Basalt-Actien-Gesellschaft

Objective

To protect endangered species of amphibians.

Context

In the just 15 hectare wide, Albersweiler quarry, belonging to the Basalt-ActienGesellschaft, gneiss is mined to produce aggregates for the building industry.

Solution

Endangered species of amphibians need for their survival shallow tarns which they use as spawning water. Lizards depend on barren, sunny rock areas on which they can warm up.

Mining in a quarry provides both temporary shallow waters and permanently filled ground water tarns.

Sunny mining walls and rock piles create the necessary habitat for the lizards.

Result

The following amphibians have settled:

• the yellow-bellied toad (Bombinia variegata)

• the natterjack toad (Bufo calamita)

• the green toad (Bufo viridis).

Represented reptiles:

• the common wall lizard (Podacris muralis)

• smooth snake (Coronella austriaca).