The restoration of El Partido stream watershed (Doñana Natural Park)

1800 ha of El Partido stream watershed, SW Spain, have been purchased by the Spanish Ministry of Environment to enlarge Doñana National Park. Prior to incorporation, a functional restoration will be carried out. El Partido stream is building a depositional sandy delta on Doñana Marsh (now ca. 400 ha) with little or no vegetation. Restoration Project envisages: - Building a hydraulic scheme favoring sand deposition upriver avoiding its transfer to the Marsh. - Restoring natural ecosystems previously existing in the area. The restoration project was divided into phases. First phase (342 ha) was based on self-organization of plant communities (self-design) during succession. Existing remnants of woody vegetation covering about 7.66 ha (2.2%) will be restored, adding about a three-fold surface (26.8 ha, 7.8%) of new plantations. Also, 545 new vegetation patches, initially covering 20.53 ha (about 6% of the area) will be planted, following composition and structure of the natural shrubbery. Each patch combines 5–10 perennial species: a core of a few trees, an inner area with some fruit–bearing scrub and the outer fringe with flower–bearing scrub. River banks will also be vegetated. Patch vegetation will attract insects and vertebrates (mostly birds), the latter eventually performing as dispersers of seeds, thus expanding the shrubbery. Finally, the restored area will provide the menaced Imperial eagle and Iberian lynx an appropriate hunting ground.