page_title: Groundwater-dependent ecosystems
section_title: Springs
hierarchical_section_title: Groundwater-dependent ecosystems / Classification / Aquatic / Springs
context_page_description: Groundwater-Dependent Ecosystems are ecosystems that rely upon groundwater for their continued existence. Groundwater is water that has seeped down beneath Earth's surface and has come to reside within the pore spaces in soil and fractures in rock, this process can create water tables and aquifers, which are large storehouses for groundwater. An ecosystem is a community of living organisms interacting with the nonliving aspects of their environment. With a few exceptions, the interaction between various ecosystems and their respective groundwater is a vital yet poorly understood relationship, and their management is not nearly as advanced as in-stream ecosystems.
context_section_description: Springs, arguably, rely the most heavily on the continued contribution of groundwater because they are a natural discharge from relatively deep groundwater flows rising to the surface. Springs are often in association with uniquely adapted plants and animals.
caption: Wetlands in Donana
exif: {}