Integrative multi-scale analysis of the impact of the drainage of the La Janda lake (Cádiz province, Spain) and a model for its sustainable regeneration.

The drainage of the lake of La Janda (Cadiz, Spain), Spain's largest lake, commenced at the beginning of the nineteenth century and the process was virtually complete by 1962. Its drainage signified the loss of one of the most important wetlands in the Palaearctic. There is currently a renewed interest in La Janda and the possibility of its regeneration is under study by the Consejeria de Medio Ambiente of the Junta de Andalucia and the University of Cordoba. The purpose of this paper is to summarise the value of La Janda prior to its drainage through the results of a multidisciplinary study and to propose an integrative model for its regeneration which takes into account not only its geological and biological potential but also its historical and archaeological values. The study brings together data from historical and archaeological research with that gathered in the field by geologists and biologists. The model, which includes the physical and biotic processes operating across different spatial and temporal scales, considers this regeneration within the socio-economic use of La Janda.