Maria Angeles Ramos of Proyecto Fauna Iberica, a research group established to log the state of Spanish wildlife and fauna, revealed that 2,152 life forms, the majority invertebrates, had been discovered between 1994 and 2000, flourishing amid Spain's rich geological diversity.

But according to Ramos "we sometimes come across animals which are dying out or have died out through the drainage or diversion of river sources."

One life form at risk is the margaritifera auricularia or freshwater mussel, which is already the subject of an action plan submitted in 2000 by a committee of the Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats.

Ramos said a plan to line Aragon's Imperial Canal, an irrigation channel dating from the 16th century and running some 110 kilometers (80 miles) along the south bank of the Ebro River in northeastern Spain, could harm one of the mussel's chief habitats.

"If they cover the canal they will not survive," warned Ramos, saying such action would disrupt two centuries of biological equilibrium.

Ramos added that the Fauna Iberica project had in the past 14 years catalogued 40 percent of known species in Spain with a view to creating a constantly expanding database on the Internet.

TERRA.WIRE