El lago de sanabria: Elementos singulares y evolución temporal

Abstract

This doctoral thesis covers a territory located in the Sanabria region, which until the twentieth century was characterized by secular isolation and remoteness. The region's idiosyncrasy is the result of two factors: the first of a natural nature (its orography, varied topography, climatic conditions, vegetation, hydrology, etc.), and the second due to the role played by private property in the management of natural resources, which has not resulted in economic and social welfare for the region's inhabitants. These factors, however, have favored the excellent degree of conservation of the natural environment. The confirmation or refutation of the aforementioned hypotheses involved the collection of direct and indirect information, as well as the use of various methodological techniques, including historiographic analysis of textual, cartographic, and bibliographic documentary sources, as well as fieldwork. The traditional study of the territory and identification of natural environment processes has been enriched with an innovative methodology, namely the underwater study of Lake Sanabria and the deepest lagoons (La Clara and La Cueva), which offers a completely new perspective to the research and has opened the way for future studies that will allow us to advance in the knowledge of the events that took place in this environment. This multidisciplinary thesis has achieved its proposed objectives, corroborated the proposed hypotheses, and provided an approach to the evolution of a little-known territory