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The marble sector is of great tradition in the area of Zarcilla de Ramos, Lorca (Murcia), with the first quarries of ornamental rocks being authorized in the 80s. Subsequently, in 1992, the first perimeters of the Natura 2000 Network were established in the Region of Murcia. One of the designated perimeters is the Sierras del Gigante-Pericay, Lomas del Buitre-Río Luchena and Sierra de La Torrecilla SPAs, and within this protected area there are several ornamental rock mining operations.

The correct management of protected areas in the Region of Murcia influenced by the extractive mining activity of marble is the priority of this project. According to the entity, using innovative solutions for the protection of the environment and the management of biodiversity in symbiosis with the extractive processes of natural resources will promote the correct restoration and conditioning of these ecosystems.

The entity also highlights that the landscape heterogeneity that takes place in these habitats, generated by mining activity, allows the appearance and development of populations of fauna species of high biological value. In this sense, the originality of this project would be based on the implementation of biodiversity management measures during the extraction phase and not only as part of the restoration at the end of the exploitation.

The main objective of the project has been to generate a restoration methodology in marble mining operations in the Region of Murcia aimed at the functional rehabilitation of strategic ecosystems , as well as the improvement of the connectivity of species that are very sensitive to human interventions and whose habitats are being threatened by various anthropic activities. among them, the mining activity of marble extraction. These species are the following: Testudo graeca, Chersopilus duponti and bats especially Rhinoluphus mehelyi, Myotis capaccinii, Rhinolophus ferrumequinum, Rhinolophus hipposideros, Rhinolopus euryale, Myotis myotis, Myotis blythii.

The specific objectives were as follows:

• Analyse the potential of the study area and the establishment of specific study areas: mapping for the delimitation and cataloguing of habitats, plant communities and landscape units existing in the areas of action based on the ecological vocation of each area.
• Previous inventory of biodiversity: assessment of the presence of the species studied (Testudo graeca, Chersopilus duponti and bats) in the farms and the environment of ecological influence.
• Perform the specific analysis of structural and functional connectivity of the species for the defined experimental areas.
• Design of pilot actions for refaunation and support for local populations, both for the active exploitation and restoration phases, with special attention to threatened taxa of special interest in the Region of Murcia compatible with the areas of action: Testudo graeca, Chersopilus duponti, and bats, especially Rhinoluphus mehelyi, Myotis capaccinii, Rhinolophus ferrumequinum, Rhinolophus hipposideros, Rhinolopus euryale, Myotis myotis, Myotis blythii.
• Develop a communication plan that allows the knowledge, valorization and dissemination of the natural resources of the territory subject to the project, both within the business sector and in the social and administrative sphere.

• Inventory and classification of marble mining operations present in the SCI and SPA Sierra del Gigante through bibliographic searches, aerial images and field studies. Likewise, the representative areas and specific object of study have been chosen according to the favourable habitats for the species selected for the study.
• Specific sampling of the black tortoise (Testudo graeca), by direct and indirect methods in the selected representative areas.
• Generic sampling of the local avifauna and specific sampling of the Dupontian lark (Chersopilus duponti), by direct and indirect methods in the selected representative areas.
• Specific sampling of bats by indirect methods by ultrasonic detector in the selected representative areas.
• Study of the existing connectivity and potential of marble mining operations as a source of biodiversity export.
• Design and execution of experimental habitat modelling areas for the Moorish tortoise, the Ducot lark and bats.
• Communication and dissemination of the project through the creation of a specific website, informative brochures, the holding of a webinar where the results of the project were presented and the sending of mailings to 120 companies in the sector and 3 public entities to publicize the results obtained in the project.

The Marble & Biodiversity project is a pilot project that has pursued a transition between the conventional way of restoring quarries and an innovative methodology capable of progressively returning ecological functionality to the exploited land. According to the entity, it is an experience aimed at demonstrating that it is possible to model the environment to be restored to contribute to the conservation and ecological connectivity of species or fauna groups currently threatened. In this case, the focus of attention was on some representative species of Murcian fauna that are currently threatened: the Dupontian Lark (Chersophilus duponti), the Moorish tortoise (Testudo graeca) and the group of bats (commonly called bats).

The technical capacity and knowledge of the sector of the Marble, Stone and Materials Technology Centre (CTM) has served as a catalyst for the participation of companies and farms in this pioneering initiative to implement a new general approach before exporting to other mines in the Spanish Levante. Once the method has been tested, the aim is to apply it in a generalised way in the largest number of different functional restorations within the distribution area of these species, to improve the conditions of habitability and ecological connectivity, which will make an interesting contribution to the sustainable exploitation of quarries in the marble sector.

Thus, among the remarkable milestones are the willingness of the participating companies (counting the participation of 8 marble mines in the area), the minimization of resources required for this type of techniques, the great rusticity and adaptation of the native plant taxa used and the good results obtained in the experimental modelling. Also noteworthy is the planting of 29 species of native flora, carried out within the framework of the project. In total, an area of 123.68 hectares was intervened.