WIT Press


Sustainable Tourism Initiatives In European Saltscapes

Price

Free (open access)

Volume

76

Pages

9

Published

2004

Size

234 kb

Paper DOI

10.2495/ST040181

Copyright

WIT Press

Author(s)

K.H. Kortekaas

Abstract

When we speak about salt landscapes, or saltscapes, eroded, polluted, lifeless flats come to our minds. Saltscapes, however, are rich in halophyllic fauna and flora. These life forms are well adapted to salty environments but are very sensitive to changes in their ecosystem. Many halophyllic species are included in the Habitats Directive and a number of their sites are within the Natura 2000 network. Saltscapes are also rich from the cultural and ethnological points of view. The industrialisation of the salt business, in combination with low transportation costs, however, have led to the abandonment of the smaller, traditional salt making sites everywhere. Many examples of agonizing or already abandoned solar evaporation salt making sites (salinas) can be found in the Mediterranean basin and in inland Iberia. Fortunately, a number of managers of these sites have changed the orientation of t

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