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HABITAT CREATION FOR BIODIVERSITY PROMOTION IN THE ECOLOGICAL

RESTORATION OF IVONNE’S QUARRY (SPAIN)

Author: Jaume Vila Clapera

Collaborating institutions:

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Index 1. Introduction ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….3 2. Proposals…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….3 3. Monitoring proposals………………………………………………………………………………………….7 4. Involved group…………………………………………………………………………………………………….9 5. Added value………………………………………………………………………………………………………..9 6. Budget…………………………………………………………………………………………………….………...11 7. Bibliography……………………………………………………………………………………………….………12 8. Chronology…………………………………………………………………………………………………….…..16 9. Annex………………………………………………………………………………………………………….……..19

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1. Introduction The main aim of this project is the establishment, within the restoration work, of a natural ecosystem by creating different habitats underrepresented in the vicinity of the quarry Ivonne. This will enhance the coexistence of a high level biodiversity of fauna and flora which will be able to maintain or even increase the population of a large group of species. Some of these species, such as the western spadefoot (Pelobates cultripes, Cuvier, 1829) are under degree of threat worldwide or are endemic in the region. The importance of the recreation of a natural ecosystem provided with a high diversity of habitats that makes possible the existence and development of high biodiversity might be, in the future, a solid argument for the inclusion of the restored area in the Natural Park of “El Montnegre i el Corredor” (PNMC), a fact that can benefit biodiversity in the area and in the Natural Park (and Heidelberg Cement as well). In addition, another important objective of this project is to share good practices with the scientific community and the people of the area which will enjoy educationally and environmentally the restored site. This means involving civil society in the process of restoration and publicizing the benefits and opportunities posed to the different actors of the territory. Finally, concerning the quarry company, the most direct benefit is the contribution to the creation of a corporate image that respects the environment, especially interesting in the context of Catalonia where the company is poorly known at this level. Another indirect benefit is the proof to the competent authority that an effective restoration can be a good mechanism of correction and compensation of damage, which may facilitate the authorization to operate within the boundaries of lands included in Natura 2000. 2. Proposals: Actions proposed in this project for biodiversity promotion can be divided in two groups: those scheduled during the extraction phase (section A) and those executed during the restoration phase (section B). Section A: Biodiversity promotion during the extraction phase

1. Store the topsoil or edaphic soil from extraction areas. This good environmental practice, already used by Heidelberg Cement (Rademacher, 2010), intended to keep the seed bank and soil with characteristics similar to pre-extraction conditions (Bradshaw et al., 1989; Alcaniz, et al., 2008, Jorba et al., 2010). This practice achieve also reduce or prevent the risk of invasion by foreign species, a commom phenomenon when external soils are used. External soils tend to have different physical and chemical properties and therefore tend to hinder the natural restoration process. The soils extracted by topsoiling must be carefully stored in order to avoid the major risks of degradation: (i) destruction of soil structure, (ii) loss of organic matter by mineralization and fertility decline by the leaching of nutrients.

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2. Maintain a part of a cliff in order to facilitate the colonization of rupicolous wildlife. This measure tends to favor biodiversity by allowing the establishment of rare species (Castillo I. et al., 2008; Federación de Áridos, 2010), or species with a certain degree of protection. This is often an overlooked aspect in restoration projects (Madroño, A., et al., 2004; Castillo I. et al. 2008). Moreover, this is a minimal intervention action which aims to leave a rock face with small irregularities and landings where some birds can establish . Active or restored quarries containing this habitat type have proved conducive to the establishment of different rock-dwelling birds (I. Castillo et al., 2008). An example of this is the nesting of Bubo bubo in a granite quarry in Llinars del Vallès, near the Ivonne quarry. 3. Make small holes in the cliff in order to create refuges that serve as rupicolous bird nesting points. These holes can be created using a drilling machine at an approximate height of about 10 to 20 m, with a diameter of about 20 to 30 cm and with a distance between them of about 40 to 50 cm. This is a practical example to encourage nesting of birds, such as Petronia petronia, which nests on cliffs, rocks and quarries. This measure reduces the lack of availability of nesting cavities, which is a critical factor for the nesting of these species (Baucells, J. et al., 2007). Different experiences of restoration (Estrada, 2008) have proved the effectiveness of this type of simple actions to promote colonization of cliff-nesting birds, some of which have been sighted in the landscape context of the quarry. Creation of these nesting sites (along the scrubland that is intended to generate) enables the establishment of a considerable variety of birds native to these environments. 4. Keep existing temporary ponds. These ponds will be located depending on the requirements of the extraction process, in order to preserve breeding points and wildlife refuges, especially for amphibious species, as the western spadefoot (Pelobates cultripes). This is an endemic and threatened toad (NT category, International Union for Conservation of Nature, IUCN) (see Annex. Figure 1), whose ecological requirements are compatible with the environmental characteristics of this quarry, and above all, with the temporary ponds promoted in this project. According to various studies, Pelobates cultripes individuals have been found near quarry, but in small populations (Campeny, R., 1997; Ballesteros, T., et al 2000; Campeny, R., et al., 2004). 5. Creation of five piles of stones that can generate a multipurpose habitat for a variety of different species of arthropods, reptiles (snakes, snakes, lizards), rabbits and birds, some of which are already present around the quarry (Ballesteros, T., 2000; previous observations. See section B, paragraph 3). It is proposed to make piles of stones of different sizes, with height between 1 to 2 m and diameter between 2 to 5 m. These piles may move according to the requirements during extraction. 6. Seed collection of woody species identified in the quarry flora inventory: Lavandula stoechas, Cistus salviifolius, Cistus albidus, C. monspeliensis, Sarothamnus scoparius, Erica arborea and Calicotome spinosa.. Once collected, these will be planted in a small nursery within the quarry. This aims to create a simple and small nursery in which the

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workers themselves can carry out maintenance tasks under the supervision of the members of this project. Besides getting some plants better adapted at microclimate conditions of the area, this work will serve to instill in the workers good environmental practices and respect for the environment. This will result in benefits for the workers and for the company itself. The nursery consists on small containers filled with topsoil of the quarry where seeds collected will be sown. After one year the different species will be planted in the area to restore the area as a siliceous woodland (see Annex I. Figure 2). 7. Harvesting and planting Sarothamnus arboreus subsp. catalaunicus seeds. This fabaceae is endemic to the region and its presence has been documented in the vicinity of the quarry (Bolós et al., 1984-2001; Font, 2012) (Annex I. Figure 3). We propose to collect seeds of the nearest Sarothamnus colony that will be planted in the nursery with the supervision of the members of this project. After one year Sarothamnus saplings will be planted in the area to be restored (see Annex. Figure 2). Section B. Biodiversity promotion during restoration: 1. Maintain a rock cliff to favor rupicolous species, as well as reduce the need of filler land, that could reduce substantially the cost of the project. The rest of the zone will be morphologically adapted with slow slopes to minimize erosion risk. Runoff will be controlled with a drainage web that will collect water in the water ponds. 2. Topsoil reposition that will facilitate spontaneous revegetation of the restored area. A previous characterization of the soil will be done in order to detect edaphic limitations and to amend it is necessary. 3. Establishment of interconnected temporary ponds to promote biodiversity (Gómez, 2009) on multi-scale dimension. This habitat is scarce in the area and represents an Habitat of Community Interest (HCI) listed by the European Union in Annex I to Directive 97/62/EC (European Commission, 2007). The main purpose of the ponds is the preservation of amphibian populations, because they are a group threatened worldwide (Houlahan et al., 2000, Stuart, S., 2004) and particularly in the Iberian Peninsula (Rivera, M., et al. 2009; Galan, P., et al. 2010; Maso, A., 2011). Primarily, the western spadefoot (Pelobates cultripes) is expected to establish in this habitat. According to different studies, this specie is present in the ecological environment of the quarry (Campeny, R., 19 97; Ballesteros, T., et al 2000; Campeny, R., et al. , 2004) and requires for its reproduction and development environments with sandy materials and temporary ponds. So, the quarry Ivonne has a good aptitude for its establishment. Pelobates cultripes is considered a Franco-Iberian endemism, near threatened (NT) worldwide according to the IUCN. In the Iberian Peninsula are some endangered (Maso, A., 2011) or declining populations (Galan, P., et al., 2010), as also in the metropolitan area of Barcelona (Rivera, M., 2009) near the quarry. It is proposed to construct four temporary ponds of different sizes, shapes and depths that allow partial settlement of hydrophilic vegetation in order to increase the ecological niches and therefore biodiversity (Whitehouse, AT, 2008, Sancho, V., et al.

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2010, M. Rademacher, 2010; Aggregates Federation, 2010; Pond Conservation, 2001, INULA, 2011). Sizes will be approximately 10 to 30 m 3, with depths of no more than two feet. Ponds will be waterproof using fine materials available on the quarry. These ponds serve as a breeding refuge for several amphibian like Pelophylax perezi, Bufo bufo and Epidalea Calamintha (= Bufo Calamintha), invertebrates, Lepidoptera, Diptera, amongst others. All of them were observed during the surveys in the quarry. For ponds vegetation planting includes Phragmites australis, Thypha angustifolia and Holoschoenus romanus, species that favor wildlife development as they are used as points of feeding, mating, breeding, egg laying and shelter, among others. In case Pelobates cultipres does not colonize in the ponds, reintroduction is proposed as there is evidence that in similar cases this has been successful (Rivera, 2011). In this sense the Catalan Society of Herpetology has expressed interest in following up the results of the project in relation to the establishment of this species in the quarry, and to assist in their reintroduction if deemed necessary. 4. Creation of five permanent piles of stones of different sizes (see the measures proposed in Section A, proposal 5) made of materials from the quarry itself and at various distances between them, within the restored area. Its main objective is the creation of microhabitats for nesting, shelter, basking or hunting points for a number of species such as barn owl (Tyto alba), lizards, snakes, rabbits, among others. Some of the species adapted to these environments are protected by current legislation (Cosa, 2009), which adds value to the conservation and promotion of this biodiversity. Moreover, this measure will help to reconnect the food chain of the restored area of the quarry with their environment, favouring the resistance and resilience of the ecosystem created (a good example of ecological restoration). 5. Creation of a low open siliceous scrubland. Revegetation will be done by planting seedlings from the nursery (see section A, proposal 6). By using seedlings from the same quarry, adapted to microclimatic conditions, the survival ratio will be optimized and intraspecific diversity maintained. The main goal of this proposal is to preserve underrepresented habitats around the quarry Ivonne (MCSC, 2009) (see Annex I. Figure 4). It also favours a mosaic of forest, scrubland and farmland which is beneficial for the coexistence of a large number of species (Valecillo, S. et al., 2008). Some authors have documented that an effective agroforestry promotion nurtures hymenoptera populations such as bees (Dafni et al., 1994, Petanidou et al., 1996; Petanidou et al., 2005a; Petanidou et al., 2005b). In addition, other authors suggest that open scrubland may favor the installation of different bird species (Valecillo, S. et al., 2008 ). This action promotes an underrepresented habitat within a mosaic that can accommodate and foster a high number of species. If it is considered that the spontaneous entry of pollinators in the restored area is insufficient, installation of beehives by contact with a beekeeper to the area is proposed. Placement of hives in strategic areas of the restored zone will minimize any inconvenience caused by these and optimize its pollination function.

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This action may increase the benefits of the restoration offered by providing different ecosystem services while also supporting the pollination in the restored area, thereby accelerating the process of restoration. 6. Planting Sarothamnus arboreus spp. catalaunicus in the siliceous shrub community. This endemic species to this region (Bolós et al., 1984-2001) and has been identified in the area adjacent to the quarry (Font, X., 2012). Currently its distribution is restricted to areas of acidic soils in the catalan coastal mountains. Consequently, this introduction represents a significant added value to global biodiversity. Seeds planted in the quarry will be collected from individuals that grow nearby (see Phase A, proposal 7). 7. Creation of an interpretative circuit along the restored area of the quarry Ivonne, with connection to the area of the romanesque church of Sant Sadurní of Collsabadell and the service area of the motorway AP-7. This service area has a large influx, which will favour the circuit visitation and its use as a rest area, recreation area and educational area. This initiative promotes the visualization of the restoration process proposed in this project to the population of the area and to other parts of the state, and even abroad, as the AP-7 is an artery of communication within the Mediterranean corridor. It should be mentioned that there are already examples of the success of this type of initiatives along the same motorway: Llobateras old gravel pit, located in Hostalric, now converted in wetland accessible from a rest area, or El Mèdol ancient Roman quarry, in Tarragona, accessible from the homonymous service area. 3. Monitoring proposals Tracking project results are expected at two levels. In a first level, there is monitoring of ecological restoration using the new protocol RESTOCAT (Carabassa et al., 2012) prepared by the members of this team on behalf of the department of Evaluation and Restoration extractive activities of the Government of Catalonia. It is a tool available to companies in order to assess and monitor the results of ecological restoration in mining activities. This new protocol makes it possible to assess different ecosystem functions, such as maintenance of biodiversity, both at slope and landscape scale, by monitoring the presence and development of flora and fauna in the different areas that are proposed in this project, especially in the Mediterranean siliceous scrubland. This protocol is specifically designed to facilitate the involvement of the staff in monitoring the restoration process as it is this same staff responsible for implementation of the protocol in the restored area periodically. Furthermore, information obtained from the application of the RESTOCAT protocol can be used to calculate some of the biodiversity indicators of HeildelbergCement and the Cement Sustainability Initiative (CSI). There is a second level of monitoring specifically for each proposal part so as to evaluate its effectiveness:

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-To evaluate the effectiveness of keeping a rock face five samplings are proposed during the two following springs, from March to June, from sunrise to sunset, to assess whether bird nesting is sedentary or seasonal. In the case of rock flora, there will be monitoring during the following two springs, two random samples of rock faces in order to assess the presence / absence of such species. There will also be collaboration in monitoring with Ivonne’s staff. - To evaluate the effectiveness of the holes in the rock face as bird nests the same method will be used as in the previous proposal. - To evaluate the effectiveness of temporary ponds during the operational phase monitoring is proposed, once a month, from March to late September. In order to assess ponds, direct and indirect sampling of amphibians will be done to monitor different species at different stages, from larval to juvenile levels to know the population status. - An analysis of abundance and biodiversity of arthropod population and other groups will be made according to the characteristics of each group. Monitoring will take place once a month between March to September. Biodiversity indices of HeidelbergCement will be used, too. - The piles of rocks will be monitored throughout the year, once a month, to assess the presence / absence of visual wildlife, trails, etc. of whole classes of animals which can take refuge in it. - The siliceous shrubs will be evaluated during the next two years, by individual’s survival in late summer and seed development depending on each species. - Sarothamnus arboreus subsp. catalaunicus will be evaluated during the next two years, using individual’s survival in late summer and seed development in early summer. - To evaluate the effectiveness of the scrubland as favouring biodiversity, it will be sampled by different techniques, according to wildlife groups. Here the biodiversity indicators of HeildelbergCement will be used as well. - The effectiveness of the circuit is assessed based on the frequency of people during the next two years, after completion the project. The entrance area will be monitored to assess people frequenting two weekends a month, during the period from March to September. Visitors will also be surveyed to provide feedback on the project. Monitoring results will be included in an annual report that will be delivered to the company. - It is expected to involve Ivonne’s staff in the follow-up of wildlife parallel to the implementation of the protocol RESTOCAT, especially during the operational phase, as their knowledge to asses the different habitats created can be a valuable source of information.

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- Finally, there will be an annual report to disseminate the project results of the quarry Ivonne. 4. Involved groups in the project The author of this project is Biologist from the Autonomous University of Barcelona

and has formed in the field of ecological restoration. He has successfully completed the

Master in Management and Restoration of Natural Environment taught at the University

of Barcelona. The project will be done in collaboration with the Centre for Ecological Research and Forestry Applications (www.creaf.cat) and the Department of Animal Biology, Plant Biology and Ecology of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, two institutions with a long and recognized expertise in the field of the ecological restoration and the promotion of the biodiversity. CREAF is considered a centre of excellence at the international level, with numerous publications in prestigious scientific journals. These institutions will facilitate valuable help to achieve the objectives set out in this project. 5. Added value This project has, in our opinion, a high added value, which can differentiate it from other proposals. First of all, we incorporate the four topics discussed: promoting biodiversity during the operational phase, increasing knowledge about biodiversity in selected mining areas, supporting biodiversity in restored lands, and establishing links between the development of the mining activity and the social benefits derived from the rehabilitation of the mined areas and the increase of biodiversity. Thus, our proposal provides an holistic and multidisciplinary view, necessary in any project with an ecological perspective (SER, 2004). Proposals are not limited to the promotion of biodiversity, but will imply the creation of needed habitats and the introduction of endemic or threatened species, with a limited worldwide distribution, or who have suffered a significant loss of habitats, such as Pelobates cultripes. It should be additionally kept in mind that the potential distribution of P. cultripes is also negatively affected by climatic change, so that different national and international institutions indicate the need to establish measures for their conservation in situ (Araújo et al. 2011), as raised in the present project. Although the area surrounding the mining area is mainly dominated by cork, shrub promotion during the restoration phase will also be a measure of adaptation to climate change, as a decline of the abundance of cork is expected in the next 50 years due to the increase in aridity (Felicísimo et al., 2010). Another added value of the project is the generation of knowledge related to quarry rehabilitation, as different measures will be tested concerning building habitats, managing flora and fauna, and nursery development. This kind of knowledge will be first of all useful to the mining company, but it will also improve the scientific understanding of ecological processes that are involved in the restoration and the promotion of the biodiversity of heavily degraded areas.

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Regarding biodiversity, another value of the project is that it increases not only the biological diversity, but also the diversity at the landscape, creating habitats sparsely represented in the landscape of the quarry, as temporary ponds or walls of siliceous rock. This would enhance the establishment of a mosaic of agricultural, forestry and grazing areas which are increasingly rare in Spain. Among the several advantages of the development of a patched landscape, it must be remarked the large reduction of vulnerability to forest fires. Last, but not least, our proposal discloses to the society the restoration activities and the environmental policy of the company by the nature loop. Furthermore, it promotes the imperative collaboration between the private companies and the public institutions.

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6. Budget

Stages Actions Price (Without

taxes)

Block A

Carry out small holes in the rocky face 3.000 €

Maintain temporary ponds 450 €

Temporary piles of rocks establishment 500 €

Shrubs seed collection 250 €

Nursery creation and maintenance 2.400 €

Sarothamnus seed collection 200 €

Block B

Establishment of ponds 5.000 €

Piles of rocks establishment 500 €

Plantation of shrubs 2.500 €

Plantation of Sarothamnus 800 €

Interpretative circuit creation 5.500 €

Rocky face maintenance 800 €

Monitoring

Establishment of fauna in small holes 800 €

Establishment of flora and fauna in ponds 980 €

Establishment of fauna in piles of rocks 1.800 €

State of scrubland 600 €

Use of interpretative circuit 3.900 €

TOTAL 29.980 €

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7. Bibliography Alcañiz, J. M., Ortiz, O., Carabassa, V. 2008. Utilització de fangs de depuradora en restauració. Agència Catalana de l’Aigua (Ed.), Departament de Medi Ambient i Habitatge, Generalitat de Catalunya. 96p

Araújo, M.B., Guilhaumon F., Neto D. R., Pozo, I., & Calmaestra R. (2011) Impactos, Vulnerabilidad y Adaptación al Cambio Climático de la Biodiversidad Española. 2 Fauna de Vertebrados. Dirección general de medio Natural y Política Forestal. Ministerio de Medio Ambiente, y Medio Rural y Marino. Madrid, 640 páginas. Baucells, J., Abella, J. 2007. Les colònies de Pardal Roquer Petronia petronia a la comarca d’Osona: estat de la població i requeriments ecològics. Revista Catalana d’Ornitologia 23:1-9 Ballesteros, T. Degollada, A,. 2000. Herpetofauna de les serres del Montnegre i el Corredor. IITrobada d’Estudiosos del Montnegre i el Corredor. Diputació de Barcelona. Pàg. 85-93. Bolòs, O. de; Vigo, J. 1984-2001. Flora dels Països Catalans. Ed Barcino. Barcelona. Bradshaw, A. D., Chadwick. 1989. The restoration of land. The ecology and reclamation of derelict and degraded land. Blackwell Scientific Publications. Oxford. 393p. Carabassa, V., Ortiz, O., Alcañiz, JM. 2012. Protocol d’avaluació de la restauració d’activitats extractives. CREAF, Departament de Territori i Sostenibilitat. Barcelona. 175p. ( www.gencat.cat/mediambient/restocat) Campeny, R. 1997. «Amfibis del vessant oriental del Montnegre i el Corredor: distribució i primeres dades fenològiques ». I Trobada d’Estudiosos del Montnegre i el Corredor. Diputació de Barcelona. Pàg. 81-83. Campeny, R. Villero, D. 2004. Distribució i estatus dels amfibis del Montnegre i el Corredor: actualització de la informació i línies futures de recerca. IV Trobada d’Estudiosos del Montnegre i el Corredor. Diputació de Barcelona. Pàg. 113-118. Castillo I., Elorriaga, J. Zuberrogoita I., Azkona, A., Hidalgo, S., Astorkia, L., Iraeta, A., Ruiz, F. 2008. Importancia de las canteras sobre las aves rupícolas y problemas derivados de su gestión .Ardeola 55, 103-110 Costa, M., Pieren, A., Luis Viejo, J. 2009.Historia Natural de Puertollano y el Campo de Calatrava. Memorias de la Real Sociedad Española de Historia Natural. Tomo VI, José Luis Viejo (Eds.). 144pp Dafni & O’Toole, 1994; Dafni A, O’Toole C. 1994. Pollination syndromes in the Mediterranean: generalizations and peculiarities. In: Arianoutsou M, Groves RH, editors. Plant – animal interactions in Mediterranean-type ecosystems. Netherlands: Kluwer Academic publications. pp. 125 – 35.

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European Comission. 2007. Interpretation Manual of European Union Habitats. Natura 2000, Nature and Biodiversity. European Comisión Federación de Áridos (FDA), Gremi d’Àrids de Catalunya. 2010. Millores tecnològiques en la gestió de la biodiversitat com a factor de la competitivitat en les explotacions d’àrids. Les actuacions en la Xarxa Natura 2000 i d’altres espais protegits. 64p. Felicísimo, Á.M.; Muñoz, J.; Villalba, C.J.; Mateo, R.G. 2010. Impactos, vulnerabilidad y adaptación al cambio climático de la flora española. Universidad de Extremadura, Real Jardín Botánico (CSIC), Oficina Española de Cambio Climático. Font, X. Mòdu 2012. Flora i Vegetació. Banc de Dades de Biodiversitat de Catalunya. Generalitat de Catalunya i Universitat de Barcelona. http://biodiver.bio.ub.es/biocat/homepage.html Houlahan, J. E.; Findlay, C. S.; Schmidt, B. R.; Meyer, A. H. y Kuzmin, S. L. (2000). Quantitative evidence for global amphibian population declines. Nature, 404: 752-755. Galán, P., M. Cabana, R. Ferreiro, R. Ferreiro. 2010. Estado de conservación de Pelobates cultripes en Galicia. Bol. Asoc.Herpetol.Esp., 21: 90-99 Gómez R., C., Díaz-Paniagua, C., Serrano, L., Florencio, M., Portheault. 2009. Mediterranean temporary ponds as amphibian breeding habitats: the importance of preserving pond networks. Aquat Ecol 43:1179–1191 I.N.U.L.A. 2011. Dragonflies in quarries and gravel pits. – Biodiversity in mineral extraction sites, volume 1. Editor: M. Rademacher, Global Management Biodiversity and Natural Resources, HeidelbergCement, 98 pp. Jorba, M., Oliveira, G., Josa., R, Vallejo, R., Alcañiz, JM., Herter, A., Corina, J., Correia, O., Ninot, JM. 2010. Manual para la restauración de canteras de roca caliza en clima mediterráneo. M. Jorba y V.R. Vallejo (editores) Àrea d’Avaluació i Restauració d’Activitats Extractives. Dept. medi Ambient i Habitatge, Generalitat de Catalunya, 106 pp. ISBN 978-84-393-8205-8 Madroño, A., González, C. Yatienza, J. C. (Eds.). 2004. Libro Rojo de las Aves de España. Dirección General para la Biodiversidad-SEO / Birdlife. Madrid. Masó, A., Pijoan M. 2011. Anfibios y reptiles de la península ibérica, baleares y canarias. 1ª edició Ed. Omega. 848p. MCSC. 2009. Mapa de cubiertas del suelo de Cataluña. URL: http://www.creaf.uab.es/mcsc/ (consultado el 6 de Julio de 2012). Paramenter, R & Macmahon, J A., 1998. Factor influencing the distribution and abundante of ground-dwelling beetles (Coleoptera) in a shrub-steppe ecosystem. The role of shrub architecture. Pedobiologia, 26: 21-34.

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Petanidou & Ellis, 1996;. Interdependence of native bee faunas and floras in changing Mediterranean communities. Zoological Museum Amsterdam.. 201-226 Petanidou & Potts, 2005a. Petanidou T, Potts SG. 2005. Mutual use of resources in Mediterranean plant – pollinator communities: how specialised are pollination webs? In: Waser NM, Ollerton J, editors. Plant – pollinator interactions: from specialization to generalization. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. pp. 220 – 244. Petanidou, T., Lamborna, E. 2005b. Land for flowers and bees: studying pollination ecology in Mediterranean communities. Plant Biosystems, Vol. 139, pp. 279 – 294. Pond Conservation. 2011. About The Million Ponds Project. MILLION PROJECT. 74p. Rademacher M., Tränkle, U., Hübner, F., Offenwanger H., Kaufmann, S. 2010. Promotion of biodiversity at the mineral extraction sites of HeidelbergCement. Valid for Europe. Heidelberg Cement (Ed.). 83p. Rivera, M & Amat J, (2009): Estat de les poblacions de gripau d’esperons Pelobates cultripes (Cuvier, 1829) a l’àmbit metropolità de Barcelona i la seva àrea d’influència. Butll.SCH 18. Representació Territorial de la Federació Catalana de Caça a Barcelona (R.T.F.C.C.B.) 2012. Accions per a la recuperació de les poblacions de conill de bosc (Oryctolagus cuniculus). Establiment d’unitats de cria de conill per a reforçar la població de l’espècie en unitats de gestió cinegètica conjunta. Federeació Catalana de Caça, Univesitat Autónoma de Barcelona, Server d’Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge. 82pp. Rivera, X., Maluquer-Margalef, J. Amat F., Roca, P. 2011. Projecte de recuperació de la població de gripau d’esperons Pelobates cultripes (Cuvier, 1829) a la serra de Collserola. Herpetofull de la Societat Catalana d’Herpetologia, nº 3. 11-16. Sancho, V., Lacomba, J. Conservación y restauración de puntos de agua para la biodiversidad. Valencia. Generalitat Valenciana. Conselleria de Medi Ambient, Aigua, Urbanism i Habitatge, 2010. 168pp (Manuales técnicos 2) Society for ecological restoration science & Policy working group. 2004. The SER International Primer on Ecological Restoration. www.ser.org & Tucson: Society for Ecological Restoration International. Stuart, S. N.., Chanson, J. S., Cox, N. A., Young, B. E., Rodrigues, A. S. L., Fischman, D. L. & Waller, R. W., 2004. Status and trends of amphibian declines and extinctions worldwide. Science, 306: 1783-1786. Valecillo, S., Brotons, Ll., Herrando, S. 2008. Assessing the response of open-habitat bird species to landscape changes in Mediterranean mosaics. Biodivers Conserv, 17 pp

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Whitehouse, A.T. 2008. Managing Aggregates Sites for Invertebrates: a best practice guide. Buglife - The Invertebrate Conservation Trust, Peterborough.

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8. Chronology Actions during quarrying

Actions Autumn Winter Spring Summer

Topsoil storage

Rock face drilling

Piles of rocks creation

Temporary ponds maintenance

Shrub seeds collection

Sarothamnus seeds collection

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Actions during restoration

Actions Autumn Winter

Topsoil reposition

Definitive piles of rocks creation

Definitive ponds creation

Scrubland species plantation

Sarothamnus plantation

Interpretative circuit creation

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Actions during monitoring

Actions (1st year) Summer Autumn Winter Spring Summer

RESTOCAT protocol

Rocky face colonization

Rocky holes colonizations

Use of piles of rocks

Ponds colonization

Shrubland development

Sarothamnus' s survival

Interpretative circuit afluence

Action (2nd year) Summer Autumn Winter Spring Summer

RESTOCAT protocol

Rocky face colonization

Rocky holes colonizations

Use of piles of rocks

Ponds colonization

Shrubland development

Sarothamnus' s survival

Interpretative circuit afluence

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9. Annex. Figure 1. Pelobates cultripes distribution area in the world.

Source: http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/search. Visited on August 4, 2012.

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Figure 2a. Location of proposals during quarrying.

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Figure 2b. Quarry zonification according restoration proposals.

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Figure 3. Sarothamnus arboreus subsp. catalaunicus distribution area in the world.

Source: http://biodiver.bio.ub.es/biocat/. Visited on August 4, 2012.

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Figure 4. Soil cover in Ivonne’s vicinity

Legend Forest Shrub Meadow Nude areas Field Urban Quarries

Colour

Source: www.creaf.uab.es/mcsc/. Visited on 4th August, 2012.