Publication: Evaluación de restauraciones en depósitos mineros contaminados : un enfoque socioecológico aplicado a la Sierra Minera de Cartagena-La Unión, España
Authors
Muñoz Maluenda, Cristian Marcelo
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Escuela Internacional de Doctorado
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Esteve Selma, Miguel A. ; Baños Páez, Pedro
Publisher
Universidad de Murcia
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DOI
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info:eu-repo/semantics/doctoralThesis
Description
Abstract
La presente investigación fue realizada en la Sierra Minera de Cartagena-La Unión, en el sureste de la península ibérica, a partir de julio del año 2022, orientada a evaluar diez depósitos mineros contaminados mediante un enfoque socio-ecológico. El estudio se centró en dos ejes principales: a) evaluar los sistemas de toma de decisiones que afectan las iniciativas de restauración ecológica, y b) construir y validar un Índice de Protección Integrado (IPI), como herramienta de diagnóstico y priorización para la planificación ambiental y el abordaje de procesos de restauración avanzados.
La investigación abordó tanto la dimensión social como la ecológica. Desde una perspectiva social y de gestión, se exploró la percepción de actores clave del territorio sobre los procesos de restauración, mientras que la dimensión ecológica consideró parámetros físicos, biológicos y químicos integrados a través del IPI. Este índice permitió además vincular dichas dimensiones con la capacidad de resiliencia de los sitios restaurados frente a eventos climáticos extremos ocurridos entre 2013 y 2022.
La metodología adoptó un enfoque mixto, estructurado en dos componentes. El primero consistió en un diagnóstico del sistema de toma de decisiones, mediante una herramienta diseñada para evaluar motivaciones, factibilidad y condiciones críticas para la implementación de restauraciones. El segundo componente incluyó la evaluación de once sitios (diez balsas restauradas y un área de control) mediante la construcción de tres índices específicos: el Índice de Protección Física (IPF), basado en teledetección (NDVI) y datos de erosión; el Índice de Protección Biológica (IPB), derivado de la composición vegetal, riqueza y proximidad ecológica a un área de referencia; y el Índice de Protección Química (IPQ), construido a partir del análisis de fitoextracción y fitotoxicidad en plantas y suelos. La integración de estos tres indicadores permitió la generación del IPI, utilizado para discriminar entre sitios y evaluar su resistencia y resiliencia frente a eventos de sequía.
Los resultados asociados al diagnóstico y la percepción de los informantes clave revelaron una brecha relevante entre la motivación inicial y las condiciones reales de implementación de las restauraciones, señalándose la necesidad de fortalecer diseños técnicos, sistemas de monitoreo y la gobernanza participativa.
Los principales resultados respecto al IPI reflejaron que los sitios MP, PAIII, LP y CLL mostraron la mejor calidad de restauración, destacándose particularmente PAIII, que, a pesar de ser una zona sin tratamiento específico, tuvo un desempeño destacado. Los sitios MSA, EG, PCR y MSP se presentaron con los resultados más rezagados en términos de IPI.
Los factores de éxito detectados estuvieron asociados a atributos ecológicos locales, la capacidad de retención hídrica (endorreísmo), las tasas de crecimiento vegetal, y la proximidad a fuentes de propágulos naturales, teniendo estos aspectos más relevancia que la inversión económica.
El IPI se correlacionó fuertemente con la cobertura arbórea y la tasa de crecimiento. Se sugiere una cobertura arbórea mínima del 20% dentro de una cobertura vegetal total de al menos 60% para lograr un NDVI deseable (>0.3) y reducir la erosión.
Los sitios con ensamblajes vegetales más estructurados demostraron mayor resistencia y resiliencia frente a eventos de sequía extrema.
El estudio concluye que la restauración ecológica requiere más que soluciones técnicas y es dependiente de la estructura funcional de las zonas intervenidas, de su conectividad ecológica y de la diversidad adaptativa de los ensambles vegetales que la componen. Asimismo, deja en evidencia la necesidad crítica de un modelo de gobernanza participativo y adaptativo acompañado de estrategias comunicacionales eficaces que permitan la sostenibilidad a largo plazo de los esfuerzos de restauración a gran escala.
This research was carried out in the Sierra Minera de Cartagena-La Unión, located in the southeastern Iberian Peninsula, starting in July 2022. It objective was to assess ten contaminated mining deposits using a socioecological approach. The study focused on two main objectives: (a) to evaluate the decision-making systems influencing ecological restoration initiatives, and (b) to develop and validate an Integrated Protection Index (IPI) as a diagnostic and prioritization tool for environmental planning and the management of advanced restoration processes. The study addressed both social and ecological dimensions. From a social and governance perspective, it explored the perceptions of key local stakeholders regarding restoration processes. Ecologically, it considered physical, biological, and chemical parameters, integrated through the IPI. This index also allowed for linking these dimensions with the resilience capacity of restored sites to extreme climatic events recorded between 2013 and 2022. The methodology adopted a mixed-methods approach, structured into two main components. The first involved a diagnosis of the decision-making system, using a specific tool to assess motivations, feasibility, and critical conditions for implementation. The second component consisted of the evaluation of eleven sites (ten restored ponds and one control area), through the construction of three specific indices: the Physical Protection Index (PPI), based on remote sensing (NDVI) and erosion data; the Biological Protection Index (BPI), derived from vegetation composition, species richness, and ecological proximity to a reference site; and the Chemical Protection Index (CPI), built from analyses of phytoextraction and phytotoxicity in plant and soil samples. The integration of these three indices led to the creation of the IPI, which was used to differentiate among sites and to assess their resistance and resilience to drought events. Results related to the diagnostic and stakeholder perception revealed a significant gap between the initial motivation and the actual conditions of implementation, highlighting the need to strengthen technical design, monitoring systems, and participatory governance. In terms of the IPI, the sites MP, PAIII, LP, and CLL exhibited the highest restoration quality, with PAIII standing out despite receiving no specific treatment. Conversely, the sites MSA, EG, PCR, and MSP showed the lowest performance. Key success factors were associated with local ecological attributes, such as hydrological retention capacity (endorheism), plant growth rates, and proximity to natural sources of propagules; factors that proved more influential than financial investment. The IPI showed a strong correlation with tree canopy cover and vegetation growth rates. A minimum tree cover of 20% within a total vegetation cover of at least 60% is suggested to achieve a desirable NDVI (>0.3) and reduce erosion. Sites with more structured plant assemblages demonstrated greater resistance and resilience to extreme drought events. The study concludes that ecological restoration goes beyond technical implementation and is fundamentally based on the functional structure of restored ecosystems, their ecological connectivity, and the adaptive diversity of plant communities. It also highlights the urgent need for participatory and adaptive governance models, reinforced by strategic and inclusive communication, to ensure the long-term sustainability of large-scale restoration initiatives.
This research was carried out in the Sierra Minera de Cartagena-La Unión, located in the southeastern Iberian Peninsula, starting in July 2022. It objective was to assess ten contaminated mining deposits using a socioecological approach. The study focused on two main objectives: (a) to evaluate the decision-making systems influencing ecological restoration initiatives, and (b) to develop and validate an Integrated Protection Index (IPI) as a diagnostic and prioritization tool for environmental planning and the management of advanced restoration processes. The study addressed both social and ecological dimensions. From a social and governance perspective, it explored the perceptions of key local stakeholders regarding restoration processes. Ecologically, it considered physical, biological, and chemical parameters, integrated through the IPI. This index also allowed for linking these dimensions with the resilience capacity of restored sites to extreme climatic events recorded between 2013 and 2022. The methodology adopted a mixed-methods approach, structured into two main components. The first involved a diagnosis of the decision-making system, using a specific tool to assess motivations, feasibility, and critical conditions for implementation. The second component consisted of the evaluation of eleven sites (ten restored ponds and one control area), through the construction of three specific indices: the Physical Protection Index (PPI), based on remote sensing (NDVI) and erosion data; the Biological Protection Index (BPI), derived from vegetation composition, species richness, and ecological proximity to a reference site; and the Chemical Protection Index (CPI), built from analyses of phytoextraction and phytotoxicity in plant and soil samples. The integration of these three indices led to the creation of the IPI, which was used to differentiate among sites and to assess their resistance and resilience to drought events. Results related to the diagnostic and stakeholder perception revealed a significant gap between the initial motivation and the actual conditions of implementation, highlighting the need to strengthen technical design, monitoring systems, and participatory governance. In terms of the IPI, the sites MP, PAIII, LP, and CLL exhibited the highest restoration quality, with PAIII standing out despite receiving no specific treatment. Conversely, the sites MSA, EG, PCR, and MSP showed the lowest performance. Key success factors were associated with local ecological attributes, such as hydrological retention capacity (endorheism), plant growth rates, and proximity to natural sources of propagules; factors that proved more influential than financial investment. The IPI showed a strong correlation with tree canopy cover and vegetation growth rates. A minimum tree cover of 20% within a total vegetation cover of at least 60% is suggested to achieve a desirable NDVI (>0.3) and reduce erosion. Sites with more structured plant assemblages demonstrated greater resistance and resilience to extreme drought events. The study concludes that ecological restoration goes beyond technical implementation and is fundamentally based on the functional structure of restored ecosystems, their ecological connectivity, and the adaptive diversity of plant communities. It also highlights the urgent need for participatory and adaptive governance models, reinforced by strategic and inclusive communication, to ensure the long-term sustainability of large-scale restoration initiatives.
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