3rd AMIREG International Conference (2009): Assessing the Footprint of 131
Resource Utilization and Hazardous Waste Management, Athens, Greece
Study of reformation and re-establishment of vegetation during alternative
management of quarries in the municipality of eastern Mani
J.N. Georgi
Hellenic Open University, Greece
A. Kampouris
Technological Educational Institute of Kavala, Department of Landscape Architecture, Kavala,
Greece
ABSTRACT
The present paper studies a) the restoration of 2. METHODS AND MATERIALS
the landscape in a quarry site and b) the estab-
lishment of vegetation and its incorporation into The case study area is a private area located in
the natural landscape without affecting the aes- Loukadika of Messinia, Greece, which belongs
thetics of the area. The aim of this study was the to the municipality of Eastern Mani. It is an iso-
re-establishment of the landscape which is over- lated partly rocky area of 16.186,88 m² (4 acres)
loaded as a result of quarry activities and con- where no other activities are carried out except
struction of streets for heavy equipment. The breeding of livestock.
The area is characterized by:
study focuses on the organisation and reforma-
tion of countryside for the accommodation of 1. sloping terrain
several events. 2. particular forestry value (Quercus pubescens,
Olea europaea.)
1. INTRODUCTION 2.1 Research and Study Methodology
The installation and operation of several indus- In order to shape the environment in such an
trial units in the natural landscape increases rap- area proper investigation and successful design
idly and causes changes in the landscape and the are required. Proper design improves substan-
microclimate due to the operation of equipment tially the quality of life. The science that con-
that release pollutants which contribute to mi- tributes to development, enhancement, conser-
croclimate changes. The high cost of installation vation and restoration completing thus composi-
combined with the high cost of land purchase tion and configuration of the landscape is Land-
lead the owners to establish the units in areas scape Architecture. The landscape architect as a
outside of cities or close to the natural landscape leader in science is the person who through his
where the costs are lower (Sakellakis, 2006; successful design offers qualitative use of the
Eleftheriadis, 2008) landscape in harmony with human needs and ac-
In other countries restoration of the land- tivities (Arbogast et al., 2000; Rokos, 2001;
scape in similar areas is accomplished from the Dimitriou and Georgi, 2008).
start of the construction phase having as result The research methodology is based on the
the immediate absorption of the impacts and the principles of landscape architecture and aims to
harmonization of the unit with the landscape. achieve the following:
The aim of this study was the re-establishment
of the landscape which is overloaded as a result 1. Search similar cases in Greece and abroad
of quarry activities and construction of streets 2. Analyze the area of interest
for heavy equipment. The study focuses on the 3. Design the proposal
organisation and reformation of countryside for
the accommodation of several events.
3rd AMIREG International Conference (2009): Assessing the Footprint of 132
Resource Utilization and Hazardous Waste Management, Athens, Greece
2.2 Similar Cases - Examples Restoration in Butchart Gardens in British Co-
Our search on similar cases in Greece and lumbia in Canada
abroad was not successful and gave no results. Mining areas and quarries have a long tradition
For this reason the study group investigated of after use as botanical gardens. One such case
similar areas, in terms of conditions and charac- is the mining area in the Butchart Gardens in
teristics. British Columbia in Canada.
The examples given below are mainly from In 1904 began the restoration of the aban-
quarries which have similar restoration needs as doned limestone quarry with a total area of 500
the study area examined in this work. acres as presented in Figs 2a and b.
Darlton Quarry The botanical garden opened in 1940 and re-
ceives annually over one million visitors. This is
In this case the restoration is classified in the one of many similar examples. A more recent
“Optical Hide (Rehabilitation) Option”, Fig.1. example is the approval given by the Memorial
There are cases where the extraction of raw University of Newfoundland in Canada to estab-
materials requires the development and opera- lish a botanical garden in an abandoned quarry.
tion of large fronts for long periods. In these The role of the Landscape Architect is very
cases the boundaries of the mining/quarry sites important for the rehabilitation of such areas.
are particularly noteworthy and the establish- The involvement of a landscape architect from
ment of vegetation should be combined with the the early stages of the work is very important as
modification of soil characteristics (landform the study and understanding of the actual land-
transformation).
The vegetation that is going to be used must
be compatible with the character of the area and
the existing vegetation in the quarry. The time
period for the establishment of plantations is
very important so that the visual coverage is
achieved at the right time.
In Darlton quarry several uneven slopes in
terms of height were created. The slopes were
developed in such a way as to act as a link with
the boundaries of the quarry. The elements of
the area outside the quarry were extended to the
inner part of the restoration area to enable better
interaction. The type, colour and layout of the
area play a very important role especially when
the site is visible from long distances.
Figure 2a and b: The Butchart Gardens in British Colum-
Figure 1: Darlton Quarry. bia in Canada.
3rd AMIREG International Conference (2009): Assessing the Footprint of 133
Resource Utilization and Hazardous Waste Management, Athens, Greece
be used so that they will not increase the tem-
perature in the area by absorbing solar radiation.
Another issue that has to be considered by the
Landscape Architect is the technology that ex-
ists concerning the study area. The cultural and
natural characteristics should be combined and
mixed with the scientific knowledge to achieve
a successful result.
Another issue that designers should consider
is the safety measures required for proper plan-
ning. The safety standards during construction
and proper use should be inspected by a special-
ist in order to achieve an effective use of the re-
stored area.
3. ANALYSIS OF THE STUDY AREA
The study area (Fig. 3) of approximately
16186.88 m² is located at a distance of approxi-
mately 1 km from the settlement of Loukadika,
Figure 3: Aerial Photograph of the wider area of Mani and in Messinia, Greece; since it is isolated and in-
Loukadika. clined it is ideal for the installation of such a
unit. The provincial road which connects the
scape becomes apparent from the first stage settlement with the area crosses its upper part.
where information on the design and planning The vegetation in the surrounding area is of par-
of site restoration should be obtained. The in- ticular value and forestry for the proposed con-
formation obtained needs to be summarized in figuration (Fig. 4); the aim is to link the unit
the following categories: with the larger area of the region which is visi-
- Ecology and Development ble from the road without affecting the Mediter-
- Research and Technology ranean landscape which is typical in the region.
- Culture The interventions made by the study group
- Nature aimed at preserving the naturalness of the land-
- Science and scape while seeking to make the space as much
- Art safe as possible and functional for users. Also,
through vegetation, designed to enable continu-
In the natural environment beyond the eco- ity and connection to the wider landscape, to es-
logical consciousness and awareness, the mate- tablish an air filter for microparticles released
rials as well as the ways used for constructions during processing of plant material and thus im-
are also considered important. Materials with prove the microclimate of the restored area.
light colours friendly to the environment have to Generally, the regeneration of this area is neces-
sary in order to connect the unit with the natural
landscape and transmit through this the envi-
ronmentally friendly nature that distinguishes
this facility.
The surrounding study area is characterized
by naturalness and Mediterranean character.
Due to the rocky surface, no other activi-
ties,except breeding livestock, are carried out
around the site. The characteristics of the site
make the study of the configuration particular
since the aim should be achieved through a
Figure 4: The existing situation of the area. physical view connecting the region with the
3rd AMIREG International Conference (2009): Assessing the Footprint of 134
Resource Utilization and Hazardous Waste Management, Athens, Greece
unit. to drought in arid and rocky soils, low tempera-
The proposed actions should be considered tures and strong winds. These species include:
so as to contribute substantially to the dual use Ostrya vulgaris, Quercus pubescens, Aria Quer-
of region; emphasis should be placed on the fact cus ilex, Punica granatum, Olive Olea europaea,
that the restored area should be user friendly Juniperus oxycedrus, Ceratonia siliqua.
and provide space that will accommodate vari- Finally, for aesthetic reasons and in order to
ous activities. avoid monotony various resistant to drought
During the design and in order to implement shrubs and especially lavender, levantine,
a complete study for the rehabilitation of the thyme, oregano and other brushwood were in-
area issues that were taken into consideration stalled (Castro et al., 2002; 2004).
included the present and anticipated use of the The dominant idea has similar characteristics
site as well as processing of the parameters and with the rest of the region. The simple lines and
constraints. nature form complex designs. The nature of
physical space is maintained and is not con-
3.1 The Proposal
verted into a human construction in the natural
The proposed design aims through appropriate landscape. There were used colours of wood,
manipulation of vegetation and the landscape to natural flooring materials and equipment and
unify the various operations carried out on the generally plain and simple intervention will fol-
perimeter and the area of study and to achieve low the natural character of the area.
the physical integration of this region within the The configurations including roads for vehi-
rest of the mountainous - Mediterranean land- cles, pedestrian zones, green spaces, fences and
scape (Gómez-Aparicio et al., 2004). constructions will be considered so as to con-
For the better planning and exploitation of tribute substantially to the dual use of the area
the site, due to the presence of steep slopes, the and to highlight the role of space as environ-
formation of levels throughout the area was mentally friendly and able to host various activi-
proposed, which according to the purpose that ties (Fig. 5).
will serve they will have similar dimensions. During the design of the portal, marking of
The basic idea behind the proposed formula- the entrance of the facility was considered an
tion is to maintain the initial naturalness of the aspect of great importance; therefore the con-
landscape. This can be achieved by maintaining struction of two stone columns with a spacing of
and enhancing the existing vegetation and by 5.5 m was proposed to enable vehicles to cross.
creating a large hedge of plants and trees to hide Outside the entrance a synthesis of stone and
the area and maintain the vulnerability of the tree was considered.
aesthetic landscape which is achieved largely by
3.2 Additional Constructions
the creation of steps at which trees, mainly
broadleaf (deciduous and evergreen), will be Next to the office building the construction of a
planted. This approach apart from the visual 15 m² chalet which will function as a kiosk pro-
improvement will contribute to changing the viding information on the operation of the unit
microclimate of the area, will absorb as filter as well as serving as environmental education
large percentage of pollutants produced by the pavilion is proposed.
activities carried out and will act as natural At the lowest point of the unit it is proposed
acoustic screen which will greatly reduce any that the recovered steep slopes of soil and ter-
noise generated by the operations. rain will form the basis for the construction of
In order to achieve this it is important to take an outdoor amphitheatre, using iron and wood,
into account the needs of plants required for which is expected to host several events and
their growth. For this reason, since the soil is constitute a place for gathering of visitors dur-
rocky it is proposed that 1 m³/m² of soil is ing summer and when the weather permits. The
placed at all levels. proposed shape is suggested to be triangular,
The selection of species proposed for the es- with the scene at the lowest point. It consists of
tablishment of vegetation was made on the basis 9 rows of seats in order to accommodate ap-
of climatic and soil conditions in the region. proximately 90 people (Fig. 6).
More specifically selected species are resistant
3rd AMIREG International Conference (2009): Assessing the Footprint of 135
Resource Utilization and Hazardous Waste Management, Athens, Greece
The amphitheatre is proposed to be con- ing: Aesthetical organization that reflects the
structed as an elevated small-scale construction, character of the area, Use of vegetation as a
based on a metal skeleton of which only the ver- main element, Flexibility of the space with the
tical lines will be placed in the ground. The con- possibility of carrying out social open air activi-
struction is proposed to have this shape for the ties (exhibitions, performances, rallies), Visual
following reasons: and functional complexity of each area to pro-
vide the necessary wealth. Finally, all provi-
- It doesn’t require special configuration of the
sions in the light of the Environmental Planning
excavation of soil only for the installation of
and Principles of Landscape Architecture to
piles that will form the central skeleton of the
protect and enhance the cultural and natural
structure.
landscape of the region will be considered.
- No cement or other materials will be used
since it is a lightweight construction which in
future can be easily removed if required. REFERENCES
- It is placed in an inclined area and at low
Arbogast, B.F., D.H. Knepper Jr. and W.H. Langer, 2000.
level so that rain water can easily drain under US Geological Survey (USGS) - The Human Factor In
the construction without causing any prob- Mining Reclamation.
lems. Castro, J., J. Zamora, A. Hodar, J.M. Gómez and L. Go-
mez-Aparicio, 2002. Use of Scrubs as nurse Plants: A
New Technique For Reforestation In The Mediterra-
nean Mountains., Restoration Ecology 10(2): 297-305.
4. CONCLUSIONS Castro, J., J. Zamora, A. Hodar, J.M. Gómez and L. Go-
The design, in terms of functionality of the site mez-Aparicio, 2004, Benefits of Using Shrubs as
Nurse Plants For Reforestation In Mediterranean
is summarized below. A traffic clear network of Mountains: A 4 Year Study. Restoration Ecology
footpaths will connect the various parts. Alter- 12(3): 352-358.
native forms of operations so that different areas Gómez-Aparicio L., Zamora, R., Gómez, J.M., Hódar,
can be used both ways, through individual and J.A., Castro, J., Baraza, E., 2004, Applying Plant Fa-
organized activities, will be developed includ- cilitation To Forest Restoration: A Meta-Analysis Of
The Use of Shrubs As Nurse Plants, Ecological Appli-
cations 14(4): 1128-1138.
Sakellakis, M.V., 2006. Longitudinal Development of
Natural Landscape in Terms of Penteli. Renovation of
open spaces and Territorial Integration of Antiquities.
Graduation Project, Hellenic Open University.
Eleftheriadis, N., 2008. Landscape Management,
Photo/Graphs Studio.
Rokos, D., 2001. Integrated development of mountainous
areas. Theory and Praxis, 3rd Inter-science Inter-
university Conference organized by National Techni-
Figure 5: 3D Model of the proposed Configuration in the cal University of Athens, Metsovon Conference Cen-
Unit. tre, Metsovon, Greece, 7-10 June 2001.
Dimitriou, D. and J.N. Georgi, 2008. The Contribution of
Urban Green Spaces to the Improvement of The city
Environment. Analysis of Experimental Data for the
city of Chania.
Figure 6: Photograph of the model with the proposed con-
figuration.
