Studying Hydrogeochemical Processes to Understand Hydrodiversity and the Related Natural and Cultural Heritage. The Case of Los Hoyos Area (South Spain)

The protection of Geodiversity has been gaining interest during the last decades. However, the study of Hydrodiversity has been much less developed than other aspects of the geological heritage (lithology, mineralogy, geomorphology, paleontology). To evaluate the importance of Hydrodiversity, as part of geodiversity, and how it can condition the natural and cultural heritage of a region, a joint characterization of the hydrogeochemical and isotopic aspects of Los Hoyos area has been carried out. This is an evaporitic karst enclave of great environmental value, located in southern Spain. The main processes that explain the hydrodiversity of the area are (1) the availability of minerals in the environment, (2) the residence time of groundwater, (3) the evaporation of water in the wetlands, (4) the common-ion effect (5) and the high ionic strength of groundwater. All these processes, directly related to the geology and geomorfology of the area (Geodiversity), have given rise to diverse ecosystems (including protected wetlands), which enhance local Biodiversity, and geological forms (travertines) and are connected to the area's cultural heritage (salt extraction from the Paleolithic). The case here presented is an example of the importance of Hydrodiversity in the natural and cultural heritage and highlight the need of advancing in the definition and promotion of the hydrological heritage.