Gypsicolous flora, conservation and restoration of quarries in the southeast of the Iberian Peninsula

The southeast of the Iberian Peninsula, more precisely, the province of Almeria, has the most important gypsum quarries in Spain. Despite the severe environmental impact of these quarries, so far little attention has been paid to either the effect on the flora, especially on the more restricted endemic taxa, or to the restoration of the habitats after the end of exploitation. It is our view that restoration of gypsum quarries should not only aim at correcting the visual impact of mining on the landscape, but should also attend to the biological impact of the quarrying. Although the 'cicatrising' potential of gypsophytes is already well known, not all the species are able to recolonise worked-out quarries. Using species abundances, all analyses clearly show that artificial rehabilitation results in very altered communities. The preservation of the gypsum flora merits prioritary protective strategies which, at least to some extent, would make gypsum mining and nature conservation compatible.