A GEOMORPHOLOGICAL DESIGN FOR THE REHABILITATION OF AN ABANDONED SANDQUARRY IN CENTRAL SPAIN

The article describes, how a geomorphological design based on the orig inal relief architecture (prior to exploitation), can contribute to th e ecological and landscape reclamation oi an environment affected by a silica sand quarry located in the central area of the Iberian Peninsu la (Spain). The reclamation procedure based on this design gives consi derable importance to integral geomorphological criteria (morphographi c, morphodynamic and morphoevolutionary); this approach is designed to complete the methodologies applied in landscape restorations, by inco rporating aspects of morphogenetic dynamics in addition to the already habitual aspects based on geometrical criteria. This proposal also gi ves rise to a discussion regarding the philosophy underlying environme ntal and landscape restorations, which often attach too much importanc e to revegetation processes or to strictly aesthetic considerations wi thout taking into account the long-term evolution of natural systems, which is chiefly regulated by geomorphoedaphic processes. (C) 1998 Pub lished by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.