Minning area biodiversity conservation

Save as PDF

Biodiversity conservation

Objective

To minimise or even exclude the loss of biodiversity, GóraŜdŜe Cement S.A., in cooperation with the Nature Conservation Administration of the regional authorities, forest administration and scientists of the Opole University have started a Programme of biodiversity conservation for the mining area of GóraŜdŜe Cement S.A.

Context

GóraŜdŜe Quarry is one of the biggest limestone extraction sites in Poland. It supplies two plants with limestone: GóraŜdŜe cement plant and GóraŜdŜe lime plant.

In 2001 GóraŜdŜe Cement received a new 50 year permit for the exploitation of the Gorazdze limestone deposits. The concession establishes the mining area boundaries for which a development plan was produced. This plan lays out the guidelines for land reclamation with recommendations for foresting and water management reclamation.

The GóraŜdŜe mining area and its nearest surroundings in south west Poland has rich vegetation and high plant diversity. One of the dominant and very valuable types of flora within the mining area are beech forests. Very rare or endangered plant species frequently occur in these types of forests. Despite the mining activities and quarry exploitation, some of them have adapt to the new, anthropogenic habitats within the remediated, under reclamation or even under exploitation areas.

Solutions

Plant species endangered by the quarrying will be steadily replanted subject to prior approval by environmental authorities. After replanting, the plants will be monitored. Within the boundaries of the GóraŜdŜe Limestone Quarry there used to be many species which are now endagered or even extinct. By utilising the recultivated site the aim is to restore many species which are of great importance to the biodiversity of Polish nature and the region.

In 2008 the company decided to create a nature trail within the GóraŜdŜe Quarry in order to show the most interesting biological values as well as to promote the results of the company's activities within the framework of nature conservation.

Results

The first results of the programme was the translocation of threatened species. In addition, the reclamation method enhances the biotic potential of the excavations, raising the biotop mosaics and creates the most adequate habitats for the species to be translocated or reintroduced. Work is currently focussed on updating the reclamation plan in order to obtain permission for actions aimed at preserving the biodiversity of the mining area.