Disused Quarries Research Articles

Population status and ecology of the globally threatened liverwort Marsupella profunda Lindb. in Britain

ABSTRACT Introduction Marsupella profunda Lindb. is known from Britain, Portugal and Macaronesia. Its population status and ecology in Britain were investigated. Methods An inventory of records of Marsupella profunda was prepared, and surveys were conducted at a subset of sites. Population size was measured by counts of ‘individual-equivalents’, defined as occupied 1 m grid cells. Habitat and community composition were recorded by relevés. Key results and conclusions Marsupella profunda is confined to habitat created by china clay quarrying, and mostly occurs on kaolinised granite. It is one of the earliest colonists of this substrate. The longevity of habitat patches is limited mainly by competitive exclusion by other bryophytes and excessive shade from scrub development. It has been recorded from six sites in West Cornwall but presently survives at only one of these, where it will likely become extinct within the next 20 years due to vegetation succession. In East Cornwall, an enormous complex of active and disused quarries within the St Austell China Clay Region supports a large population (10,000–20,000 individual-equivalents), but this is declining because china clay production has decreased greatly over the past 30 years. Attempts to conserve the species by the special protection of areas of land have failed because the quarrying process that originally supplied fresh suitable substrate no longer operates in these areas, habitat management measures have been insufficient, and scrub development has progressed. The future of the species in Britain depends on the uncertain future of commercial quarrying in areas of kaolinised granite in Cornwall.

The beneficial use of basalt flour combined to a microbial consortium to improve soil quality in basalt and carbonatic dismissed quarries

The recovery of degraded soils to restore their capacity to carry out important ecological functions such as promoting nutrient cycling is a very topical issue. The aim of the present work was to assess soil quality changes within two different disused quarries in central Italy (named Cornale and Poggio Tabor) through the addition of basalt flour combined with a microbial consortium (BBF) (2.7 kg of basalt flour and 54 ml of microbial consortium inoculum at each supply date). Soil samples were collected within 9 plots where three treatments 1) Control (C) no treatment; 2) bioactive basalt flour (BBF) and 3) bioactive basalt flour and cover crop (BBF + CC) were randomly replicated three times per quarry. Chemical indicators showed little changes due to the different amendments, conversely, the biochemical ones showed that the addition of BBF increased enzymatic activities involved in C, N, P, and S cycling, and promoted microbial growth and C mineralization activity at both studied sites. At the Cornale site in summer, the rooting of the cover crop, through the rhizodeposition provided the carbon substrates necessary to fuel the added microorganisms showing an increase in the microbial quotient of about 5 % compared to the control soil. Conversely, at the Poggio Tabor site, the peculiar geomorphology prevented the cover crop growth; therefore, the positive responses of enzymatic activities were evident only in the BBF treated plots.From a management perspective, the use of bioactive basalt flour consisting of basalt flour and microbial consortium could be a good strategy to restore soil quality according to nutrient cycling function in a degraded area. However, in highly limited organic matter conditions, an external input of organic carbon is strongly recommended to sustain the exogenous microbial consortium.

A Relevant Characterization and Compatibility for Reuse the Sediments from Reservoirs in Southern Italy

The damming of watercourses results in sediment accumulation and, therefore, in the reduction of useful storage capacity. The storage capacity can be recovered through dredging, but this process generates large volumes of sediments that require proper management. To avoid landfilling and promote recovery operations, sediment characterization is the preliminary step to any assessment and decision. This paper presents the results of tests on sediments sampled at two reservoirs in southern Italy, the Camastra and the San Giuliano, in Basilicata. These investigations include testing of organic matter, heavy metals grain size distribution, and the assessment of the pollution degree. A lack of correlation between the sampling point and the heavy metal content was observed in sediments, except Be, Cr and Ni for the San Giuliano reservoir. This may be attributed to the presence of agricultural activities and fertilizer use in its watershed. Similarly, there is no dependence between the organic carbon and the grain size distribution, the former being scarcely found in both reservoirs (on average 0.91% for the Camastra sediments and 0.38% for the San Giuliano sediments), the latter being predominantly characterized by sandy matrices downstream of the reservoirs (on average 64.3% ± 32.9%) and by silty-clayey matrices in the upstream areas (on average 65% ± 14.3%). Finally, the determination of the single pollution index Pi and the Nemerow integrated pollution index PN highlights that sediments are not contaminated with heavy metals. Most of them show values of the indices above between 0 and 1 (“unpolluted”) and, in a few cases, values between 1 and 2 (“poorly polluted”). The findings suggest that these sediments can be reused for environmental and material recovery, using them as secondary raw materials for sub-bases and embankments, for filling in disused quarries, for reprofiling and reconstructing the morphology of coastlines or riverbeds, for beach nourishment and in the agronomic and construction industry fields.

The urban materialities of disused quarries in Cape Town

ABSTRACT Quarried stone has a multitude of uses in the built environment. Often old, abandoned quarries near cities have become enveloped by urban expansion. This paper investigates what becomes of disused quarries, specifically in Cape Town, South Africa. The study is scaffolded by the theoretical underpinnings of urban materiality which, in turn, draws from assemblage theory. It is posited that the urban materialities of quarries, as one-time sites of material extraction, do not cease with closure. The infill, rehabilitation and repurposing of quarries for other uses result in continued contributions of quarries to the urbanscape, in addition to being historical sites of meaning and memory. The location of 77 quarries in Cape Town were mapped using data from various sources. Seventy-one quarries are in a post-extractive state. Thirty-five per cent of disused quarries have not been rehabilitated or altered by human activity after closure. However, they are sites of non-human use. Sixty-five per cent of the post-extractive quarries are sites for housing, commercial and educational activities; for recreational activities; have been infilled; or they store water for agricultural purposes. The reuse of quarries speaks to the creation of new urban materialities and assemblages by humans and non-humans which are worthy of further investigation.

(Un)Fixing Aloula: Maps, images and paradigms of The Attic (Marble) Landscape

“(Un)fixing Aloula” explores the fragmented landscape of the Open-Air Museum of Quarry Arts in Aloula, Athens. This museum—located in disused marble quarries on Mount Pentelicon and “repaired” by sculptor Nella Golanda and architect Aspasia Kouzoupi—is presented as a “repair-scape”, in which marble remnants were laboriously transformed into a reimagined ground. The “fixing” of this site—the curation of unorganised waste matter into organised material—generated a landscape that is at once restored and yet ruined, a “reciprocal landscape” (following Hutton) in dialogue with Athens and the Attic basin. Through a narration of an encounter with the museum, of a conversation with Golanda and Kouzoupi, and of an imaging of the museum for an exhibition at the Fondation Hellénique, this paper offers a developed reading of the repair-scape as a site of sympoiēsis, and as a site in which our shared image of a city might be continually contested, unfixed.

Anti-erosion rehabilitation: Effects of revegetation method and site traits on introduced and native plant cover and richness

In mountainous areas, bare slopes represent often dangerous forms of land degradation that need to be rehabilitated. However, revegetation is usually performed with non-native plants, negatively impacting the natural landscape value. Comprehensive studies, especially on poorly investigated long-term revegetation effects, are therefore essential for the improvement of rehabilitation practices.In this study, four landslides or disused quarries surrounded by well-preserved (semi-) natural vegetation that were revegetated between 1988 and 2002 with non-native only herbaceous or both herbaceous and woody plants were studied 1–9 and 16–31 years after rehabilitation. A total of 111 sampling areas were surveyed for introduced and volunteer species and other important ground cover soil and topography traits. Climatic traits and species' ecological indicators were retrieved from the available databases. The time patterns and ecological spectra of the plant covers were analysed and correlated to the site traits.In the first decade, introduced plants were initially abundant but decreased rapidly. In the long-term, the more stress-tolerant among them still had a considerable cover, especially in fine-textured soils. Native species were established slowly but, due to their higher stress tolerance, dominated in the long-term, especially at more stressful sites.In areas with predominantly herbaceous cover, soil factors, such as gravel content, were more related to the plant cover. In areas with predominantly woody plant cover, the high plant cover was dependent on microclimatic factors, especially aspect.At sites like those studied here, woody species should be always used, but in the form of native plants, as they tend to persist. If herbaceous species are unavailable in native forms, their introduction should be avoided in areas not exposed to erosion, whereas poorly stress-tolerant non-native plants should be used in steep areas as they create a fast but short-lasting cover compensated in the long term by the establishment of native species.

Dynamic landscapes: the reclamation of disused quarries

According to English writer and politician Joseph Addison, marble does not show any of its inherent beauty when it is in the quarry. Rather, it is the skill of the polisher that reveals the colors,...

The properties of reservoir water in post-mining excavations of Cambrian and Devonian quartzite sandstones (Holy Cross Mountains)

In the Holy Cross Mountains (southern Poland), there are numerous disused quarries. Some of these are filled with water, and some, despite their nearby location, have extremely diverse physicochemical and chemical properties of their waters. One such object is the Wiśniówka Mała reservoir. Its waters contain large amounts of sulfates (> 700 mg/L) and iron (24 mg/L), which are weathering products of rocks containing metal sulfides (mainly pyrite) in the direct drainage zone. As a consequence, there is an increase in the electrolytic conductivity of the water supplying the reservoir, resulting in very low pH values (< 4). This article presents the detailed limnological characteristics of this reservoir and explains the process that led to its water acidification. A control reservoir, Barcza, was also selected for the tests. Although it is also a post-mining excavation, it has a neutral pH and a low concentration of sulfates and iron. The examined reservoirs differ in the hydrochemical type of waters. The Wiśniówka Mała reservoir represents a sulfate–calcium double-ion type (SO42−–Ca2+) and the Barcza reservoir, a bicarbonate–calcium type (HCO3−–Ca2+). The concentrations of the main ions occurring here are shaped by the lithological features of the surrounding rocks (respectively: Upper Cambrian quartzite sandstones with pyrite mineralization zones, Lower Devonian sandstones cut by mudstones and claystones with tuffite inserts).

Geotourism Valorisation of Selected Quarries of Kłodzko Region and Cieszyn Foothills

Abstract The article presents a geotourism valorisation of selected quarries located in different mountainous regions in southern Poland, diverse in geological and tectonic terms. The regions of Kłodzko (with quarries Kletno I, Krzyżnik, Sinica, Czarne Urwisko, Szczytna Zamek) and of Cieszyn Foothills (quarries Na Jasieniowej, Na Mołczynie, Grota na Rudowie, Nad Kalembianką, Ondraszkowa Dziura) were proposed as a case study. The survey describes the most exposed disused quarries of marble, gneiss, sandstone, teschenites and Cieszyn limestone of high natural and cultural significance. As a result of the geotourist valorisation, the analysed geological objects were given point score under various criteria (educational value, scientific value, visual value, location/accessibility value, cultural value, geo-infrastructural value and the value of legal protection). It was found that the discussed quarries reveal high natural and educational value, and they are very significant in education and promotion of geologically attractive areas.

Stone uses in Reims Cathedral: provenance, physical properties and restoration phases

Abstract Reims Cathedral is a major monument in the NE of France originally built with local Lutetian limestone. The recent closure of the last quarries has made restoration using the same stone more complicated. The restoration stones used currently are Lutetian limestones from the centre of the Paris Basin (Saint-Pierre-Aigle and Saint-Maximin stones). Mapping of the Cathedral's façades confirmed the data from ancient manuscripts: Courville stone was the original building stone, but several other local stones from various quarries and beds were also used. As a follow-up to this mapping, Lutetian limestones from five disused quarries were sampled for petrophysical characterization tests: thin section analyses, porosimetry, capillary and drying kinetics. The petrophysical properties of the limestones showed differences between the two main local stone types ( Ditrupa limestone and miliolids limestone) and also between the quarries. This study addresses the difficulty of selecting new stone for restoration. Should ancient quarries be re-opened? If so, which ones?

The Isle of Portland, Dorset, England

The Isle of Portland is one of the jewels in the crown of the ‘Jurassic Coast’ of Dorset, southern England. Thomas Hardy aptly described this limestone peninsula as the ‘Gibraltar of Wessex’, and used its stone quarries as the backdrop for one of his novels (The Well‐Beloved). Quarries then, as now, work the world‐famous Portland Stone—a Jurassic oolitic limestone—from which St Paul's Cathedral and many other well‐known buildings are constructed. Rocks exposed in the numerous disused quarries scattered across the isle, together with exposures in spectacular sea‐cliffs, paint a vivid picture of life and environments, ∼150 million years ago. In addition to Jurassic patch‐reefs, coastal sabhkas, fossil forests and dinosaur footprints found in the bedrock, more recent geological phenomena include two Quaternary raised beaches, solution caves filled with vertebrates, and massive coastal landslips. The aim of this article is to provide a field guide for those wishing to explore the geology of this little‐known region for themselves.

Artificial sowing of endangered dry grassland species into disused basalt quarries

Steppe-like dry (semi) natural grasslands are valuable and endangered habitats in central Europe. In the study area (the České středohoří Hills, Czech Republic), they occur in fragments on southern slopes of volcanic hills, often in the vicinity of quarries, which are numerous there. We performed sowing experiments and observed seedling recruitment of six species, typical for the dry grasslands, in 9 basalt quarries located in 3 different climatic regions over 3 yr. The sowing experiments were established in young successional stages, 5–12 yr after quarrying was stopped. The objectives of the experiments were to evaluate: (i) if seedling recruitment and survival of the target species are possible regarding different climatic regions and (ii) what is the influence of weather fluctuations among years on seedling survival. Seedlings of all studied species were able to recruit and survive in the early successional stages at least in some quarries. The species, except one , showed significant differences in recruitment among the climatic regions, with the best recruitment and survival in the driest and warmest region. Seedlings of two species did not recruit in the wettest and coldest region. All species survived in the driest and warmest region, while only one did so in the coldest and wettest region. Different weather conditions in the studied years significantly influenced recruitment of two species. The number of localities (floristic records) of particular species in the regions was the best predictor of species germination and survival. Thus a traditional floristic survey may help to predict success of species in restoration projects. It emerged that artificial sowing can be considered in restoration programs as a way of contributing to restoration of dry grasslands in disused quarries.

Vegetation succession in basalt quarries: Pattern on a landscape scale

Abstract. A spatio‐temporal variation of vegetation during spontaneous succession was studied in 56 basalt quarries spread over 1800 km2 in the České středohoří Hills (NW Czech Republic, Central Europe). Differences in the particular habitats inside a quarry, i.e. steep rocky slopes, bottoms and levels; dumps; and screes were considered. The habitats ranged in age from 1 to 78 yr since abandonment. Macroclimate (mean annual temperature and precipitation) significantly influenced the course of succession, which led to a formation of shrubby grassland, shrubby woodland or tall woodland. Participation of target species typical of steppe‐like communities significantly depended on the occurrence of the communities in the vicinity, up to a distance of 30 m from a quarry. Disused quarries may become refugia for rare plant species. Spontaneous successional processes led in the reasonable time of ca. 20 yr to semi‐natural vegetation. Thus, they can be successfully exploited in restoration programs scheduled for the disused quarries.

Spider communities as tools in monitoring reclaimed limestone quarry landforms

Spider communities are sensitive to a wide range of environmental factors and are potential ecological indicators which may be effective in the assessment and monitoring of restored ecosystems. One restoration technique of disused limestone quarry faces, landform replication, attempts to create landforms and ecosystems similar to those found on natural dalesides. Vegetation surveys indicate that communities developing on landform replications are more closely allied to natural dalesides than are those of naturally recolonised disused quarries. Assessment of the spider communities of three landform replication sites, a natural limestone daleside and seven naturally recolonised disused limestone quarries, using DECORANA and TWINSPAN, produced differing patterns of sites than those observed through the assessment of the vegetation communities. DECORANA assessment based on vascular plant species composition highlights the similarities between daleside and reclaimed site communities. The sensitivity of spider communities to vegetation structure and extent of bare ground highlights differences between sites and provides evidence of important differences in vegetation community development particularly in relation to cover and structure. Implications for the assessment of reclamation and restoration techniques are discussed.

Establishment of species-rich vegetation on reclaimed limestone quarry faces in Derbyshire, UK

Landform replication attempts to create species-rich calcareous grassland ecosystems on disused limestone quarry faces. This is important because: (i) similar semi-natural communities are often at risk from agriculture and other development; and (ii) although there are many abandoned quarries of nature conservation importance, modern extraction processes increase the time required for natural colonisation. Quarry faces were blasted selectively to produce several landforms, including scree slopes which were hydroseeded with an appropriate seed mix based on local daleside communities. The vegetation communities established after 2 years on three such areas are compared with those of a natural daleside and seven disused quarries (40–85 years since abandonment). It is encouraging for the restoration programme that the vegetation communities on the landform replications are more closely allied to the natural dalesides than to the disused quarries. However, rabbit grazing appears to influence the species composition of the landform replications and the development of cover. The implications for the management of these sites are discussed.

An Assessment of the “Conservation Void” as a Management Technique for Geological Conservation in Disused Quarries

Although nature conservation in Britain is traditionally dominated by wildlife conservation, there is currently a growing awareness of the need to conserve the geological and geomorphological heritage. A significant part of this geological heritage is exposed in rock sections within both active and disused quarries. Conservation is difficult at these sites because they are also valued as repositories for landfill and because of the legal requirement for quarry restoration. One solution to this conflict is to restore quarries with partial landfill to leave a void space adjacent to a rock face of geological interest. In this situation, partial infill ensures that the geological interest of a site remains exposed whilst access is available through the “conservation void” itself. This paper outlines the history of the “conservation void” technique and examines the design of such voids for geological conservation schemes. A field survey of existing quarry restoration projects at sites of importance for geological conservation shows that the success of the “conservation void” method varies with lithology. The method is most successful at sites comprising hard lithologies and least successful at sites comprising soft or unconsolidated rocks and soils. This has important implications for nature conservation policy and for environmental managers dealing with quarry restoration projects.

The Flora and Invertebrate Fauna of Abandoned Limestone Quarries in Derbyshire, United Kingdom

AbstractAbandoned limestone quarries are hostile environments for plant and invertebrate colonization and establishment. The length of time taken for successful establishment by natural processes may be unacceptable for reclamation purposes; several techniques are used to reduce the time scales involved. A new technique, restoration blasting, aims to replicate natural daleside landforms by selective blasting of modern production quarry faces. We compare the flora and invertebrate fauna of restoration‐blasted sites, hydro‐seeded with daleside species, with naturally regenerating disused quarries and a natural daleside. Restoration‐blasted sites were found to have less plant cover, more bare ground, fewer orders of invertebrates, and generally fewer animals within each order than the other two types of site. The disused quarries tended to have intermediate characteristics between the restoration‐blasted sites and the natural daleside. The age of the site may be important in determining the plants and invertebrates occurring there. This may be related to the time available for establishment or a greater degree of settlement or stability within the biotic and abiotic components of the site. Although most of the results indicate that time since establishment may be important, some variations occur. In particular, the development of vegetation cover in areas grazed by rabbits is problematic. These results are important in the assessment of successful reclamation because the invertebrate fauna may contribute greatly to the overall system. Both plant and animal communities appear to be establishing well on the sites reclaimed by restoration blasting. Further monitoring will identify the speed at which such environments achieve the desired aim of replicating daleside communities and the communities best able to be sustained following this technique.

Pre-design evaluation of disused quarries as landfill sites : P. Lyle, P. J. Gibson, A. R. Woodside & W. D. H. Woodward, in: Engineering geology of waste disposal, ed S.P. Bentley, (Geological Society of London; Engineering Geology Special Publication, 11), 1996, pp 123–126

Pre-design evaluation of disused quarries as landfill sites : P. Lyle, P. J. Gibson, A. R. Woodside & W. D. H. Woodward, in: Engineering geology of waste disposal, ed S.P. Bentley, (Geological Society of London; Engineering Geology Special Publication, 11), 1996, pp 123–126

Pre-design evaluation of disused quarries as landfill sites

Abstract This paper outlines how faults and fracture zones may be detected with use of a total field precession magnetometer during the initial and preliminary stages of the assessment of disused quarries as possible landfill sites. The technique has been applied across a range of lithologies and can help in the more accurate assessment of potential pollutant conduits. The use of standard permeability tests for natural liners and tensile tests for synthetic liners in the pre-design evaluation phase are discussed. The approximate costs of using such tests and geomagnetic profiling in pre-design evaluation are discussed.

Prograding coastal facies associations in the Vryheid formation (Permian) at Effingham quarries near Durban, South Africa

This paper describes and interprets a flat-lying, sandstone—siltstone sequence 70 m thick in three disused quarries. The beds comprise the lowest part of the Vryheid Formation (middle Ecca) in the Durban vicinity. The sequence is conveniently divisible into two parts: the Lower Division constitutes a prograding beach barrier association, while the upper one represents a back barrier lagoonal complex. Fourteen sedimentary facies are described and interpreted to represent a range of depositional environments including open water shelf silts, sandy shoreface and littoral deposits, organic-rich muds and peats of lagoonal origin, a tidal inlet, washover fans and a fluvial channel sand. Among the conclusions reached are that the local middle Ecca coastline extended in a northwest to southeast direction and that progradation was towards the southwest; that the coastline was microtidal and that stormy conditions were common with prevalent palaeowinds from the northwest. The absence of invertebrate body fossils in these strata is attributed to penecontemporaneous solution of shelly remains. This is the first time that a coastal sequence has been identified on the southeast margin of the Main Karoo Basin of South Africa