
1.
Hyd og aphic and mo phome ic cha ac e is ics o he Guadalho ce Rese oi s Sys em.
Conde de
Guadalho ce Guadal eba Guadalho ce
Al i ude (a. s. 1.) (m) 342 364 364
Volume (Hm3) 83 164 148
Su ace (ha) 510 796 759
Maximum dep h
(m)
37 58 58
Mean dep h (m) 16,8 20,6 19,5
Ca chmen a ea (~m~) 270,5
-------.--
1431
--------
A e age annual
low
(Hm3) 39,5 73,6 49,7
Residence ime (day s) 767 813 1087
STUDY AREA
Guadalho ce Sys em is o med by h ee ese oi s placed in he con luence o he
Guadalho ce i e wi h i s wo la ge ibu a ies (Tu ón and Guadal eba i e s);
(Fig. 1, Table 1). They a e si ua ed in he NE oo hills o he Se ania de Ronda
(Málaga, SE Spain) and ha e he hyd ological in luence o wo e y di e en a eas.
Thus, Conde de Guadalho ce ese oi is loca ed in he Tu ón i e which d ains
he ka s ic a ea o Se ania de Ronda. I s wa e composi ion is domina ed by sal s
coming om he dissolu ion o calci e and dolomi e. In con as , Guadalho ce
ese oi , placed in he i e o he same name, has i s ca chmen a ea in he
endo eic zone o An eque a. As a consequence, he dissol ed mine al con en o
he wa e is highe and i is domina ed by chlo ide and sul a e ions. In addi ion, a
sp ing which is some imes subme ged (manan ial de Meliones) deli e s an a e age
low o 20 1 s-' o dense saline wa e (80-140 g 1-1) (Rod íguez Pa adinas pe sonal
communica ion) o he deep pa o he ese oi . As a esul o bo h kinds o inpu s,
Guadalho ce becomes me omic ic. Finally, Guadal eba ese oi is si ua ed in an
in e media e posi ion. I s d ainage basin also lies in he endo eic a ea o An eque a
and i ecei es some deepwa e coming om he Guadalho ce ese oi . The e o e,
he e is an accumula ion o saline wa e in he bo om and i also becomes
me omic ic.
METHODS
The s udy o he Guadalho ce Rese oi Sys em was ca ied ou along 1988. Two
samples we e aken in each ese oi , co esponding o he mixing (913188) and
s a i ica ion (1519188) pe iods. Tempe a u e and conduc i i y p o iles we e
measu ed in si u wi h a WTW conduc i ime e while pH and Eh we e de e mined
a each sampling dep h wi h an O ion mod. 23 1 pH
&
Eh-me e supplied wi h Ross
elec odes.
30
J. ARMENGOL, J. CATAL~N,
N.
GABELLONE,
D.
JAUME
&
AL.
A
LIMNOLOGICAL STUDY
OF THE
GUADALHORCE
RESERVOIRS
SYSTEM
31
Some analysis, such as alkalini y and hyd ogen sul ide by olume ic i a ion
(S anda d Me hods, 1980) o he O2 concen a ion and he da k bo le espi a ion
by Winkle 's me hod (Gol e man, 1969), we e i n nedia ely pe o med in o de o
p e en quick changes in he samples concen a ion.
Wa e samples we e i s ozen in liquid ni ogen and hen conse ed a -20 OC
un i1 hey we e aken o he labo a o y. The ollowing pa ame e s we e measu ed
om wa e samples in he labo a o y: S042- and C1- we e de e mined by Ionic
Ch oma og aphy; Na, K and Mg by A omic Abso ion Spec ome y; Ca, Fe, Mn,
Cu, Al and o al Si by Induced Coupled Plasma; Pa icula e o ganic ca bon (POC)
and ni ogen (PON) by means o a Ca 10 E ba CNH Analyze and soluble eac i e
phospha e (SRP), ni a e, ni i e a and ammonia wi h a Technicon Au oanalyze ,
acco ding o he me hod o G asho e al. (1983), modi ied o eshwa e analysis.
The chlo ophylls we e de e mined by a HPLC sys em acco ding o Man ou a
&
Lewellin (1983), while phycobilins we e ex ac ed by he me hod o S ewa
&
Fa me (1984) and calcula ed a e Siegelman
&
Kycia (1978). Phy oplank on
coun ings we e ca ied ou u using U e m+hl's me hod. Finally, he espi a o y
elec on anspo (ETS) ac i i y was measu ed ollowing Packa d e al. (1989).
RESULTS
Rela i e ionic composi ion
The Pipe diag am (Fig.
2)
shows he main di e ences in he majo ionic
componen s o wa e . Guadalho ce and Conde de Guadalho ce ha e espec i ely
high saline and ca bona e wa e s wi h mino di e ences in hei ela i e
composi ion along he e ical p o ile. On he con a y, Guadal eba has wo ypes
o wa e : while in he mixolimnion he e is no a dominan ion, he moni noli nnion
has a saline ype o wa e , e y simila o ha ound in he Guadal eba ese oi
p oduc ion.
The mal and chemical s a i ica ion
Conde de Guadalho ce is he leas saline ese oi , because wa e is domina ed by
ca bona e and calcium. The conduc i i ies ange be ween 378 and 441
@3
cm-1.
In hese condi ions only he mal s a i ica ion is achie ed (Fig.e 3).
In
summe he e
is an impo an ou low o deepwa e , he he mocline alls close o he bo om and
a
2
m hick hypolimnion can only be ound.
In Guadalho ce ese oi , he wa e coming om he saline sp ing o Meliones
accumula es in he bo om, displaces he less dense wa e , and o ms a monimolim-
nion.
In
win e his deep zone emains well di e en ia ed om he mixolimnion.
Du ing he summe hea ing he he mocline plunges while he halocline aises due
o he accumula ion o saline wa e . A he end o sum ne hey a e joined and only
an hypolimnion can be seen (Fig. 3).

32
J. ARMENGOL, J. CATALÁN,
N.
GABELLONE,
D.
JAUME
&
AL.
The Guadal eba ese oi has he mos complex pa em o s a i ica ion (Fig.
3).
The wa e coming om i s ca ch nen a ea eaches conduc i i ies be ween 900 and
975
pS
cm-1 and i ollows he same pa e n o he mal s a i ica ion as Conde de
Guadalho ce. A he same ime, i ecei es deep saline wa e inpu s om
I
TEMPERATURE
1
.
-
CONDUCTIVITY,
pS/cm
Figu e
3.
Ve ical p o iles o empe a u e and conduc i i y a
25
OC.
A LIMNOLOGICAL STUDY OF
THE
GUADALHORCE RESERVOIRS SYSTEM
33
Table
2.
Pea son's co ela ion coe icien be ween ETS and se e a1 en i on nen al pa a ne e s
in Conde de Guadalho ce and Guadal eba ese oi s.
N.S.
wi hou signi ican co ela ion;
*p
<
0,Ol;
**
p
<
0,001.
Conde de
Guadalho ce Guadal eba
ETS ETS
Respi a ion
0,88**
NS
POC
NS
0,98**
PON NS
0,99**
Chl-a
0,73* 0,97**
Guadaiho ce ha a e accumula ed in a deep laye a he bo om.
In
hese condi ions
he di e en ia ion o a mixolimnion and a monimolimnion is e y clea du ing all
he yea , bu i is specially impo an in summe when an independen he mocline
and halocline a e de eloped.
Elec on anspo sys em and biological ac i i y
The espi a o y elec on anspo sys em (ETS) is he biochemical machine y
esponsible o oxygen consump ion. F om an ecological poin o iew, i s measu e
gi es an es ima ion o he maximum espi a o y capaci y o o ganisms. As we had
so many p oblems wi h o accu acy wi h he espi a o y alues ob ained by means
o he da k bo le me hod, we ha e used he ETS da a as he main es ima e o he
espi a ion. Un o una ely, samples om Guadalho ce ese oi we e no well
conse ed, so we ha e no ETS da a o he wo sa nplings and o win e chlo ophyll
concen a ion.
In he o he wo ese oi s, ETS is highly co ela ed wi h chlo ophyll-a
concen a ion (Table 2), showing he p ominence o p ima y p oduce s.
In
gene al,
ETS alues we e highe in win e han in summe (Fig. 4). Thus, in he su ace
wa e s o Guadal eba a, a e y high maximum alue o 230
pl
O2 1-1 h-1 was
measu ed due o a bloom o
Anabaena a iabilis
(291 mg Chl-a m-3).
In
con as ,
lowe alues we e ound in Conde de Guadalho ce whe e only 3,19
pl
O2 1-1 h-1
we e a ained a he su ace wi h 2,7 mg Ch hl-a m-3. A he end o summe , esul s
o ETS show an impo an dec ease o he po en ial espi a o y ac i i y, ha is o
say, o ali e biomas. In Guadal eba he maximum alue measu ed in summe was
5,21
pl
O2 1-1 h-1 while in Conde de Guadalho ce was o only 0.52
pl
O2 1-1 h-1, ound
nea he bo om (Fig. 4).
When o he biomass ela ed pa ame e s a e compa ed wi h ETS esul s, he
ese oi s show a di e gen beha iou . In Guadal eba ese oi ETS and
chlo ophyll-a concen a ion a e well co ela ed wi h pa icula e o ganic ca bon
(POC) and ni ogen (PON) (Table 2), showing he dominance o phy oplank on
34
J. ARMENGOL, J. CATALAN, N. GABELLONE,
D.
JAUME
&
AL.
in he pa icula e o ganic ma e . In con as , ETS alues in Conde de Guadalho ce
a e highly co ela ed wi h he da k bo le espi a ion. Al hough he co ela ion o
ETS wi h chlo ophyll-a is also signi ican a he
0,05
le el, i is lowe han in
Guadal eba, and he e a e no co ela ions wi h POC and PON (Table
2).
These
esul s sugges wo p ocesses wi h ega d o he pa icula e o ganic ma e :
1)
In
spi e o he phy oplank on being he mos impo an sou u ce o espi a o y ac i i y,
ETS,
pI
021-I
h-I
-101234
o
I
'
-w
?
o
O
1
o
-
I
o
20
i.
o
30
C.
de Guadalho ce
0-0
Win e
0-0
Summe
40
ETS,
pI
0~1-I
h-I
O
50 100 150 200 250
0-0
Win e
0-0
Summe
0-0
Win e
0-0
Summe
40
Guadal eba
0-0
Win e
0-0
Summe
Figu e
4.
Ve ical dis ibu ion o
ETS
ac i i y
and
chlo ophyll-a concen a ion.
A
LIMNOLOGICAL STUDY OF THE GUADALHORCE RESERVOIRS SYSTEM
35
zooplank on and decomposing bac e ia ha e also i s sha e
2)
The e a e high
quan i ies o o ganic ma e no ela ed wi h ETS, i.e. o de i al o ganic ma e .
En i onmen al condi ions associa ed o Eh p o iles
As a consequence o he he mic and haline s a i ica ion beyond biolo 'cal
ac i i y, he h ee ese oi s show impo an g adien s o edox po en ial. Aile
in win e he Eh p o iles a e no so s ong as in summe , in he me omic ic
ese oi s some impo an di e ences be ween he mixolimnion and he
Redox
po en ial (Eh),
mV
300 400
Conde de Guadalho ce
0-0
Summe
2
O
e
Guadal eba
o
e
0-0
Summe
40
U-
Guadal ho ce
o
S
0.
e-e
1
Su nme
Figu e
5.
Disí ibu ion dong he e ical p o iles o edox po en ial.