The The rains of recent months have changed the tone of the diagnosis regarding Doñana.For the first time in years, data points to a degree of stabilization in an area that had been experiencing extreme droughts and biodiversity loss. The new report, 'State of Biodiversity in Doñana 2025', prepared by the Doñana Biological Station (EBD-CSIC), paints a picture with clear progress but also with underlying problems that remain very much present.
According to this scientific work, the The Doñana Natural Area maintains enormous ecological valueBut it is in a delicate situation. The marsh has experienced an almost historic flood that has benefited the vegetation, waterfowl, and much of the fauna linked to the water. However, The aquifer still shows signs of years of overexploitation.Many lagoons remain unrecovered and numerous native species continue to decline, while invasive pressure increases.
The rains bring a respite: marshland almost full and a change in trend
The director of the Doñana Biological Station, Eloy RevillaThis summarizes the situation: Recent rainfall is positive and have led to the "stabilization" of the park and its aquifer, which appears to have begun a slow recovery. Currently, the marshland is located around the 90% of the surface area flooded, about 30.000 of the 34.000 hectares, and continues to receive water inputs.
Much of that rainfall was concentrated in short, intense periods, especially in March, the month in which 287,2 mm fell42,6% of the annual total. These torrential rains caused floods in the streams that feed the marsh and resulted in an exceptional filling, something that had not been seen in Doñana for years.
Thanks to this contribution, the marsh reached a flooding close to 100%This is a milestone not seen since 2010. The water has remained for 157 days, almost double the historical average of 79 days, placing this hydrological cycle among the longest since detailed records began in 1984.
The monitoring devices installed in the Doñana Biological Reserve—phenocameras and flow towers that measure the state of the vegetation and its environment daily—confirm a marshland with greater plant vigor and more than double the productivity compared to the previous year. For many species linked to this habitat, the change is already noticeable in their reproductive dynamics.
An aquifer that is slowly improving and lagoons that are not recovering.
Despite this improvement in surface area, The recovery of the lagoon system is lagging far behindThe report highlights that only 36% of the lagoons have flooded this cycle, a figure that demonstrates that the aquifer has not yet been restored after years of intensive extraction and rainfall deficit.
The largest peridunar lagoons in Doñana —Santa Olalla, Sopetón and Dulce— have retained water for a good part of the hydrological year, which is considered a relatively positive sign. In particular, Santa Olalla has remained flooded throughout the entire cycle, breaking the trend of previous years, when it dried up completely.
The contrast comes with many temporary gapswhere the lack of recurring floods in recent years has allowed a progressive colonization by terrestrial vegetationThese new dry scrublands and grasslands are replacing the old wet pastures, making it extremely difficult for these wetlands to recover their original structure and ecological function in the future.
Revilla insists that the aquifer shows “exactly the same” as the rest of the indicators: It has stopped getting worse and is starting to improve very slowly.This is also confirmed by data from the Guadalquivir River Basin Authority. However, it should be noted that the Aquifers are slow-response systems and that its full recovery will take time, especially after prolonged periods of drought.
The big “but” that the director of the EBD-CSIC points out is the overexploitation of water resourcesIn his opinion, the problem isn't solely due to a lack of rainfall: for years, water demand has exceeded long-term average availability, creating a genuine structural problem. In this context, the closure of illegal mining operations and reduction of extractions The various administrations see it as a key element in bringing demand closer to what Doñana can sustain.
Waterfowl: slight recent improvement, deep long-term decline
The ICTS-Doñana waterbird census program—one of the oldest in Europe, with monthly aerial and ground tracking since the 70s— It allows us to clearly see the impact of rain and drought on wildlife. The 2025 wintering season is considered unremarkable, largely because the heavy rains arrived somewhat late to benefit it.
In January, the following were recorded: 178.907 wintering birdsThe number of birds was below the historical average for that month, which is around 280.000 individuals, and far from the peaks of the late 80s and early 90s, when it exceeded 600.000. The bulk of the rainfall was concentrated from the end of January onwards, and especially in spring, so the most visible impact has been felt in the reproduction and not so much in the arrival of wintering birds.
Nevertheless, in 2025 Most species of waterfowl show increases in abundance compared to 2024This is a sign of some recovery after the worst years of drought. However, when analyzing the series of the last 20 years, the picture changes: the data show a sharp and sustained decline, both in aerial and ground counts.
The most affected groups are the consumers of vegetation, small waders, piscivorous birds and dabbling duckswith particularly severe drops between 69% and 80%. Within this context, the case of greylag goose It is particularly striking: this emblematic species for the collective imagination of Doñana has reached historical lows, with barely 3.500 wintering individuals registered.
Regarding reproduction, the spring rains have had a much clearer effect. In 2025, the The number of breeding pairs increased in 85% of the species Compared to the previous year, this indicates that the improved water regime can quickly translate into greater reproductive success. Even so, long-term data indicate that Nearly three-quarters of the species show a decline in the number of breeding pairs linked to the hydrological deterioration of the wetland.
The ringing campaign for passerine birds during post-breeding migration, which has been underway uninterrupted since 1994, presents a somewhat different scenario. In 2025, nearly [number missing] birds were ringed. 1.700 birds of 52 speciesFigures very similar to the program's historical average. pre-Saharan migrants remain stable or even show slight increases, while the trans-Saharan migrants They show a moderate decline, possibly linked to changes in their routes, passage times or conditions in their European and African resting and wintering areas.
Amphibians and aquatic insects are among the biggest beneficiaries
If there are groups that have clearly noticed the hydrological relief, those are the amphibians and aquatic insectsThe increase in flooded areas and the longer duration of the flooding have created very favorable conditions for their life cycle and reproduction.
In the case of insects, the Aquatic beetles have reached very high levels of abundance in some areas.Among the highest levels of the last decade. The lagoons that have retained water for the longest time are those that concentrate the most diverse communities, confirming the importance of both water volume and the availability of microhabitats to support a high species richness.
Amphibians have experienced a similar reaction. Species such as the common frog or spadefoot toad They have been frequently detected in samplings, taking advantage of the best breeding conditions. gallipatoThe urodelian, a species highly sensitive to the loss of water sources, is reappearing in more locations after several years of severe drought, suggesting some respite for this vulnerable group.
Among reptiles, Lizards and geckos maintain a high diversity y The areas affected by the great fire of 2017 show a remarkable recovery of their herpetological communities. The presence of species of special interest, such as the Carbonell's lizard —an Iberian endemic species listed as “vulnerable”—, reinforces the role of Doñana as a key refuge for threatened Mediterranean fauna.
This dataset reflects that, when the rainfall regime is favorable, Groups with faster life cycles respond relatively quicklyThis is something researchers agree on: certain species can quickly take advantage of a good year, although that alone does not compensate for the accumulated impacts of long periods of water scarcity.
Increasing pressure from invasive species and decline of native fauna
The flip side of these temporal advances is the increasing weight of invasive alien speciesespecially in habitats that have suffered more intense degradation or that have a highly irregular water regime. Here, Doñana continues to face one of its greatest challenges.
El american red crab It continues to have a very high presence in the Natural Area, disrupting food chains and competing with native species. blue crab It continues to spread through tidal channels and is detected again in Veta Lengua with a greater number of individuals than in 2024. In addition, detailed data are incorporated for the first time from Physella acuta snail, detected at most of the sampled points with significant densities in some ponds.
Regarding the flora, the invasive Oxalis pes-capraeKnown as cruetIt continues to gain ground. Not only is it colonizing more and more land, but it is doing so with very dense populations, displacing native vegetation and modifying the structure of the habitats where it settles.
The monitoring of the Argentine antAnother well-known invasive species, indicates that it remains present in the Biological Reserve, although without any new clear signs of expansion. Meanwhile, the study of the arboreal ant community inhabiting the cork oaks has revealed a great diversity of species typical of Mediterranean ecosystemswith more than 20 species recorded, which shows that the native fauna still retains important centers of diversity.
In other groups, however, the diagnosis is much more pessimistic. Among the native fishThe situation is described as critical: only three species have been recorded in the marsh and one in lagoons, with minimal abundance in the spring of 2025. In contrast, exotic fish clearly dominate, with the Gambusia as the most widespread species and the catfish increasing their presence again.
The situation is not promising for the native turtles, both terrestrial and aquaticThe spur-thighed tortoise has reached one of the lowest abundance values in the entire historical series, and the European pond turtle and the European terrapin, included in the Spanish Catalogue of Threatened Species, also show low numbers. minimum populationThese data highlight the enormous vulnerability of these reptiles to recurring droughts and the alteration of their habitats.
Butterflies and mammals: warning signs and little lights
The lepidoptera They are not immune to bad news either. In 2025, butterflies recorded one of the lowest abundances in the entire historical seriesprobably due to the torrential nature of some rain events and the changes they cause in vegetation and the availability of floral resources.
Even so, the report also includes some encouraging observations within this group. Species that had not appeared for years have been detected again, such as Cyaniris semiargus, which had not been observed for five years, and Laeosopis roboriswhose last sighting was twelve years ago. These reappearances suggest that, under the right conditions, Certain species of butterflies can recolonize or reactivate in areas where they had temporarily disappeared.
In the case of mammals, the picture is mixed. Rabbits and hares maintain very low populations, a particularly serious problem because iconic predators like the depend on them Iberian lynx and various birds of prey. However, rabbit populations show slightly better values in spring than the previous year, a still modest but significant improvement for the food chain.
El wild pig It shows figures slightly higher than in previous years, although still in line with the general trend of recent years, without a sharp change in direction. Meanwhile, the Micromammals —rodents and other small mammals— are recorded at very low densities in all the species sampled, which also affects the predators that feed on them.
As to lynxAlthough the report focuses primarily on the overall dynamics of biodiversity, it notes that its populations in Doñana remain highly sensitive, among other factors, to the scarcity of prey such as rabbitsThis fits with the idea that isolated water improvements are not enough on their own if they are not accompanied by a broader recovery of the ecological system and coherent land management.
A respite that forces us not to let our guard down
Overall, the rains of the last hydrological cycle have meant a real lifeline for DoñanaThis is especially visible in the extraordinary flooding of the marsh and in the response of many water-dependent groups. The 'State of Biodiversity in Doñana 2025' report reflects clear progress: more flooded area, greater vegetation vigor, increased reproduction of waterfowl and amphibians, and a rebound in some insects.
However, the complete photograph still shows major structural challenges: an aquifer that is only beginning to recover after years of overexploitation, a lagoon system in which more than half of the wetlands do not flood, native species of fish and turtles on the verge of collapse, impoverished communities of butterflies and small mammals, and ever-increasing pressure from invasive species in the most degraded habitats.
For the CSIC researchers, the data are reasonably encouraging when compared to the last decade, but They do not allow one to fall into complacencyThe current improvement is based on one or two good years of rainfall, and although that has slowed the negative trend, The real recovery of Doñana requires sustained policies, more efficient water management, and a coordinated effort. between administrations to reduce pressures and consolidate the trend change that is emerging in 2025.
