Application Dossier Granada Geopark by geoparquecuaternario

QUATERNARY GEOPARK NORTHERN GRANADA VALLEYS APPLICATION DOSSIER FOR UNESCO GLOBAL GEOPARK

index

D – Economic Activity & Business Plan

A – IDENTIFICATION OF THE AREA A1. Name of the proposed Geopark A2. Location of the proposed Geopark A3. Surface area, physical and human geography characteristics of the proposed Geopark A31. Area of the proposed Geopark A32. Physical Geography A33. Biodiversity A34. Access A35.History and Culture A36. Description of territory. Population and Economic Activity A4. Organization in charge and management structure of the proposed Geopark A 4.1 Overview A 4.2 Management structure A 4.3 Scientific Working Group A 4.4 Budget A5. Application contact person

3 4 5 5 6 6 8 9 10 12 12 12 14 14 15

B12. Geological History B13. Characteristics of, and proposed limits for, the proposed Geopark B2. Listing and description of geological sites within the proposed Geopark B3. Details on the interest of these sites in terms of their international, national, regional or local value B4. Listing and description of other sites of natural, cultural and intangible heritage interest and how they are related to the geological sites and how they are integrated into the proposed Geopark B4.1 The Geopark: A Steppe Landscape B4.2. The Geopark: A Troglodytic Landscape B4.3. Archaeology in The Geopark

Geopark C2. Current status in terms of protection of geological sites within the proposed Geopark C3. Data on the management and maintenance of all heritage sites (geological and non-geological)

D1.2. Commercial activity and local products D1.3. Tourism D2. Existing and planned facilities for the proposed Geopark D2.1. Existing facilities and equipment D2.2. Planned facilities and equipment D3. Analysis of geotourism potential of the proposed Geopark D3.1. Profile of current tourism of the proposed Geopark D3.2. Ecotourism today D3.3. Strengths and opportunities for ecotourism at the proposed Geopark D4. Overview and policies for the sustainable development D4.1. Geo-tourism and economy D4.2. Geo-education

16 17 18

D5. Policies for, and examples of, community empowerment (involvement and consultation) in the proposed Geopark D6. Policies for, and examples of, public and stakeholder awareness in the proposed Geopark

E – INTEREST AND ARGUMENTS FOR BECOMING A UNESCO GLOBAL GEOPARK

E1. Interest and arguments for becoming a UNESCO Global Geopark ANNEX 1. Self-Evaluation Document

ANNEX 2. Copy of section B “Geological

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C – GEOCONSERVATION C1. Current or potential pressure on the proposed

D1.1. Agriculture and livestock farming

D4.3. Geo-heritage

B – GEOLOGICAL HERITAGE B1. General geological description of the proposed Geopark B11. Geological Context

D1. Economic activity in the proposed Geopark

31 31 33

Heritage” of the application ANNEX 3. Explicit endorsement of relevant local and regional authorities ANNEX 4. A Large scale map of the proposed Unesco Global Geopark ANNEX 5. 1-Page geological and geographic summary ANNEX 6. Listing and description of geological sites within the proposed Geopark ANNEX 7. Master Plan of Quaternary Geopark Northern Granada Valleys ANNEX 8. Marketing Plan of Quaternary Geopark Northern Granada Valleys ANNEX 9. Map of protected and conservation Areas ANNEX 10. Bibliography

ANNEX 11. Press Clipping ANNEX 12. Organization in charge and management structure

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Identification of area

Name of the proposed Geopark The name of the proposed Geopark is the Quaternary Geopark Northern Granada Valleys (QGNGV). The Quaternary Geopark Northern Granada Valleys to become a member of the Global Geopark Network covers an exceptional territory in south-east of Spain (Eastern Andalusia). The geology of the

43 43 45 46

Fig. A11 b

region has influenced the culture of its inhabitants from prehistory to the present. The geology, geomorphology, archaeology and culture blend to create an inseparable whole, in an area that has some of the most ancestral traditions and human remains of Continental Europe. (Fig. A11 a,b,c)

47 48

49 Fig. A11 a

The area of this project corresponds with the valleys created by river erosion during the last half million years. Between approximately 5 million years ago and 0.5 million years ago, this territory was without any drainage exit to the sea (Endorheic stage), which generated an extraordinary record of continental quaternary continental sediments. The following Exorheic period (after a drainage exit to the sea had developed) has configured its current geomorphology, characterised by an impressively eroded landscape. The arid nature of the region’s weather, with scarce vegetation on the valley slopes, favours observation one of the best quaternaty records of the Continental Europe. These valleys with their spectacular badlands expose the most wide-ranging and longest-lasting group of paleontological deposits of Continental European quaternary vertebrates. In particular, large vertebrate deposits have been discovered in Early Pleistocene sediments, with more than 150 sites identified. (Fig.A12-A15)

Fig. A11 c Fig A11a. Panoramic view of the municipality of Gorafe, located in the bank of the river Gor. © Gorafe Town Hall Fig A11b. Panoramic view of the cave houses excavated from the Quaternary sediment (Gorafe) © EPVFR-IGME Fig A11c. Archeological site from the Bronze Age (Castellón Alto, Galera). The oldest mummified remains in Europe have been found here.©Alberto Tauste

The Quaternary Geopark also tells us about the history thanks to the messages left in rocks from the Mesozoic and Tertiary stages. These rocks have risen to just below the quaternary sediments which can be found on the valley floors. It also allows observation of more recent geological deformations of the Betic Range, such as active faults. These faults were responsible for ancient earthquakes which generated singular structures called seismites during the Quaternary stage. Those structures are among the best

QUATERNARY GEOPARK NORTHERN GRANADA VALLEYS

APPLICATION DOSSIER FOR UNESCO GLOBAL GEOPARK

Fig A21. Localization of QGNGV

LONGITUDE

LATITUDE ALTITUDE

Fig. A12

Fig A23. Geographic coordinates of QGNGV

EAST

WEST

2º16’51,74’’W

3º20’41,33’’W

SOUTH

NORTH

37º15’42,48’’N

37º51’44,65’’N

534,2 m (Guadiana Menor) 1490,2 m (Jabalcón)

Fig. A13

Fig. A21

Fig. A15 Fig A12. Palaentology station in Fonelas where fossil remains of macrovertebrates can be seen in situ .© EPVFR-IGME Fig A13. Singular examples of seismites generated by ancient earthquakes (Baza, Castillejar and Galera) © Francisco García Tortosa Fig A14. Landscape reflecting a non-anthropized territory Fig A15. Palaentology site in Orce where fossil remains of mamuts have been discovered ©Alberto Tauste

Fig. A14

Location of the proposed Geopark

examples known in the world. In addition, associated with these fault zones were formed spectacular structures of fibrous gypsum in tectonic joints. (Fig. A13) The Geopark project is a perfect complement to the current group of Iberian Geoparks and will contribute in a geological, geomorphological and Palaentological Quaternary context to the European network for the first time. The park enables conservation and exploration of an exceptional Quaternary record, in a territory with some of the most minimal anthropological alteration in Continental Europe. (Fig. A14) The people of the Province of Granada, throughout the 34 municipalities in question, have safeguarded and protected the area for centuries. Now, the area will be available for educational purposes and for society as a whole.

The proposed Quaternary Geopark Northern Granada Valleys is located in the south-east of Spain, specifically in the north of the province of Granada, within the region of Andalusia. (Fig. A21) In the western zone the geopark is made up of the territories contained in the fluvial valleys of the rivers: Guadix, Fardes, Gor, Guadahortuna, Guadiana Menor, Guadalentin and their tributaries (e.g. Arroyo de Huélago). In the eastern zone the geopark is made up of the territories contained in the fluvial valleys of the rivers: Baza, Gállego, Golopón, Cúllar, Castril, Guardal, Galera, Orce and Huéscar. (Fig. A22) The geographic coordinates ETRS89 (WGS84) of the meridians and parallels that delimit the proposed Geopark are: (Fig. A23)

Fig A22. Boundary map of the proposed Geopark into Granada province

Surface area, physical and human geography characteristics of the proposed Geopark A 3.1 Area of the Proposed Geopark The Quaternary Geopark Northern Granada Valleys has a total area of 1,410 km2. This surface area represents 11% of the total of Granada, measuring 67 km from north to south and 88 km from east to west. 80% of the surface area of the proposed geopark is occupied by badlands. (Fig. A311) Fig A311. Characteristic landscape of the proposed Geopark.©Alberto Tauste

QUATERNARY GEOPARK NORTHERN GRANADA VALLEYS

APPLICATION DOSSIER FOR UNESCO GLOBAL GEOPARK

A 3.2 Physical Geography The Quaternary Geopark Northern Granada Valleys extends across the central sector of the Baetic Cordillera (S.E. Spain). It is located in a depression that has traditionally been sub-divided into a western sector (Hoya de Guadix) and an eastern sector (Hoya de Baza) although in fact it comprises a single intramontane depression which is surrounded by some of the highest mountains of the Iberian Peninsula (Macizo Prebético [2381 m], Sierra Mágina [2187 m], Sierra de Arana-Huétor [1940 m], Sierra Nevada [3484 m], Sierra de Baza-Filabres [2271], Sierra de las Estancias-Cullar [1471 m], Sierra de Orce-María [1612 m]). The connection between these mountain ranges and the depression is via a gently sloping glacis with altitudes ranging between the 1150 m at the edge of the depression and 900 m towards the interior where the depression is still preserved. The landscapes of the area proposed as Geopark, formed where the different watercourses that drain the depression meet the glacis, appear at altitudes between 900 and 550 m. This network of riverbeds comprises an arid and very rugged landscape with badlands as its outstanding feature, and which includes canyons up to 250 m deep, and the fluvial terraces of the main rivers form alluvial plains, which are known as vegas in this region. (Fig. A321) The climate is strongly influenced by the altitude of the hoyas (river basins) themselves (average annual temperature of 13-16ºC) and by the isolation, imposed by the surrounding mountains, from the maritime thermal influence (continental climate with hot summers and very cold winters) and the arrival of autumn and spring rains (semi-arid conditions, with 250-350 mm/year rainfall) (De la Cruz Pardo et al., 2010). This latter circumstance leads most of the watercourses to be seasonal or sporadic, although the most important rivers and streams may be permanent as a result of collecting water from the surrounding mountains. This water essentially comes from thawing in Sie-

Fig A321. Riverine vegetation dominate the landscape along the rivers valleys (Guadiana Menor, Hoya de Guadix)

rra Nevada and from the karstic aquifers of the sierras of Arana and Baza-Filabres in the Hoya de Guadix (rivers Verde, Fardes and Guadahortuna, and the streams Arroyo de Gor and Arroyo de Baúl) and karstic aquifers of the Macizo Prebético and the sierras of Baza-Filabres, María and Estancias in the Hoya de Baza (rivers Baza, Gállego, Golopón, Cúllar, Castril, Guardal, Galera, Orce and Huéscar). Parts of these waters run into detrital aquifers of both river basins that subsequently feed rivers and streams at lower altitudes via springs and also flowing directly into the watercourses. (Fig. A322) For thousands of years most human activity has been centred on the vegas, taking advantage of the river water to produce irrigated crops. Exploitation of the badlands, on the other hand, has been much more limited and erratic, with small irrigated areas related to springs, and non-irrigated cereals on gently-sloping land, with the rest of the territory restricted to extensive livestock farming and the extraction of natural resources (small game, wood, esparto grass and gypsums).

A 3.3 Biodiversity The current biodiversity of the proposed Geopark is strongly conditioned by both the semi-arid and continental nature of its climate and by historical processes and geographical factors that have fostered a very intense relationship with the Maghreb and, at the regional level, with Mediterranean and riverine forests, the mountain habitats of the surrounding sierras and the semi-deserts of Almería. (Fig. A331) This has favoured the development of a very rich biota (at least 1,500 animal species and 1,129 species of flora; Cueto et al., 2014; Garrido-García, in prep.) including numerous species that are exclusive or almost exclusive to the Geopark, such as the plant Centaurea saxifraga or the snail Helicella zujarensis (exclusive to Cerro Jabalcón), the plant Limonium alicunense (which only lives in the vicinity of the spa at Alicún), the plants Sonchus crassifolius and Limonium majus and the butterflies Heterogynis andalusica and Euchloe bazae (restricted to the saline habitats of Hoya

Fig A322. Negratín Reservoir with Cerro Jabalcón.©Alberto Tauste

Fig A331. General view of the semi-desert vegetation that grows on the gypsum marls of the Hoya de Baza (Barranco del Espartal). ©Jose Ant. Garrido

de Baza) and the plant Arenaria arcuatociliata (more widely distributed in the river basins) (Ruiz Ruiz et al., 2009; De la Cruz Pardo et al., 2010; Blanca et al., 2011; Garrido-García, 2016). (Fig. A332) The biota also includes very endangered species which, after becoming extinct in the rest of their natural range, have their last refuges in this territory (e.g. the snail Orculella aragonica and the plant Clypeola eryocarpa). Furthermore, it also provides a habitat for numerous Endangered and Critically Endangered species. In addition to the above-mentioned L. majus, C. eryocarpa, C. saxifraga and O. aragonica, this territory is home to part of the lastest populations of the plants Astragalus oxyglottis, Carum foetidum, Cochlearia glastifolia, Erodium cazorlanum, Haplophyllum bastetanum, Limonium minus, Plantago marítima, Senecio auricula and Vella pseudocytisus, the freshwater crayfish Austropotamobius pallipes, the butterfly Plebejus pylaon and the mayfly Torleya nazarita (De la Cruz Pardo et al., 2010). (Fig. A333) The area has very diverse vegetation cover, which includes 30 habitats included in the Habitats Directive 92/43/EEC, and among which can be found some of the best European examples of Iberian gypsophile plant communities (habitat 1520) and halo-nitrophilous scrubs (habitat 1430) (De la Cruz Pardo et al., 2010). The landscape is dominated by semi-desert, which is the most characteristic habitat of the Geopark and is populated by esparto grasses, albardines and diverse scrub species (Retama sphaerocarpa, Genista scorpius, Genista pumila, Astragalus clusianus, Rosmarinus officinalis, Salsola oppositifolia, Salsola vermiculata, Atriplex halimus, Hammada articulata, Suaeda vera, Helianthemum almeriense, Helianthemum syriacum, Ephedra fragilis and Rhamnus lycioides). A variant of these habitats appears on the gypsum deposits from the Plio-Pleistocene in the Hoya de Baza or from the Triassic in the Hoya de Gaudix, with albardines and gypsophile-halophilous scrubs (Gypsophyla

tomentosa, Gypsophyla strutium, Ononis tridentata, Suaeda vera and Arthrocnemum macrostachyum). Another variant is located over carbonate conglomerates and rocky substrata, which favour the development of the only natural forests in the Geopark, made up of Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis) accompanied by juniper trees (Juniperus oxycedrus) and kermes oaks (Quercus coccifera) and, more rarely, savins (Juniperus thurifera, Juniperus phoenicea) and holm oaks (Quercus rotundifolia). These pine forests have spread artificially through afforestation, which has altered areas of semi-desert. Finally, diverse forms of riverine vegetation appear in the alluvial plains. (Fig. A334) The fauna has been the subject of numerous studies (see, as a summary, Megías et al., 2011; Valera et al., 2011). A great variety of insects live in the semi-desert. Of particular environmental importance are the beetles of the Tenebrionidae, Meloidae, Scarabaeidae and Chrysomelidae families, and also ants, grasshoppers and butterflies, with more than 200 recorded nocturnal species and locations where at least 30 diurnal species coexist. Of special interest among the vertebrates are those associated with crags (mountain goats, the densest European populations of red-billed choughs and black wheatears, and very important populations of golden eagles, Bonelli’s eagles, peregrine falcons, eagle owls and jackdaws, and a growing presence of griffon vultures). And beyond the cliffs, the semi-deserts are breeding and feeding areas for significant populations of larks (crested and thekla larks, greater and lesser short-toed larks, calandra larks), rollers, black-eared wheatears, corn buntings, European bee-eaters, red-legged partridges and trumpeter finches. Moreover, the semi-deserts are a very important component of the environmental mechanism that enables the survival of birds at the regional level as it serves as a winter refuge for species that raise their young in the nearby mountains, such as the black redstart, the leaf warbler and the Eurasian skylark. Overall, these rich bird communities have led to a significant part of the Geopark being considered as an Important Bird Area at both national and European level (Infante et al., 2011). The fluvial valleys constitute another decisive element in the existence of such rich fauna in the Geopark, as they allow animals that live nearby to enter the geopark territory. These include animals that live in the woodlands of the surrounding sierras (birds of the forest, wild boar and genets), those that live in aquatic habitats (aquatic birds and invertebrates, fish, amphibians, otters and Mediterranean water shrews) and humid grasslands (southern water vole and Cabrera’s vole). The river valleys also provide food for species that take refuge in the neighbouring badlands (badgers, foxes, beech martins and several

QUATERNARY GEOPARK NORTHERN GRANADA VALLEYS

species of bats). Finally, there are areas where rabbits flourish, which enable the presence of specialised predators such as the wild cat, and also the Iberian lynx. The latter were plentiful in the area until the 1970s and are starting to be spotted occasionally nowadays. (Fig. A335) The importance of biodiversity in this territory is reflected in the existence of a large number of protected natural areas (See B4).

A 3.4 Access The proposed area is accessible by different modes of transport (plane, train, bus and car). Flights to the airports of Granada (65 km), Almeria (100 km) and Murcia (120km) mean that the most important cities in the south-east of Spain can easily be reached by air. This means that a wide offer of both national and international flights is guaranteed. The distance to the Malaga- Costa del Sol international airport is 185 km. (4th airport in Spain: 16 million passengers in 2016).

The main road connection is the A-92 motorway, which provides first-class access to the region. The rest of the territory is accessible via regional roads, which extend to the south in the direction of Puerto de la Ragua (GR-5104 and GR-5200) and to the north (A325, A315, A-326, A317 GR- 5103 and GR-6100/01), towards the province of Jaen, with the A330 towards Murcia and the A334 towards Almeria. Furthermore, there is also a railway network running through the region, which connects the main urban areas with Almeria, Granada and Málaga. (Fig. 341) Road travel time from the main cities. Fig. A341.

GRANADA 45 min

MALAGA 2h 15 min

MURCIA 2h 15 min

ALMERIA 1h 10 min

A 3.5 History and Culture The unique physical conditions of this territory have influenced its history, along with successive waves of occupation and organisation from prehistoric times up to the present day. These special physical and geological conditions provide the proposed Geopark with an extraordinary heritage value, where the archaeological and palaeontological sites are crucial to understanding the human settlement processes in the European continent. The strong personality of the groups that inhabited these lands, manifest in the clear awareness of the existence of life after death, was projected by the megalithic groups at Gor and Gorafe. In the same way, the sites at Cerro de la Virgen (Orce), El Malagón (Cúllar) and Castellón Alto (Galera) provide evidence of communities that were located in characteristic settlements at altitude, ordered with an incipient sense of urban planning. Antiquity was characterised by the presence of the Argaric culture in the south-east of the Iberian peninsula. Meanwhile, the start of the orientalisation of these lands was embodied in the Iberian necropolis at Tútugi, where a monument was erected to the cult of death, and at Cerro del Santuario, in Baza, where the discovery of female images of the funerary cult reaffirm this close relationship with the territory, from a clearly symbolic perspective with a strong magical and religious component. During Roman times, the historian Titus Livius, and also Strabo and Pliny, provided information on the Bastetania, whose eponymous city would be Basti (Baza), located at Cerro Cepero.

Fig. A332

Fig. A335

This region was divided into different areas, in a way that was directly dependent on each of the oppida -Tútugi (Galera), Arkilakis (Puebla de Don Fadrique), El Forruchu (Villanueva de las Torres), Basti (Baza) and Acci (Guadix)-. These functioned as micro-states in which all activities related to the exploitation and management of resources depended directly on the aristocracy. The period of territorial expansion, based on mechanisms of agricultural colonisation, was during the 4th century BC, with fortifications at Las Angosturas de Gor, Cerro de los Almendros and Fuente Amarga in Huéscar and Los Castellones in Laborcilla.

Fig. A334 Fig A332. The Heterogynis andalusica butterfly lives only in the semi-desert of Hoya de Baza. © Jose Ant. Garrido Fig A333. After being extinct in other areas Clypeola eryocarpa only survives in the semi-desert of the Geopark. Fig A334. On the limestone conglomerates and rocky substrate grow the only natural forests of the Geopark, dominated by the pines (Canyon of Arroyo de Baúl)© Jose Antonio Garrido.

Fig. A333

Fig A335. Rivers and associated irrigation systems allow the presence in the Geopark of aquatic fauna, such as gallinetas (Gallinula chloropus).© Jose Antonio Garrido

APPLICATION DOSSIER FOR UNESCO GLOBAL GEOPARK

Some centres disappeared as a consequence of the Second Punic War, while others survived and allied themselves with Roman power. Later, the substitution of the Via Heraclea by the Via Augusta isolated the region of Huéscar from the commercial developments that led many areas to prosper, especially the Giulia Gemella Acci colony (Now Guadix), where toponyms such as Purullena, Exfiliana, Graena, Freila and Galera make the scale of the settlement quite clear.

The transition from Antiquity to the Middle Ages was recorded by the testimonies of early Christianity, which was represented by the bishop of Guadix at the Synod of Elvira in the 4th century. From 711 onwards, the Muslim presence left an indelible mark in places that have maintained toponyms, physical features and traditions, with the style of urban architecture being especially characteristic (Fig. A353). The Alcazabas (citadels) of Guadix and Baza were erected in the central point of a territory in which castles such as those at Bácor, Castril, Freila, Zújar, Aldeire and Lanteira, and the series of watchtowers that marked out the territory where it was most rugged, are currently the best reflection of medieval organisation. At the end of the medieval period, and determined to put an end to the presence of al-Andalus once and for all, the Catholic Kings intensified the incorporation of the regions of Huéscar, Baza and Guadix into their kingdom during the third phase of the Granada War, from 1487 to 1489, this last year corresponding to the toughest campaign of the conflict. The Castilian Crown then introduced the main institutions of political, military and religious control, through the extensive jurisdiction of a Crown official known as corregidor, and the restoration of the former episcopal see. These institutions were responsible for implementing a policy of religious and cultural assimilation of the majority Morisco population, to the point where they provoked the rebellion of 1568 which had tragic consequences for these regions. The Church promoted a development of the arts at its service, which made this region one of the wealthiest dioceses in terms of movable heritage. Gaudix cathedral and the collegiate church at Baza, along with outstanding examples of late Gothic, Renaissance and Mudéjar religious architecture in the province, are the most obvious examples of the Church's rich patrimony. (Fig. A351) (Fig.A352) There was a need to christianise that had an urban and architectural dimension, as well as favouring the appearance of cults and ritualisation in the new settings. Some of these celebrations had their origins in the north of the peninsula, such as the case of the Saints Alodía

Fig A353. The Arab baths of Baza date back to the 13th century (Almohad period). @Provincial Council of Tourism

QUATERNARY GEOPARK NORTHERN GRANADA VALLEYS

and Nunilón in Puebla de Don Fadrique and Huéscar, and the case of the Virgen de la Piedad, linking the cities of Baza and Guadix since the late 15th century in a festival called the Fiesta de Cascamorras, which was declared to be of International Tourist Interest in August 2013. Moreover, there are also festivities such as those of Moors and Christians, with unique features wherever they are held (Zújar, Benamaurel, Cúllar and Aldeire), along with Holy Week celebrations in every one of the towns and villages in the north-east of Granada. The 18th and 19th centuries saw some attempts at modernisation, and the amount of land being used was increased. Today there are industrial complexes that are silent witnesses, although there are some attempts to revive them. New factories, railway infrastructures and agricultural holdings that are added to existing ones make up an important industrial heritage, to which must be added the mining tradition as one of the most extraordinary values and best-defined signs of collective identity. These special cultural features have developed different kinds of modern habitat, such as the Moorish mountain house, the Castilian house, the farmhouse and the cave, in extraordinary typological density and exemplariness. Furthermore, the rich catalogue of constructions linked to the traditional agricultural economy should not be overlooked, and others related to the culture of water. These are testimonies that have endured and reflect different historical periods and the social, cultural and economic conditions that typify them.

A 3.6 Description of territory. Population and Economic Activity. The proposed Geopark involves the participation of 34 town and village councils, which belong to 4 administrative districts within the province of Granada:

Fig A351. Guadix Cathedral ©Provincial Council of Tourism

Baza, Guadix, Huescar and Montes. All the employers' associations of the region are also participating in the project. Both the Regional Government (Junta de Andalucia) and the Provincial Government (Diputación Provincial de Granada) are part of the Quaternary Geopark Northern Granada Valleys. Population and Demographic Evolution. The population of the municipalities that make up the proposed Geopark stands at 92,973 inhabitants. The main cities of Guadix and Baza concentrate more than 40% of the inhabitants of the territory. The rest of the population is distributed in municipalities, which, in many cases, do not exceed 2,000 inhabitants. It is therefore a fundamentally rural area – 93 % of the population live in areas with less than 50 inhabitants per square kilometre - with population centres huddled in the spectacular steppe-like and arid landscape of the north of Granada. (Fig. 361 ) The population structure is characterised by ageing above the provincial and regional average and a continuously declining birth rate. It is important to note the feminisation of the territory, especially among the older age groups.(Fig.362) The evolution of the population shows a depopulation trend with an ongoing process of population loss in the territory. The emigration of young inhabitants and women who seek educational and employment opportunities in other areas is the main factor.In recent years, however, these trends have started to be curbed with the arrival of foreigners who choose to reside in the area.

APPLICATION DOSSIER FOR UNESCO GLOBAL GEOPARK

Ceramics in Guadix and Purullena is one of the outstanding craft activities in the area. Equally important, however, is artisanal work with wood, esparto grass and the preparation of cured meats. Historically, mining has been very important in the area. have great potential and are trying to take advantage of the exceptional nature of the territory and the wide range of possibilities for cultural and sustainable tourism. The Tourism Observatory of Granada recorded a total of 1,131,296 visitors for the period 2011 to 2017, showing an increase of 74.52%, with people mainly attracted by the archaeological and palaeontological resources, nature and the landscape, and also the cultural legacy of the different civilisations that have populated the territory of the proposed Geopark. (Fig. A365)

0-10 hab/km2 10-20 hab/km2 20-30 hab/km2 30-40 hab/km2 40-60 hab/km2 >60 hab/km2

Número de visitantes/año 250.000 200.000 150.000 100.000

Fig A361. Map of population density of municipalities affected by the delimitation of the proposed Geopark. (2016)@INE,SIMA / IAEC. DIPGRA

50.000 0

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Fig A365. Evolution of the number of tourist @Provincial Council of Tourism.

POPULATION DENSITY (HAB/KM2) DEMOGRAPHIC DEVELOPMENT (1999-2016) POPULATION AGES 0-16 (%OF TOTAL) POPULATION AGES 65 AND ABOVE (%OF TOTAL)

PROPOSED GEOPARK

GRANADA PROVINCE

ANDALUSIA REGION

SPAIN

-10.40

+12,6

+15,8

14,9

17,5

18,3

16,1

21,8

17,2

16,3

19,7

Fig A362. Demographic Data 2016 ©INE,SIMA / IAEC. DIPGRA

According to demographic data, the territory's population declined by 10.04 % in the period 1999-2016, in contrast with the results in the province and the region, where there was an increase in the population over the same period. More specifically, the most significant loss of inhabitants (8.2%) has occurred in the last decade (2005-2016). Economic Activity The proposed territory largely depends on rain-fed agriculture (15% of the local population work in agriculture), based on the cultivation of cereal, legumes, vines, olives and almonds. This activity accounts for most of the surface area and working population of the proposed Geopark. (see d1) Livestock farming is focused on raising Segura breed of sheep, perfectly adapted to the tough conditions of the area.

Fig A352. Convent of Santo Domingo.One of the finest examples of Mudejar coffered ceilings in Guadix.@Provincial Council of Tourism

(Fig. 363) Some very high quality products made in the territory are guaranteed by protected designation of origin (PDO) and protected geographical indication (PGI).

Fig A363. Products made in the territory guaranteed by protected designation of origin (PDO) and protected geographical indication (PGI).

QUATERNARY GEOPARK NORTHERN GRANADA VALLEYS

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ACTIVITY

2002 2004 2006 2006 2007

Organization in charge and management structure of the proposed Geopark A 4.1 Overview The proposed Quaternary Geopark Northern Granada Valleys is a local development initiative at supra-municipal level, based on the exceptional value of the geological heritage and the cultural and natural resources of the area, and undertaken using a methodology of cooperation and participation of all the agents of the local population. The territory has been working on the project even before 2002, and during this time, it has received increasing institutional, economic and social support. (Fig. 411) The proposed Geopark is the result of a formal, public process organised to promote the participation and collaboration of all the territorial agents involved: Provincial Council of Granada, Regional Government of Andalusia, Town and Village Councils and Local Entities, Mancomunidades (Associations of Local Autho-

rities), Consortiums, Groups of Local Development, Citizenship and Civil Society, Economic Sectors and Collaborating Scientific Institutions (Geological and Mining Institute of Spain, University of Granada, University of Jaén). The organisation and coordination of the territorial agents has been carried out through the creation of Working Groups representative of all sectors that affect the future geopark. (Fig. A412)

A 4.2 Management structure Responsibility for the management and coordination of the proposed Geopark lies with the Quaternary Geopark Northern Granada Valleys Project Coordinating Committee, made up of representatives of the institutional, socio-economic and scientific agents involved in the project, through an agreement signed on 07 November 2017.

PROMOTER GROUP

2008

2009

2011 2012 2013 2015

2016

Provincial Council of Granada Rural Development Association of Guadix Association of Rural Development Groups of the Altiplano Apromontes Consortium for the Development of los Montes Orientales

2017

FUNDING

PROGRAMME/SPONSOR

Environmental knowledge programme for schools: “Know Your Region and Discover Your Past” (2003-2006)

25.000,00 €

LEADER PLUS/Others

Tourist Usage of the Cultural Georesources of the District of Guadix Plan

43.384,00 €

LEADER PLUS

Seminars on touristic use of geodiversity

€18,000.00

Exhibition: “Human Beings and the Environment: Prehistoric Fauna” Report: “Scientific and Technical Proposal of the European Geopark Declaration” Paleontological heritage exhibition of the District of Guadix Joint cooperation action “Geodiversity: A Solution for Sustainable Rural Development (2007-2013) Participation in Workshop on Geopark Interpretation Methods in County Kerry (Ireland) Study visit to the Haute Provence Geopark (France) Attendance at the First Seminar on the Subbetic Geopark (European Geopark Week) in Cabra (Córdoba, Spain) Attendance at the 3rd International UNESCO Conference on Geoparks in Osnabrück (Germany) Tourist Usage of the Cultural Georesources of the High Plain of Granada Plan Joint cooperation action “Geodiversity: A Solution for Sustainable Rural Development (2007-2013) Geotourism itinerary “Geology in the District of Guadix 2011. The most dynamic landscape in Europe”. Organisartion of Annual SEQS Conference 2009 “The Quaternary in the South of Spain: A Bridge Between Africa and the Alpine Domain” Joint cooperation action “Geodiversity: A Solution for Sustainable Rural Development (2007-2013) Study visit to the Sobrarbe Geopark (Spain) Geotourism itinerary “Geology in the District of Guadix 2011. The most dynamic landscape in Europe”. Candidacy Report of the European Quaternary Geopark Geoemployment Project: Geodiversity as a Source of Employment (2011-2013) Study visit Management and Organisation of the Cabo de Gata-Níjar Geopark (Spain) Study visit to Management and Organisation of the Basque Coast Geopark (Spain) Geoemployment Project: Geodiversity as a Source of Employment (2011-2013) Participation in the 10th Meeting of the Commission on Geological Heritage of the Geological Society of Spain Participation in the First International Geotourism Conference in Cabra (Córdoba, Spain) Technical analysis of the viability of the UNESCO Global Geopark Project Candidacy Identification of the Sites of Geological Interest. Identification and mapping of existing structures and resources. Design of the QGNGV Communication Plan and Social Networks Project Sponsorship Dossier of the QGNGV project Design of the Participation Plan of the QGNGV project Creation of working groups for candidacy: Promotional, Scientific, Institutional, Socio-economic and Communication groups. Preparatory work meetings: Spanish National Geoparks Committee, Molina de Aragón-Alto Tajo Geopark. Candidacy presentation seminar with the town councils involved in the project and the Regional Government of Andalusia (Delegation of the Government and Department for the Environment and Organisation of the territory). Meetings with the Employers’ Associations of the 4 districts. Meetings with the presidents of the Local Authorities and Regional Delegation from the Department for the Environment and Organisation of the territory. Study visit to the Villuercas Ibores Jara Geopark with a delegation of 14 territorial representatives of the 4 districts. Seminars: “Geoparks and Geodiversity and Sustainable Development of the Quaternary Geopark Northern Granada Valleys Project”. (1 seminar on Exchange of Experiences with Spanish Geoparks, 1 seminar on guided tours to the QGNGVproject) Round table with the directors of other Geoparks in Spain. (Villuercas, Costa Vasca and Molina Alto Tajo)

LEADER PLUS District of Huéscar Tourism Plan

29.928,00 € 7.000,00 €

PRODER-A

20.000,00 €

LEADER PLUS

44.892,00 € 200.000,00 €

LEADER PLUS

200.000,00 €

Department for Culture of the Regional Government of Andalusia FEDER EPFVRF/IGME

100.000,00 €

Ministry for Agriculture, Food and the Environment

50.000,00 €

Ministry for Agriculture, Food and the Environment

135.000,00 €

Provincial Council of Granada

135.000,00 €

Provincial Council of Granada

135.000,00 €

Provincial Council of Granada

Presentation and dissemination of the project to the Turkish Development Agency.

SOCIO - ECONOMIC WORKING GROUP

SCIENTIFIC WORKING GROUP EPVRF-IGME University of Granada University of Jaen University of Alicante University of Sevilla Univesity of Murcia CEP Guadix MNCN-CSIC AEQUEA

INSTITUTIONAL WORKING GROUP Association of Local Authorities of the District of Baza Association of Local Authorities of the District of Guadix Association of Local Authorities of the District of Huéscar Regional Goverment-Junta de Andalucía University of Granada.

Employers’ Association of the Altiplano Intersectoral Employers’ Association of Guadix, Employers’ Association of the District of Huéscar Altiplano Tourism Association Hotel and Tourism Association of the District of Guadix Andalusian Cave Association Association for Sustainable tourism of the Altiplanicies Granadinas, Winegrowers “Altiplano Sierra Nevada” Association “Artesanos Guadix” Association Baza Trade Association “Andalucía Emprende” Andalusian Public Foundation

Publication of the Official Gazette of the Province of Granada dated 27 March 2017 for the public knowledge of the North Granada Valleys Quaternary Geopark” project. Presentation of the Geopark project to the Spanish Commission for Cooperation with UNESCO requesting its support. Meeting with the Guadalinfo Centres of the territory for the dissemination activities planning Meeting with the heads of the teaching schools of the territory for Education Programme First week of QGNGV project activities: 650 attendees. Description of the week’s activities: Flamenco and Territory. (400 attendees) .Guided tours to resources and exhibition centres (100 attendees). Astronomical Observation: (100 people). Scientific Committee Meeting (22 scientists). Guided tours to geological resources for key stakeholders in the territory: (25 people) Social network campaign to support the candidacy on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Signature of collaboration protocol for the creation of the North Granada Valleys Quaternary Geopark. Collaboration protocol for the creation of the North Granada Valleys Quaternary Geopark. Geologist of the Geopark collaboration agreement (Between the Granada High Plains Association and the University of Jaén) Design of the QGNGV Strategy and Master Plan Business support campaign for the Geopark project Geopark audiovisual campaign Presentation of QGNGV candidacy at the Annual Meeting of the European Network of Geoparks (the Azores, Portugal) Design of the Marketing plan of the project. Training in the methodology for the creation of tourism products for enterprises in the territory. Presentation of candidacy at the National Ecotourism Conference (Guadalupe, Cáceres) November 2017 Training Course of Education Programme "Didactic possibilities of QGNGV" International Seminar: " Sustainable Tourism and Geoparks" ( Sevilla) November 2017. Simbolic Act in order to supporting the QGNGV candidature

Fig A412. Structure and members of the Working Groups Fig A411. Overvieew and main actions carried out in the proposed Geopark.

QUATERNARY GEOPARK NORTHERN GRANADA VALLEYS

APPLICATION DOSSIER FOR UNESCO GLOBAL GEOPARK

HUMAN RESOURCES AREA

The Coordinating Committee is a participatory management structure comprising 1 representative of each signatory, except in the case of the Associations of Local Authorities of Baza, Guadix and Huéscar which will be represented by 2 people for each on the aforementioned associations. The Coordinating Committee has the assistance of the Technical Committee and the Scientific, Socio-economic and Institutional Working Groups. (Fig. A421) The President of the Provincial Council of Granada occupies the presidency of the Coordinating Committee. Furthermore, the Provincial Council of Granada will provide the technical secretariat of this committee. Rural Development Groups, as territorial management authorities of development programmes in the area, are responsible for running the Geopark project. In this regard, the Quaternary Geopark Northern Granada Valleys Project Strategy has been designed (See annex 7), which includes the steps that the signatories are going to take in accordance with their own lines of action and financial frameworks, via the complementarity and synergies between planned actions.

COORDINATING COMMITTEE Quaternary Geopark Northern Granada Valleys Project

PRESIDENCY Provincial Council of Granada

MANAGEMENT Rural Development Association

A 4.3 Scientific Working Group The proposed Geopark has a consolidated scientific working group, comprising researchers of renowned prestige and with substantial experience in projects and scientific research in the area. This working group's task is to advise, coordinate and promote measures related to the research, analysis, study, dissemination and scientific knowledge linked to the project. It has been operating since 2015 and has participated actively in the proposal to define the scope of this project and the scientific studies that confirm the exceptional nature of the territory. ( Fig. A431)

The planned financing and investment conform to the following lines of funding. (See annex 7): • Action Plans for Local Development Strategies for LEADER rural areas Guadix, Altiplano and Montes, envisaged for the 2016-2022 period. • UNESCO Geopark plan of the Provincial Council of Granada. • Actions and investment underway and/or programmed by different departments of the Provincial Council of Granada (Tourism, Culture, Sports, Local Development and Public Works and Highways) in the area of the Geopark.

Provincial Council of Granada Rural Development Association of Guadix Association of Rural Development Groups of the Altiplano Apromontes Consortium for the Development of los Montes Orientales Geological and Mining Institute of Spain (IGME) University of Granada University of Jaen Association of Local Authorities of the District of Baza Association of Local Authorities of the District of Guadix Association of Local Authorities of the District of Huéscar Employers’ Association of the Altiplano Intersectoral Employers’ Association of Guadix, Employers’ Association of the District of Huéscar Altiplano Tourism Association Hotel and Tourism Association of the District of Guadix Andalusian Cave Association Association for Sustainable Tourism of the Altiplanicies Granadinas

QUATERNARY GEOPARK NORTHERN GRANADA VALLEYS PROJECT STRATEGY

Education Programme

Antonio Román Juan Jose Manrique Raquel Jiménez

Local and Tourist Development

Enrique Muriel Torcuato Cabrerizo Myriam Prieto Diego Garcia Nieves Molina

SCIENTIFIC EARTH SCIENCES

PROFESSIONAL FIELD

Fco. Juan García-Tortosa Alfonso Arribas

Local Development Financial Management Geological Sciences University of Jaen Geological and Mining Institute of Spain, (IGME)

Sustainable Tourism Development Programmes

Fig A421. Structure and members of the Quaternary Geopark Northern Granada Valleys Project Coordinating Committee.

Manager of Association of Rural Development Groups of the Altiplano Manager of Rural Development Association of Guadix Project Officer of Rural Development Association of Guadix Project Officer of Association of Rural Development Groups of the Altiplano Manager of Consortium for the Development of Los Montes Orientales Head of Development Service DIPGRA Project Officer DIPGRA

PART TIME PART TIME PART TIME

MANAGEMENT

PART TIME PART TIME FULL TIME

SECRETARY OFFICE

Project Officer DIPGRA

FULL TIME

Departament of Geology. University of Jaen

PART TIME

GEOLOGIST

Coordinator of "Valle del Río Fardes" Paleontological Station.

PART TIME

SCIENTIFIC WORKING GROUP COORDINATOR

SCIENTIFIC WORKING GROUP AREA OF KNOWLEGMRE

INSTITUTION

Coordinator Mr. Alfonso Arribas Herrera Geologist of proposed Geopark Mr. Francisco Juan García Tortosa

Quaternary Palaeontology

EPVRF-IGME

Geodynamic

University of Jaén

Tectonic Botany Botany and Quaternary Palaeoecology Mineralogy Zoology Geoscientific Information Systems Archeology Geographic information systems Stratigraphy and Palaeontology Teaching Palaeontology of mammals Geophysical prospecting Stratigraphy and Paleontology Teaching Geology Dynamics of the Lithosphere Palaeosismology Stratigraphy and Marine sedimentology Geological Heritage Stratigraphy and continental sedimentology

University of Alicante University of Sevilla University of Murcia IGME EPVRF IGME IGME Guadix IGME University of Granada CEP Guadix MNCN-CSIC University of Granada University of Granada IGME IGME UGR CSIC AEQUA University of Alicante IGME University of Granada

Members Mr. Pedro Alfaro García Mr. Juan Arroyo Marín Mr. José Sebastián Carrión García Mrs. Concepción Fernández Leyva Mr. José Antonio Garrido García Mr. Román Hernández Manchado Mr. Antonio López Marcos Mr. Carlos Lorenzo Carnicero Mrs. Elvira Martín Suárez Mr. Domingo Molina Hernández Mr. Jorge Morales Romero Mr. José Antonio Peña Ruano Mr. Francisco J. Rodríguez Tovar Mrs. Ana Rodrigo y Sanz Mr. Juan Carlos Rubio Campos Mr. Carlos Sanz de Galdeano Equiza Mr. Pablo G. Silva Barroso Mr. Jesús Miguel Soria Mingorance Mrs. Juana Vegas Salamanca Mr. César Viseras Alarcón

Application contact person

Presidency Jose Entrena Avila President of the Provincial Council of Granada C/Periodista Barrios Talavera 1. 18014 Granada (España) www.dipgra.es

Management

Scientific Programme

STRUCTURE QGNGV

WORK TIME

ENTITY

Fig A431. Members of the Scientific Working Group

A 4.4 Budget

SECRETARY´S OFFICE Provincial Council of Granada

MANAGEMENT AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT

NAME

Juan José Manrique López Manager Guadix Rural Development Group Ctra. Murcia, s/n "Antigua Azucarera" 18500 - GUADIX (Granada) Tel: 0034 958 66 50 70 - 0034 958 66 10 48 juanjo@comarcadeguadix.com www.comarcadeguadix.com

Antonio Román Manager Altiplano de Granada Rural Development Group Mayor, 2 18830 Huéscar – Granada Teléf.: 0034 958742314 antonio@altiplanogranada.org www.altiplanogranada.org Secretary's Office Myriam Prieto Labra Head of Development Service Diputación de Granada Av. Andalucia s.n. 18015 Granada (España) mprieto@dipgra.es 0034 958247867

QUATERNARY GEOPARK NORTHERN GRANADA VALLEYS

tic Ocean communicated with the Mediterranean Sea via a marine corridor known as the North Betic Strait), marine rocks from the Palaeogene, and abyssal marine deposits from the Cretaceous and on shallow shelves from the Jurassic (from the Tethys Sea), in the long Mesozoic era during which, in this part of the planet, rifting of tectonic plates was occurring, the most direct evidence of this being huge extensions of basaltic pillow lavas, which today make up mountains.

Geological Heritage

General geological description of the proposed Geopark The Quaternary is the geological time period in the history of the Earth that covers the last two and a half million years of evolution of the planet and the life on it (from 2.58 million years ago to the present). The Quaternary Geopark Northern Granada Valleys (QGNGV) is a geological and natural area that contains evidence of the geological history of a river and a lake, which were active between 5.3 million years and, approximately, 500,000 years ago during an endorheic stage. Later, its sediments gradually eroded during a new exorheic stage that continues today, which has shaped the current structure of the Geopark, characterised by tens of thousands of badlands. The most recent geological history of this area to the north of the province of Granada is recorded in the Pliocene and Pleistocene rocks (from 5.3 million years ago to the Present), which cover a Mesozoic basement constituted by Triassic, Jurassic, Cretaceous rocks and Neogene marine sedimentary rocks. The protagonists of its continental geological history are, essentially, a river (the paleo Fardes) and a lake (the Baza paleolake), whose legacy is recorded in the exposed rocks in the present-day river valleys of North Granada. From 5.3 million years ago, the paleoriver (western sector) and the paleolake (Eastern sector) gradually filled this large intramontane depression to the north of Granada, predominantly with fluvial sediments in the western sector – “Hoya de Guadix” - (associated temporally and spatially with alluvial fan, palustrine and lacustrine deposits), and with lacustrine sediments in the eastern sector – “Hoya de Baza” - (also associated temporally and spatially with alluvial fan and palustrine deposits). This dynamic generated an exposed and accessible succession of quaternary sediments (mainly Early Pleistocene) with an average thickness of 100 m in the western sector, and even thicker in the eastern sector due to a higher subsidence (with a potential thickness of Quaternary rocks of several hundred metres). The source of this old paleoriver, the Fardes, was the same as today, in the surrounding Sierra de Huétor, flowing into the lake in the eastern sector, which constituted its base level during the aforemen-

tioned endorheic stage, for approximately 5 million years. Its mouth was basically located to the north of the Jabalcon mountain and was conditioned over time by the evolution of the Baza fault (located to the east of Jabalcon mountain. This active Baza fault is responsible for the subsidence of the eastern sector. The rocks deposited by this river and lake contain numerous vertebrate fossil sites that inform us about the biological and environmental evolution during the Pliocene and the Pleistocene.; their records of the Early Pleistocene (basal Quaternary) are unique in the European context. Approximately 500,000 years ago, when the landscape of the whole basin was dominated by a large glacis created by the filling of the depressed areas and the erosion of the internal reliefs of the basin, the region became exorheic. The basin was captured by a tributary of the Guadalquivir River, the Guadiana Menor River. Since then, the Fardes and Guadiana Menor rivers and their many tributaries have been actively eroding the rocks, mainly detrital (in the western sector) or chemical (in the eastern sector), creating a vast and marvellously preserved landscape of badlands mainly of Plio-Pleistocene rocks, with a scarce anthropic influence. Comprises an area in which that river and lake evolved geologically (an area in which its geological and paleobiological evolution can be read) and delimited by the geographical extension of its physical development over time, only accessible via the most recent Quaternary fluvial system. It is the geological history of a river (western sector) and a lake (eastern sector). A river and a lake that during part of their sedimentary stage left stone evidence of the ecosystems of the old Quaternary. During the fluvial erosion stage of the modern Quaternary, the rivers have exposed rocks that reveal the geological history of the last 250 million years. There is a significant impact on the landscape by sedimentary rocks of the last 5 million years (old river plains and lacustrine shores inhabited by a spectacular array of large mammals), exposed by the current river valleys. In addition, we can also observe marine rocks from former deltas and reefs of 8 million years ago (when the Atlan-

APPLICATION DOSSIER FOR UNESCO GLOBAL GEOPARK

B1.1.Geological Context The proposed Geopark is located in the central sector of the Betic Cordillera, which occupies the south and south-east of the Iberian peninsula, covering an area approximately 600 km long and 200 km wide. The Betic Cordillera may be divided into several large geological domains, including the External Betic Zone and the Internal Betic Zone (this latter also known, including other sub-domains, as the Alborán Domain). Several Neogene basins formed over these domains, including the Guadix-Baza basin which takes in the majority of the QGNGV territory. All these Neogene basins together could be considered as another large domain within the cordillera. (Fig. B111) The External Betic Zone occupies the southern and south-eastern margin of the Iberian Massif where, during the Mesozoic and part of the Cenozoic, there was an accumulation of mainly marine sediments, which were subsequently deformed and then emerged. It is divided into the Subbetic and the Prebetic. This latter was located closer to the Iberian massif and its marine facies are not very deep, while pelagic and deep facies appear in the Subbetic. The Subbetic crops out in the western and eastern sectors of the Geopark, while the Prebaetic lies in the northern sector, in valleys such as those of the Castril and Guardal Rivers. The Subbetic Trias, with red detrital sediments, variegated gypsums and carbonates, contains the oldest sediments of the External Zone of the cordillera, and its outcrops within the Geopark may be considered as some of the oldest in the park. In general, the Jurassic rocks of the External Zone are represented by dolostones and limestone platforms, on occasion oolitic limestones, nodular limestones generated on high seabeds created by the fracturing of these ancient platforms, and marly limestones, white-toned marls and radiolarites, among other sediments deposited in deeper parts of the new seas and ocean beds that were being generated. In these deeper areas, and as vestiges of the new oceans formed by the fracturing of the lithosphere existing in this sector, there is an appearance of volcanic and sub-volcanic rocks, represented within the Geopark in the Alamedilla sector. During the Cretaceous, white-toned marly sediments predominated, which sometimes had salmon tones, along with some deposits of radiolarites. These marly sediments continued during the Palaeocene, until the creation of the Neogene basins.

The Internal Betic Zone, unlike the External Zone, is constituted by Palaozoic rocks and a Mesozoic and Tertiary sedimentary cover. The Internal Zone is divided into several tectonically overlapping complexes, which from top to bottom are the Malaguide-Dorsal, without alpine metamorphism, the Alpujarride and the Nevado-Filabride, both with alpine metamorphism. Most of the sediments that gave rise to the rocks of the Malaguide, Dorsal and Alpujarride were deposited far from their current position, towards the east and south-east, in some cases several hundred kilometres away, and were tectonically displaced to their present position. (Fig. B112). The Malaguide complex is formed by a Paleozoic basement and a Mesozoic and Tertiary cover with predominantly red Triassic detrital sediments, over which appear dolostones and limestones, from the Triassic and the Jurassic, with more marly Cretaceous and Tertiary. Malaguide outcrops do not exist within the Geopark, but they are very close to the western part in the Diezma sector. The Dorsal is a set of units that appear between the Malaguide and part of the External Zone of the Betic Cordillera and, above all, part of the Rif in North Africa. It is made up of Mesozoic and Tertiary series in which carbonate materials dominate. From a paleogeographic point of view, a large part of the rocks assigned to the Dorsal could be considered as a sedimentary cover of the Malaguide (Sanz de Galdeano, 1997). Within the Geopark, one of its sites of geological interest, the Jabalcón mountain, is attributed to the Dorsal. The Alpujarride complex has metamorphism and its series type is made up of schists in the base, phyllites and quartzites, sometimes with gypsums and intrusions of basic igneous rocks, and some significant

Fig.B111. Geological and geomorphological map of the Guadix-Baza basin where the limit of the proposed Geopark and the main geological domains and active structures related to the Geopark are indicated.

QUATERNARY GEOPARK NORTHERN GRANADA VALLEYS

tween the Atlantic and the Mediterranean via the North Betic Strait, which joined the Guadalquivir basin to the Guadix-Baza basin (Sanz de Galdeano 2007).

Fig.B112. General geologic sketch of the Betic Cordillera with its main geological domains and surrounding areas.

Therefore, the last 250 my of the History of the Earth are represented within the territory of the QGNGV, of which the last 2.53 my, the Quaternary Period, are the authentic protagonists of the Geopark territory. In this period, one of the most complete stratigraphic sequences of Continental Quaternary on the planet took place within the area of the Geopark, with some of the best and most complete macrovertebrate fossil sites in Europe (Arribas and Palmqvist, 1998; Arribas 2008; Arribas et al., 2009). Subsequently, tectonic and geomorphological processes, have generated the present day North Granada valleys, making it possible for us to read those last 250 my of the History of the Earth in the rocks.

sucessions of dolostones, limestones or marbles, with metapelite intercalations and also intrusions of igneous rocks (García Tortosa, 2002). Part of the schists may be Paleozoic sediments affected by alpine orogeny, while other schists, along with the phyllites, were formed with sediments from the Early Triassic, and the carbonates belong to the Middle and Late Triassic. Within the Geopark, the Alpujarride is observed in some sectors of the southern edge, such as in the Gor River valley, in the valleys that reach the Sierra de Baza in the Caniles sector and in some outcrops within the badlands and valleys in the vicinity of Zújar and Freila. The Nevado-Filabride complex does not crop out within the Geopark, although it comes very close on the northern slopes of Sierra Nevada and Sierra de los Filabres. Its lithologies are similar to those of the Alpujarride, but with a more intense metamorphism. It has intercalations of amphibolites and serpentinites. Re-sedimented clasts of these metamorphic rocks are included in the Pliocene and Quaternary sediments of the Geopark. The origin of the rocks that form it was possibly closer to the southern edge of the Iberian Massif than the other complexes of the Internal Zone (García Tortosa, 2002). (Fig. B113). Finally, the Neogene Basins comprise a third domain within the cordillera. These synorogenic basins started to form during the Early Miocene, and most of them are being deformed at present. These basins formed over the Internal or External Zones or, as in the case of the Guadix-Baza basin (territory of the Geopark), over their contact. The best-preserved Neogene basins of the cordillera started to form in the Late Miocene and are intramontane, among which the Guadix-Baza and Granada basins are the best examples. The Guadalquivir basin is the "foreland basin" of the cordillera. During the Early and Middle Miocene, and even during part of the Late Miocene, this foreland basin enabled the connection be-

Fig. b113. Simplified geological map of the easrtern Betic Cordillera showing the position of the Guadix-Baza basin.

B1.2. Geological History The Triassic, when all the continents formed the supercontinent Pangea, is a special period of the Earth. The Triassic rocks of the Geopark, constituted by red clays and variegated gypsums which crop out in the Castril or Fardes river valleys, were formed in the rivers of this supercontinent and in the shallow surrounding sea. At the end of the Triassic, this supercontinent began to break up and the incipient seas and oceans started to form. Within the Geopark, the above-mentioned volcanic rocks in the Alamedilla sector (pillow lavas) are a magnificent remnant and example of the fracturing of the Earth's crust that occurred from the end of the Triassic to the Cretaceous. The sediments of the External and Internal Zones of the Betic Cordillera were deposited on the margins of the new continents and on the beds of the new oceans, during a long period of time encompassing the Jurassic, Cretaceous and Palaeocene, with a progressive change in the position of the continents and in the size and depth of the oceans.

APPLICATION DOSSIER FOR UNESCO GLOBAL GEOPARK

In the Tertiary, prior to the formation of the Betic Cordillera, the rocks forming the present territory of Andalusia were covered by the sea. The convergence between African and Eurasian plates initiated the alpine orogeny. The Internal Zone domain (an ancient microplate between African and Eurasian plates), located hundreds of kilometres to the east, were displaced to the west. In their advance, they deformed the materials of the External Betic Zone. This approximately 10 Ma period of geological history occurred during the Early and Middle Miocene. This oblique collision between the Internal and External zones came to an end during the Late Miocene. From then on, the Betic Cordillera has been characterised by a convergence between Iberia (Eurasian plate) and Africa of about 5 mm/year (DeMets et al., 1994). At the beginning of this new stage, some 9 million years ago, the main reliefs of the Betic Cordillera had already been formed. The Upper Miocene paleogeography was characterized by lower reliefs separated by marine basins. Thus, the sector of the Geopark was part of an intramontane marine basin surrounded by large islands, which to a large extent are now our mountain ranges or sierras. The interconnection of the Guadix-Baza basin with the Guadalquivir basin and other sedimentary basins, via the so-called North Betic Strait, would also have enabled the marine connection between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. The marine materials of this stage can be found in numerous outcrops within the area of the Geopark, such as in the La Peza sector in the western part, to the west of Negratín in the western central sector, some valleys in the northern sector, to the south of Caniles in the eastern central sector, and in the most eastern part of the Geopark. The penultimate stage of our geological history started between the end of the Miocene and the beginning of the Pliocene, when the disconnection between the Guadix-Baza basin, the Atlantic and the Mediterranean occurred. The regional tectonic uplift of the central Betic Cordillera was responsible for this disconnection and, subsequently, the Pliocene and Pleistocene continental history of the Guadix-Baza basin. The abrupt and widespread fall in the sea level, which affected all of the planet's oceans during the Messinian, was also influential in the marine disconnection. The disconnection with the sea almost certainly did not occur simultaneously in the different sectors of the basin, although it would have been in a relatively short period in geological time. This still active regional uplift produces one of the greatest average altitudes in the entire Iberian peninsula, where Tortonian marine sediments are located at an altitude above 1000 m in the vicinity of the Geopark (Sanz de Galdeano and Alfaro, 2004). Differential

tectonic uplift allowed the continuous accumulation of significant sequences of continental sediments in depressions. Once the continental basin was originated, it had an endorheic nature, that is, the waters of the different fluvial systems, which collected the precipitations within the entire basin, did not have an outlet to the sea. During the Pliocene and a large part of the Pleistocene, the endorheic basin and the activity of the Baza fault enabled the development of a large lake in the eastern sector (García Tortosa et al., 2008, 2011), generating important accumulations of carbonate and evaporitic sediments. Detrital fluvial sedimentation mainly developed in the western sector (Vera, 1970). The fluvial systems of the western sector drained their waters towards the lake in the eastern sector via the Fardes paleoriver. The differences in the sedimentary environments of the western and eastern sectors were controlled to a large extent by the Baza Fault, which enabled the subsidence of the eastern sector and which represented the base level of the western sector. Fluvial systems developed in the eastern sector, originating in the surrounding mountain ranges (Castril, Huéscar, Periate, Estancias, etc.) Small lacustrine systems also formed among the fluvial systems in the western sector. During the endorheic geological history of the basin, a large glacis surface developed from the edges of the basin towards the centre (García Tortosa et al., 2007, 2008, 2011). This area remained active until the time when the basin became exorheic, approximately 0.5 Ma ago (Scott and Gibert, 2009; García Tortosa et al., 2011). The transition from endorheism to exorheism, that is, the drainage of the region to the sea, represents the beginning of the last stage in our geological history. During the approximately 5 m.y. that the disconnection with the sea lasted, large mammalian fauna developed and coexisted on the glacis surface, in a landscape that would remind us of the present African savannah (Arribas and Palmqvist, 1998; Palmqvist and Arribas, 2001). This geomorphological surface, the glacis, develops on materials of very different ages. The glacis surface is, therefore, the last vestige of the endorheic stage of the basin (García Tortosa 2007, 2008ab, 2011). The last stage in our geological history began approximately 0.5 Ma ago (Middle Pleistocene), when a tributary of the Guadalquivir River captured the endorheic basin, giving it an outlet to the Atlantic and transforming it into an exorheic basin, as we know it today. After the capture, this tributary (now the present Guadiana Menor) and the Fardes River drains the entire basin towards the Guadalquivir River. The fact that the basin was captured by this sector and not towards the Mediterranean via the Almanzora corridor (a much shorter route than the current one), was

QUATERNARY GEOPARK NORTHERN GRANADA VALLEYS

probably due to the fact that this tributary of the Guadalquivir took advantage of tectonic factors (faults in the Guadiana Menor sector that created zones of weakness), paleogeographic factors (in the sector to the NW of the Negratín dome, a N-S paleovalley existed, also partly conditioned by tectonics, and lithological factors (the presence of soft rocks in this sector of the basin) (García Tortosa et al., 2007). This tributary started with a difference in level of over 500 m compared with the watershed between the Guadalquivir and Guadix-Baza basins (the current altitude of the highest terrace of the Guadalquivir in the area where the Guadiana Menor flows into it is around 340 m compared with the 940 m of the glacis near the catchment area). The high average altitude of the Geopark territory, the semi-arid climate and the high erodibility of the materials that make up the Plio-Quaternary fill have led to important fluvial incision, of up to 200 m in some valleys. From the moment of the capture, 0.5 m.y ago, erosion dominated the sedimentation within the basin. At this moment, glacis erosion, development of badlands, and the formation of the valleys and fluvial terraces that characterise the territory of the QGNGV began. Fortunately, the last chapters of this geological history can be discovered and read, which are directly linked to our own history, in these fluvial terraces.

B1.3.Characteristics of, and proposed limits for, the proposed Geopark. The intramontane depression to the north of Granada (Hoyas - rivers basins - of Guadix and Baza) reveals a geological singularity related to the Quaternary Period, as a large part of its endorheic sedimentary fill was produced during the Early Pleistocene and part of the Middle Pleistocene (Quaternary) and its erosive removal (exorheic stage) also took place during the Quaternary (part of the Middle Pleistocene to the present), but leaving an important stratigraphic record in the fluvial terraces. This erosion created a landscape characterised by thousands of badlands that expose rocks: i) of the Mesozoic (Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous) and Cenozoic basement; ii) of the Cenozoic marine fill (basically Late Miocene); and iii) of the endorheic continental fill of the Pliocene and the Pleistocene (Early Pleistocene and part of Middle Pleistocene). The sedimentary units from the Early Pleistocene, of fluvial and lacustrine origin, are especially rich in deposits of large vertebrates (more than 150 sites identified), with chronologies that range from 2.5 to 0.9 Ma. Furthermore, there are fossil sites with vertebrates from the Middle Pleistocene. On the other hand, there are also numerous fossil sites with marine invertebrates from the Late Miocene (to which a new site from the Mio-Pliocene can be added, with fossils of terrestrial and aquatic mammals, including dolphins).

Geological singularities that define the area, and the limits, of the proposed Geopark (the set of attributes shared in a single territory/space is the criterion that defines the limits of the geopark): General characteristics of the geopark territory: • Geostructural unit: Intramontane depression in one of the sectors with the greatest average altitude in the entire Iberian Peninsula. • Geological periods represented: Mesozoic (Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous; in basement and inselbergs); Cenozoic (Palaeogene and Neogene, with marine Miocene and continental Pliocene; Continental Quaternary with endorheic and exorheic units; 50 GEODE-IGME geological age groups). • Rocks represented: the entire range of sedimentary rocks, both detrital and chemical. (70 sets of lithological units, GEODE-IGME). Detrital rocks (conglomerates, sands and clays) occupy 75% of the surface of the territory under consideration. • Current morphogenetic systems: the denudative system predominates, in terms of area, with both the fluvial system and the structural-denudative system being represented. Karstic-denudative systems are also to be found. Anthropic forms are restricted to urban areas and two reservoirs (Francisco Abellán and Negratín). • Geomorphological units: the badlands are predominant in terms of surface area and vertical development. It is the most singular and extensive unit of the area. The fluvial terraces of the main valleys and current riverbeds, floodplains and watercourses should also be mentioned. Also developed in this landscape: residual reliefs over volcanic rocks, hills/small mountains over conglomerates and sandstones, conical hills, structural plateaux/hills, canyons, ravines, inselbergs, karstic systems and glacis, among others. • Edaphological units of the dominant soils: calcareous regosols and eutric regosols; calcareous fluvisols [overall predominance of sands (+75% of the surface area of the territory)]. Sands predominate in the western sector and clays and gypsums in the eastern sector. • Majority hydric regime of the watercourses: seasonal. • Majority hydraulic regime of the watercourses: torrential. • Presence of salt flats: Barchel salt flats. • Inherited desertification: more than 50% of the surface area of the territory. • Landscape area and environment: Valleys of the Fardes and Guadiana Menor rivers and tributaries; glacis - steppe peneplains; Mencal and Jabalcón mountains; and the Montes Orientales. Specific characteristics of the territory of the proposed Geopark (a collection of exclusive features only

APPLICATION DOSSIER FOR UNESCO GLOBAL GEOPARK

verifiable and coincident with the entire area of the geopark): • Exceptional continental sedimentary record of fossils from the Quaternary (basin fill from its endorheic stage). Average thickness of exposed rocks from the Early Pleistocene: 100 m. Including the complete Early Pleistocene and the basal part of Middle Pleistocene. • Impressive soft-sediment deformation structures induced by liquefaction during Quaternary earthquakes. • Sedimentary record, in the exorheic stage (erosive removal), from the Middle and Late Pleistocene, and Holocene (includes alluvial, travertine and karst units). • Topographical coherence in relation to the integrity of the geological landscape of the Quaternary Geopark. • Diversity of sedimentary systems (endorheic stage) and morpho-sedimentary systems (exorheic stage) from the Quaternary represented: in the endorheic stage (alluvial fans, anastomosed fluvial system, lacustrine and palustrine systems and mixed erosive-depositional glacis); in the exorheic stage (terraces from Middle and Late Pleistocene, calcareous travertine-tufa edifices/platforms from the Middle and Late Pleistocene to the Holocene, Holocene alluvial system and associated terraces and karst in the calcareous massifs - inselbergs - from the Mesozoic). • Four inselbergs in the geopark, constituted by basement Mesozoic rocks. Three are located in the area of the fill of the Guadix Basin and one external but nearby, which served as a refuge for mountain animals during the Pleistocene (Cerro Mencal). The most relevant inselberg, from the perspectives of topography and landscape, is Cerro Jabalcón. • From the geomorphological perspective, more than 80% of the territory of the geopark is occupied by badlands [badlands in the area of Marchal and Guadix (in continental rocks - conglomerates and sands - from the Plio-Pleistocene), badlands in the area of Fonelas and Benalúa (in continental rocks - sands, silts and clays - from the Plio-Pleistocene), badlands in the Gorafe area (in continental rocks - conglomerates, sands and clays - from the Plio-Pleistocene), bad-

lands in the Dehesas de Guadix area (in marine and continental rocks from the Mio-Pleistocene), badlands in the area of the Negratín reservoir and Cuevas del Campo (in marine and continental rocks - marls - from the Miocene) and badlands in the area of Benamaurel, Castillejar and Galera (in continental rocks - marls and gypsums - from the Plio-Pleistocene)]. • The basement includes non-metamorphic rocks from both the External Zone of the Betic Cordillera, and metamorphic rocks from the Internal Zone. Among the metamorphic rocks, we can find marbles, schists, slates and quartzites. Pebbles of these rocks appear in Plio-Quaternary detrital rocks. • The historical anthropisation (agricultural, forestry and industrial uses and modifications) of the landscape in the geopark is non-existent in more than 80% of its area, and where these types of uses can be confirmed they are not very aggressive and are located in the Holocene alluvial systems, in the fertile plains of the rivers (e.g. Fardes River and other tributaries of the Guadiana Menor River). The overall territory of the geopark shows some of the lowest rates of anthropic alteration of the landscape of those present on the European continent. • The entire territory comprising the geopark is the geological testimony of the evolution of a river and a lake: of the sedimentary fill of an endorheic continental basin (fundamentally by a anastomosed fluvial system and a lacustrine system, with plentiful paleobiological content), in which the record of large mammals from different stages of the Pleistocene stands out. In this context, the base level was located in the Baza paleolake , conditioned by the activity of the Baza fault, the main tectonic structure of the geopark. Total surface area occupied by the geopark: 1,410 Km2. • Surface area of the geopark in the area of the (exposed and accessible) sedimentary fill of the Hoya of Guadix (western sector): 689 Km2. • Surface area of the geopark in the Mencal inselberg (western sector): 11 km2. • Surface area of the geopark in the area of the (exposed and accessible) sedimentary fill of the Altiplano (high plateau) of Granada (eastern sector): 710 km2.

Listing and description of geological sites within the proposed Geopark The inventory of the SGIs of the geopark project has been undertaken (selection and appraisal) in line with previous works (inventory of Global Geosites Project 2002-2007/IGME; Andalusian Geodiversity Strategy/Department for the Environment of the Regional Government of Andalusia) and as a result of

our scientific and technical work in this geographical context over 3 decades (Fonelas Project/IGME, Valle del Río Fardes paleontological station/IGME; and research projects of Professor García-Tortosa). (Fig.B211, B212, B213, B214, B215, B216, B217)

REFERENCE QGNGV-01 QGNGV-02 QGNGV-03 QGNGV-04 QGNGV-05 QGNGV-06 QGNGV-07 QGNGV-08 QGNGV-09 QGNGV-10 QGNGV-11 QGNGV-12 QGNGV-13 QGNGV-14 QGNGV-15 QGNGV-16 QGNGV-17 QGNGV-18 QGNGV-19 QGNGV-20 QGNGV-21 QGNGV-22 QGNGV-23 QGNGV-24 QGNGV-25 QGNGV-26 QGNGV-27 QGNGV-28 QGNGV-29 QGNGV-30 QGNGV-31 QGNGV-32 QGNGV-33 QGNGV-34 QGNGV-35 QGNGV-36 QGNGV-37 QGNGV-38 QGNGV-39 QGNGV-40 QGNGV-41 QGNGV-42 QGNGV-43 QGNGV-44 QGNGV-45 QGNGV-46 QGNGV-47 QGNGV-48 QGNGV-49 QGNGV-50 QGNGV-51 QGNGV-52 QGNGV-53 QGNGV-54 QGNGV-55 QGNGV-56 QGNGV-57 QGNGV-58 QGNGV-59 QGNGV-60 QGNGV-61 QGNGV-62 QGNGV-63 QGNGV-64 QGNGV-65 QGNGV-66 QGNGV-67 QGNGV-68 QGNGV-69 QGNGV-70

QUATERNARY GEOPARK NORTHERN GRANADA VALLEYS

GEOSITES Badlands of Marchal Badlands of Fonelas Badlands of Dehesas de Guadix Bandlands of Gorafe Bandlands of Negratín Cerro Mencal Cerro Jabalcón Palaeontological site Fonelas P-1 Palaeontological site Mencal-9 Palaeontological site Fonelas SCC-3 Palaeontological site Solana del Zamborino Karstic site of Darro Palaeontological site Negratín Palaeontological site Mencal-J Palaeontological site Huélago-C Glacis Mesa Bacaire Sima del Tajo del Mencal Fluvial system Belerda Lacustrine site Fonelas Travertines of Baños de Alicun Discordance of Gorafe Upper Cretaceous- Eocene of Alamedilla Pillow lavas of Alamedilla Baza fault Gor gully Loma de la Solana Cerro de La Lancha Delta Los Olivillos Seismites of Baza Calcarenites of Villanueva de las Torres Piping “Los Coloraos” Bentonites Cortijo de Victoriano Detrital sediments of Zujar Badlands of la Rambla del Moral Jurassic serie of Cerro Mendez Barranco del Alcaide Volcanic serie of Alicun de Ortega Thermal springs of Graena Guadix - Baza basin contact Olistostromic Unit of Negatrin Transit marine-continental sedimentation of Negratin Formations of Guadix and Baza Palaeontological site Baza-1 Badlands of Benalúa Rambla del Grado Salinas de Barchel Palaeontological site Tollo de Chiclana Guadix el Viejo Eocene-Oligocene serie Fuente Caldera Fluviales de Villanueva Miocene serie of Cerro Molicies Las Murallas Palaeontological site Titanochelon Coto Cave Sulphur mine of Benamaurel Gypsums of Benamaurel Palaeontological site Cúllar-Baza-1 Badlands of Guardal Seismites of Castillejar Gypsums of Galera Palaeontological site Venta Micena Palaeontological site Barranco León-5 Palaeontological site Fuente Nueva-3 Palaeontological site Barranco de las Cañadas Peña de Castril Gypsum mine of Galera Laguna de Bugéjar Rambla de los Pilares Seismites of Cañada Cascaborras-Puerto del Lobo- Barranco Duarte Baza fault (Cañada Gallego)

MUNICIPALITY Marchal Fonelas/Guadix Dehesas de Guadix/Alicún de Ortega Gorafe Bácor/Freila/Zújar/Negratín/Cuevas del Campo Pedro Martínez Zújar Fonelas Villanueva de las Torres Fonelas Fonelas Darro Cuevas del Campo Pedro Martínez/Fonelas Huélago Fonelas/Guadix/Villanueva de las Torres Pedro Martínez Belerda (Guadix) Fonelas Villanueva de las Torres Gorafe Alamedilla Alamedilla Baza Gorafe Alamedilla Dehesas de Guadix Alicún de Ortega Baza Villanueva de las Torres Gorafe Villanueva de las Torres Zújar Cuevas del Campo Alamedilla Alamedilla Alicún de Ortega Graena Baza Freila Freila Baza Baza Benalúa Guadix Dehesas de Guadix Gorafe-Negratín (Freila) Purullena Pedro Martínez Villanueva de las Torres La Peza Gorafe Cortes y Graena Huélago Benamaurel Benamaurel Cúllar Castillejar y Galera Castillejar Galera Orce Orce Orce Huéscar Castril Galera Puebla de Don Fadrique Galera Galera Baza

APPLICATION DOSSIER FOR UNESCO GLOBAL GEOPARK

INTEREST Geomorphological Geomorphological Geomorphological Geomorphological Geomorphological Geomorphological Geomorphological Palaeontological Palaeontological Palaeontological Palaeontological Palaeontological Palaeontological Palaeontological Palaeontological Geomorphological Paleoclimatology Stratigraphic Sedimentological Hydrogeological Stratigraphic Stratigraphic Petrological-Geochemical Tectocnic Geomorphological Geomorphological Stratigraphic Stratigraphic Stratigraphic Stratigraphic Geomorphological Sedimentological Sedimentological Geomorphological Stratigraphic Petrological-Geochemical Petrological-Geochemical Hydrogeological Stratigraphic Stratigraphic Stratigraphic Tectocnic Palaeontological Geomorphological Active geological processes Hydrogeological Palaeontological Geomorphological Stratigraphic Stratigraphic Stratigraphic Geomorphological Palaeontological Geomorphological Extractive-Metallogenic Sedimentological Palaeontological Geomorphological Sedimentological Sedimentological Palaeontological Palaeontological Palaeontological Palaeontological Geomorphological Petrological-Geochemical Geomorphological Stratigraphic Stratigraphic Tectocnic

VALUE International International International International International Regional Regional International International International National National International Regional Regional Regional Regional National National National National National International National National Regional International International Regional Regional Nacional Regional Regional Regional Nacional International Regional Regional Regional Regional Regional Regional Nacional Regional Regional Regional International Regional Nacional Regional Regional Regional Regional Regional Regional Regional International Regional International National International International International International Regional Regional Regional International International International

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MAIN USE Geotourism Geotourism Geotourism/Cultural Geotourism Geotourism Geotourism Geotourism Scientific/Educational/Geotourism Scientific Scientific Scientific/Geotourism Scientific/Educational Scientific/Educational Educational Educational Geotourism Scientific Geotourism/Educational Geotourism Scientific/Geotourism/Historic Geotourism Geotourism/Educational Scientific/Geotourism Geotourism/Educational Geotourism/Educational Educational/Cultural Scientific/Educational/Geotourism Scientific/Educational/Geotourism Educational Geotourism/Educational Geotourism Geotourism/Educational Educational Geotourism Educational Educational Educational Geotourism Educational Educational Educational Educational Scientific/Geotourism Geotourism Educational Educational Geotourism/Educational Geotourism Educational Educational Geotourism/Educational Geotourism/Educational Scientific/Educational Geotourism/Educational Geotourism/Educational Scientific/Historic Scientific Scientific/Educational/Geotourism Scientific/Educational/Geotourism Scientific/Educational/Geotourism Scientific/Educational/Geotourism Scientific/Educational/Geotourism Scientific/Educational/Geotourism Scientific/Educational Geotourism/Cultural Geotourism/Educational Geotourism/Cultural Scientific/Educational/Geotourism Scientific/Educational/Geotourism Scientific/Educational/Geotourism

Fig.B211.Listing of geological sites within the proposed Geopark

QUATERNARY GEOPARK NORTHERN GRANADA VALLEYS

APPLICATION DOSSIER FOR UNESCO GLOBAL GEOPARK

Details on the interest of these sites in terms of their international, national, regional or local value Geosites belonging to the Spanish Global Geosites project. Of the Spanish geological contexts of international relevance (Annex VIII-2 of Law 42/2007, of 13 December, on Natural Heritage and Biodiversity), 4 of them are represented in the North Granada Valleys:

Fig. B212

• Deposits of vertebrates from the Spanish Pliocene and Pleistocene. • The rifting of Pangea and the Mesozoic sequences of the Betic and Iberian Cordilleras. • The olistostromic units of the Betic Foreland. • Karstic systems in carbonates and evaporites in the Iberian Peninsula and the Balearic Islands.

Fig. B213

The "Deposits of vertebrates from the Spanish Pliocene and Pleistocene" are especially notable, as the following 7 geosites of international relevance are located within this geopark project (the legal protection measures for the protection of these "geosites" are explicitly stated): • VP014 (GCVNG-08): Fonelas P-1 fossil site [Spanish State Heritage (Geological and Mining Institute of Spain, Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness, Government of Spain); State geological reserve in the Guadix basin]. • VP015 (GCVNG-61): Venta Micena fossil site (Asset of Cultural Interest - Bien de Interés Cultural, or BIC in Spanish, Department for Culture of the Regional Government of Andalusia). • VP016 (GCVNG-62): Barranco León-5 fossil site (Asset of Cultural Interest, Department for Culture of the Regional Government of Andalusia). • VP017 (GCVNG-63): Fuente Nueva-3 fossil site (Asset

Fig. B214

Fig. B215 Fig. B212. Impressive and extensive landscape of badlands excavated into conglomerated-sandy sediments of the Guadix Formation from the Late Pliocene-Pleistocene. © EPVFR-IGME

Fig. B216

Fig. B213. Upstream from the Negratín Cerrada there is a spectacular landscape of erosion gullies formed in marine rocks from the Late Miocene © EPVFR-IGME Fig. B214. The 2 million-year-old (magnetostratigraphy and biostratigraphy) Fonelas P-1 fossil site corresponds to the sedimentation of a floodplain of an abandoned meander within a fluvial system© EPVFR-IGME

of Cultural Interest, Department for Culture of the Regional Government of Andalusia). • VP018 (GCVNG-64): Paleontological site at Barranco de las Cañadas, Barranco de las Quebradas and Cortijo de la Calahorra (PGOU - General Urban Development Plan). • VP019 (GCVNG-57): Cúllar-Baza-1 fossil site (Asset of Cultural Interest, Department for Culture of the Regional Government of Andalusia). • VP020 (GCVNG-11): La Solana del Zamborino fossil site (Asset of Cultural Interest, Department for Culture of the Regional Government of Andalusia). Moreover, and within the context "The rifting of Pangea and the Mesozoic sequences of the Betic and Iberian Cordilleras", 2 geosites of international relevance are located within this geopark project: • MZ012f (GCVNG-23): Pillow lavas at Alamedilla (PGOU) • MZ012e (GCVNG-36): Barranco del Alcaide (PGOU) Finally, and in relation to the Geodiversity of Spanish Territory (Law 42/2007), it is worth emphasising that 5 of the 8 most representative geological units in Spain are found in the territories encompassed within the geopark project: • Unique basement geological structures and formations, allochthonous units and Meso-Cenozoic cover of the Alpine Cordilleras. • Unique geological structures and formations in the continental and marine Cenozoic basins. • Deposits, edaphic terrain and unique eroded forms representative of the action of the climate. • Deposits and unique eroded forms of fluvial or aeolian origin. • Karstic systems in carbonates and evaporites.

Listing and description of other sites of natural, cultural and intangible heritage interest and how they are related to the geological sites and how they are integrated into the proposed Geopark B4.1 The Geopark: A Steppe Landscape The key discourse of the Geopark lies in its geological history, the events that marked its formation and its relevant tectonic, geomorphological and palaeontological singularities. But, what is the history, relevance and uniqueness of its plant and animal landscape?

Fig.B215. To outcrop of basic volcanic rocks with pillow lava structures surrounded by pelagic marine marly and marly-limestone materials from the Cretaceous.© Francisco Garcia Tortosa Fig.B216. Level of intensely folded sandstone intercalated between strata of very horizontalised non-deformed silt/clays from the Pliocene epoch Fig.B217. In the Cañada Gallego there is one of the best outcrops of the active Baza fault, whose surface trail is approximately 37 km long. ©Francisco Garcia Tortosa

Fig. B217

Geological events and steppe landscape in the Geopark: The Geopark is located in the centre of the largest and most extensive steppe plateau in Andalusia. A landscape that, as well as having existed spon-

taneously over a larger or smaller area throughout the evolutionary history of the Mediterranean basin, constituting one of the most primitive elements of the landscape in the Iberian Peninsula, maintains a uniqueness and biodiversity that makes it an extremely important landscape from a scientific and environmental point of view. It is likely that the right climatic conditions for the establishment of steppe ecosystems did not appear

QUATERNARY GEOPARK NORTHERN GRANADA VALLEYS

in Andalusia until the Tertiary was well advanced (some 20 million years ago). Hot, humid tropical conditions predominated at this time, which started to change when Africa was approaching Europe and the Mediterranean (Tethys at that time) closed at the point that is currently the Strait of Gibraltar. These events led to a loss of maritime influence, and the climate in the Mediterranean region started to become drier and colder. The closure of the Tethys led to the so-called Messinian salinity crisis (initiated some 6.5 million years ago, at the end of the Tertiary), which entailed a massive accumulation of salt on the seabed and probably included a period of almost complete desiccation which transformed this sea into a series of large lakes. All this created the environmental basis for the formation of the first steppes, while at the same time favouring the arrival and propagation of steppe species coming from North Africa and the southern Eurasian steppes. This is why very curious species related to, or shared with, these territories can be found in the Geopark. However, following the Messinian period the steppe ecosystems shrank and suffered delicate subsistence problems with the progressive cooling down that gave rise to the quaternary glaciations. And once the climate started to improve after the last glaciation, these ecosystems were mainly associated with saline areas and gypsum, while the forests occupied the terrain with more favourable soils. The steppe ecosystems went through their moment of maximum reduction when facing the expansion of tall scrubs and forests, until human activity consisting of managing forests through clearing, burning, grazing, herding herbivores, etc., led to a new anthropical expansion of steppe landscapes. The Mediterranean steppe territories would have been prized and sought after in the Neolithic, as they were open areas very suitable for livestock farming and the cultivation of cereals, and the above-mentioned human activity extended these open spaces. This in turn caused a loss of forest soils, and marls and gypsums covered with these soils flourished, which enabled the spread of semi-desert vegetation adapted to living on the gypsums and badlands, which ensured the continuation of steppe plants and animals. The result is therefore an ancient cultural landscape of singular beauty that speaks to us of the natural events that occurred with the passing of geological time and in the course of human activity in historic times. Gypsums and salts, origin of its floristic uniqueness and relevance:

The Geopark forms part of a steppe landscape which contains a great number of ecological environments in a generally semi-arid context. For this reason, and also due to the aforementioned past events, there are many particular species with very localised populations. This landscape contains a mosaic mainly comprising plains, badlands and watercourses, accompanied by elements such as inselbergs and limestones. Prominent among these are Cerro Jabalcón and the rivers themselves, which in this arid environment constitute real islands for the flora. Above all, however, the habitats that are really of major interest for the European Union are the saline outcrops, salt marshes and gypsum substrates, which are home to numerous unique species, adapted to these particular conditions linked to the type of substratum, and which make up the salt steppes and the gypsophilous ("gypsum loving") vegetation. The origin of the most important gypsum outcrop of the Geopark, located at Hoya de Baza, is evaporitic. It formed in a salty and continental lacustrine environment during the Plio–Pleistocene, that is, in the old lake that occupied a large part of the Geopark, and probably in a semi-arid context. They appear intercalated with lutites and other carbonate materials, and even with native sulphur formations. In short, it has been said of the flora contained in the Geopark that: "...it is unique, strictly Iberian, at least in the European context, and is therefore one of Andalusia and Spain's main contributions to biodiversity within the European Union”. Uniqueness and relevance of its fauna: Steppe birds are outstanding among the unique fauna of the steppe plateau where the Geopark is located. They are a peculiar combination of Asian and North African faunal elements, with morphological, physiological, ethological and ecological adaptations, which enable them to occupy these unique environments. Many of them are life forms that have evolved in arid environments, corresponding to speciation groups in the neighbouring African continent, and which are therefore of great biological and ecological singularity in the European context. An originality which adds to the conservation value of some of these species, which constitute an exclusive contribution by Spain and Andalusia to biodiversity within the European Union. The sub-desert steppes, which are predominant in the Geopark, have some climatic, geological and edaphological characteristics that create an important spatial and temporal variability in the biological communities, particularly in the flora, as has been

APPLICATION DOSSIER FOR UNESCO GLOBAL GEOPARK

SITES OF NATURAL INTEREST

DESCRIPTION

FORTHCOMING GEOSITES

FLORA EU Habitats of Priority Interest - 1520 Iberian Gypsophilous Vegetation (Gypsophiletalia) EU Habitats of Priority Interest - 1510 Mediterranean Salt Steppes (Limonietalia) Inventory of wetlands of Andalusia - Salt marshes at Margen

Both are outstanding for their uniqueness in the European context and are home to scarce and exclusive plant formations at both local and Iberian level 1520 is spread over a large part of the Geopark, although somewhat less in the central area 1510 is to be found over a large area of the eastern part of the Geopark It is very important for the plant and animal communities living there

Practically all, except those located in the centre of the Geopark Practically all those located in the eastern half of the Geopark

QGNGV-58

FAUNA Areas of Importance for mammals ZIM 148: (Hoya de Guadix) ZIM 149: River of Hoya de Baza Important Bird Areas IBA 211: Puebla de Don Fadrique/Las Cañadas IBA 213: Hoya de Baza IBA 214: Hoya de Guadix Areas of Importance for Steppe Birds of Andalusia: • 17 (Hoya de Guadix) • 18 (Hoya de Baza) • 19 (Cañadas-Los Llanos) Important Area for the Conservation of Invertebrates in Andalusia (ZICI) Area 4 - Baza Depression

Conservation Programme of Spanish Society for the Study and Conservation of Mammals (SECEM)

Practically all

Conservation Programme of Spanish Society of Ornithology (SEO) and Bird Life International

Practically all

Conservation Programme for Steppe Birds of Andalusia These are extremely important due to their size and the variety and uniqueness of the steppe birds living there

Practically all those located in the central and eastern sector of the Geopark

Action Plan for the Conservation of Endangered Invertebrates in Andalusia It is very important due to the variety and uniqueness of the insects living there

Practically all those located in the eastern half of the Geopark

Site of Community Importance ES6160015 “Guadiana Menor River-upper section ”

Stands out in the Natura 2000 network of Andalusia due to its special importance for the conservation of several fish species included in the annexes of the Habitats Directive

QGNGV-05 QGNGV-13 QGNGV-27 QGNGV-31 QGNGV-41 QGNGV-46 QGNGV-47 QGNGV-52 QGNGV-53

Site of Community Importance ES1640006 “Sierra de Arana”.

Stands out in the Natura 2000 network of Andalusia due to its special importance for the conservation of several fish species included in the annexes of the Habitats Directive

GCVNG-15 GCVNG-54

Inventory of wetlands of Andalusia Tail of the Negratín Reservoir

It is very important for the conservation of some species of aquatic and steppe birds

QGNGV-07 QGNGV-39 QGNGV-42 QGNGV-55 QGNGV-70

LANDSCAPE OUTSTANDING LANDSCAPES

Special Plan for Protection of the Physical Environment (PEPMF)for the Province of Granada They have special protection

OL -3 (Vicinity of the Spa at Alicún de Ortega) OL-4 (Garganta de Gorafe) OL-5 (Mencal) OL-6 (Cerro de Jabalcón)

These are areas where the landscapes have an acknowledged uniqueness and they act as visual transmitters or receptors of great aesthetic interest

OL-7 (Bacor Olivar Badlands) OL-10 (Guadix Badlands) UNIQUE AGRICULTURAL LANDSCAPES

Special Plan for Protection of the Physical Environment (PEPMF) for the Province of Granada They have special protection

AG-4 (Vegas of Hoya de Guadix) AG-6 (Vegas of Gor) AG-7 (Vega of Zújar)

These are areas representative of agricultural landscapes of outstanding natural beauty

AG-8 (Vegas of Huéscar-Castril and Guardal)

NATURAL MONUMENTS Marchal Badlands Peña de Castril

QGNGV-03 QGNGV-04 QGNGV-20 QGNGV-21 QGNGV-25 QGNGV-06 QGNGV-07 QGNGV-33 QGNGV-42 QGNGV-70 QGNGV-05 QGNGV-13 QGNGV-41 QGNGV-53 QGNGV-44

Practically all those located between Guadix and Fonelas QGNGV-04 QGNGV-20 QGNGV-21 QGNGV-25 QGNGV-07 QGNGV-33 Practically all those located in the eastern sector of the Geopark close to the traditional vegas (fertile plains).

Andalusian Network of Protected Natural Areas (RENPA)They have special protection These are natural areas or elements basically made up of formations of recognised uniqueness, rarity or beauty that deserve to be subject to special protection.

QGNGV-01 QGNGV-38 QGNGV-51 QGNGV-53 QGNGV-65

QUATERNARY GEOPARK NORTHERN GRANADA VALLEYS

explained, but also in invertebrates, fundamentally those linked to the well-conserved gypsiferous watercourses.

B4.2. The Geopark: A Troglodytic Landscape The blue of the sky and the water, the green of the vega and the ochre of the ravines predominate, only dotted by the white of the caves inhabited by locals for centuries. These colours define the troglodytic landscapes that enrich the Geopark with a unique form of human habitat. Geology and troglodytism: The existence of gullied desert landscapes, along with the presence of steep escarpments composed of materials such as clays and marls, and intercalated with other harder materials such as limestones or naturally cemented conglomerates, all of these lying horizontally, enabled the extensive development of caves as dwellings in this region. The clayey and marly layers are very impermeable and easily excavated, while the well-consolidated and cemented carbonate and conglomerate layers provide the slopes with cohesion, acting as natural foundations. Thus, the inhabitants of the area used the steep slopes of the badlands to dig out their dwellings as an alternative to traditional constructions, taking advantage of a temperature that is practically constant in the different seasons of the year, in a climate that is extremely harsh due to the sharp contrasts, with oscillations of up to 50 degrees centigrade between seasons. For this reason, their use has continued for centuries up to the present. The formation of troglodytic landscapes over time: The appearance of caves in this unique territory, and their proliferation over the last thousand years, cannot be understood without the existence of a favourable geological environment and the concurrence of certain historical events and social whims that led the population to find the answer to their most basic needs in this peculiar form of human habitat. This is, in fact, a constructive tradition of North African peoples that came to this area between the SITES OF CULTURAL INTEREST • Medieval caves: Troglodyte complex of the Algarbes-Camariles at Beas de Guadix, Covarrones at Cortes and the Cave of Tía Micaela • Troglodyte villages Centre of Hoya de Baza - Baza to Galera river axis • Medieval caves: The Hafas de la Moraleda, the Hafas de Arriba and the caves of La Morería • Troglodyte villages

10th and 12th centuries. Ethnological and historical-archaeological studies carried out in the area have revealed the existence of these first, older artificial caves ("covarrones" or "Moors' caves" as they are known in the area) whose typology, construction system and orographical orientation differ clearly from the later caves dug by Moriscos and Castilians. All these have signs of medieval occupation and their defensive nature is notable, as it is the diversity of their functions: watchtowers, refuges, dwellings, granaries in cliff walls and dovecotes. Most of these were abandoned before the Christian conquest and it seems that they were never reoccupied, not even by the Moriscos, although many of the current cave villages were developed in the surrounding areas, or even in the vicinity of the old caves, during the 16th century. This constructive phenomenon took on an urban dimension in the late 16th century when the Moriscos expelled after the rebellion of Abén Humeya returned to their place of origin, in a kind of fugitive return. As they were not allowed to claim their old possessions they occupied existing caves or made new ones. Then, starting in the 17th century, the repopulating settlers arriving from other parts of the Peninsula after the definitive expulsion of the Moriscos decreed by Philip III also used them as dwellings. Here lies the origin of the communities of caves and cave-houses (an evolution of the first inhabited caves). The other great moment of expansion of caves in the province of Granada occurred in the late 19th century and the first half of the 20th century, coinciding with stages of demographic growth, immigration and the cultivation of new lands. The important sugar and agricultural industries in the territory were to act as a significant magnet for a socially and economically deprived population that sought cheap accommodation and adapted to both the traditional lifestyle of the area and the need for space (yards, stables, pens, grain stores, etc.). With this population and the successive dwellers, this millennial sample of subterranean architecture evolved in form, and some of its more traditional aspects were modified, in order to make the dweDESCRIPTION

Both areas have the greatest concentration of medieval caves in the region and some of the most notable cave villages

FORTHCOMING GEOSITES QGNGV-01 QGNGV-38 QGNGV-51 QGNGV-53 QGNGV-55 QGNGV-58 QGNGV-60 QGNGV-68

QGNGV-56 QGNGV-59 QGNGV-66 QGNGV-69

APPLICATION DOSSIER FOR UNESCO GLOBAL GEOPARK

llings more comfortable and practical. During the 20th century, the installations and services that had already been introduced into ordinary houses some years before were gradually incorporated into the cave-houses. This is how a troglodytic landscape of global importance developed over time. It strongly characterises the proposed Geopark territory, as it is a clear example of a bioclimatic and sustainable habitat. Nowadays it also offers a fascinating experience for the 21st century eco-tourist in this area. (Fig B421)

B4.3. Archaeology in The Geopark: The human presence in Orce more than a million years ago is corroborated by the appearance of lithic industries associated with animal remains. At the time when these hominids from Africa populated this area, a large part of what is now the proposed Geopark was occupied by a lake in an endorheic basin (without an external outlet for its water). The main sites to have reached us are currently to be found on the edge of the lake and were probably swampy areas where the animals that went to drink water would become trapped and would be easy prey for predators. Hominids would take advantage of this situation to subsequently scavenge bones from carrion in order to extract the bone marrow. Taking a huge leap forward in time, the cave paintings that appear in the vicinity of the proposed Geopark territory are attributed to Neolithic groups whose oldest settlement remains correspond to widely-scattered huts that are evidence of a very small population. By the Copper Age this population was already truly sedentary and had grown enormously, increasing the exploitation of agricultural and mineral resources. The site of El Malagón in Cúllar, in the eastern part of the proposed Geopark, dates from this period. It is nestled in the high part of a small mountain, at the base of which copper outcrops have been found, along with the walled Cerro de la Virgen site in Orce, whose occupation coincided with the abandonment of El Malagón, erected as the most important site in the area. At the same time, from Western Andalusia to the Gor River valley, in Gorafe, the Megalithic Park unfolds, characterised by Necropolises with dolmens carved from large blocks of stone. The dolmens in Gorafe, which comprise the greatest concentration in Spain, make up the Integral Megalithic Theme Park. From the Bronze Age, settlement and pressure on the medium gradually increased. In the middle of the

Fig. B421

Bronze Age we find the territory occupied in an organised manner by a large number of Argaric sites, of which the most well-known are Castellón Alto in Galera, and Cuesta del Negro in Purullena. In Iberian times, the territory evolved around large oppida such as Tútugi in Galera and Basti in Baza, with extensive and monumental necropoli, which produced such relevant pieces as the Lady of Baza. In Roman and Medieval times, the area continued to be of great importance, with traces of all of these eras remaining throughout the territory to this day. The Guadix-Baza basin may be considered as one enormous archaeological site due to the considerable amount of existing sites within the basin, demonstrating the great wealth of heritage in the area, while also informing us that the environmental transformations have not been so extensive here. Meanwhile, in other areas with the same archaeological potential, the disappearance of archaeological remains before the advance of urbanisation and infrastructures and the transformations due to agricultural activity is evident. This territory, therefore, is one of the areas where we can find one of the best records of the past in a comprehensive manner. In other words, in this basin it is possible to study and discover the past from a global spatial perspective, not only on the basis of a single point or archaeological site. Furthermore, this record enables us to make a diachronic and historical assessment of the entire territory over time. The uniqueness of the fossil sites, and of the early and late prehistory of the area; the diversity and complementarity with the heritage of defensive and troglodytic architecture; and the palaeogeographic values and diversity of landscape. The combination of all these makes the proposed territory an area of exceptional cultural value.

SITES OF CULTURAL INTEREST ASSET OF CULTURAL INTEREST: ARCHAEOLOGICAL AREA

Orce Basin

QUATERNARY GEOPARK NORTHERN GRANADA VALLEYS

DESCRIPTION General catalogue of Andalusian Historical Heritage Archaeological Areas are those clearly delimited spaces where the existence of archaeological or palaeontological remains of relevant interest related to the history of humanity has been confirmed The archaeological area of the Orce Basin, located to the north-east of the GuadixBaza district, contains a large number of sites that provide first-rate information for knowledge and understanding of the evolutionary context of hominids outside the African continent Very important for its importance and size

Castellón Alto (Galera)

QGNGV-59 QGNGV-60 QGNGV-66 QGNGV-68 QGNGV-69

Tútugi Iberian Necropolis (Galera) El Malagón (Cúllar)

La Terrera del Reloj (Dehesas de Guadix)

Of the 26 archaeological areas included for the province of Granada in the General catalogue of Andalusian Historical Heritage, 15 are within the boundaries of the Geopark, which highlights the archaeological significance of the park.

Baths at Alicún (Villanueva de las Torres)

QGNGV-03 QGNGV-28

QGNGV-11 QGNGV-12

Cuesta del Negro (Purullena)

QGNGV-53 QGNGV-01 QGNGV-38 QGNGV-44

Roman theatre (Guadix)

ASSET OF CULTURAL INTEREST MONUMENT - MILITARY ARCHITECTURE

General catalogue of Andalusian Historical Heritage A Historical Complex is a grouping of urban or rural constructions along with the geographical features present, and which is important due to its historical and archaeological interest, etc.

Monuments of military architecture of special significance within the boundaries of the Geopark

Alcazaba of the Seven Towers Defensive System for the Eastern Frontier of the Old Nasrid Kingdom

QGNGV-01 QGNGV-38 QGNGV-44 QGNGV-24 QGNGV-29 QGNGV-33 QGNGV-43 QGNGV-65

General catalogue of Andalusian Historical Heritage

Guadix Alcazaba Castril Castle

At territorial level, the hazards that could affect the conservation and protection of the geological, natural and topographical heritage of the area include the following:

QGNGV-04 QGNGV-25

Solana del Zamborino (Fonelas)

Castril Historical Complex

Current or potential pressure on the proposed Geopark

QGNGV-24 QGNGV-29 QGNGV-33 QGNGV-43

Horá Cave (Darro)

Baza Historical Complex

QGNGV-08 QGNGV-10 QGNGV-19

Cerro del Gallo (Fonelas)

Guadix Historical Complex

Geoconservation

QGNGV-03

Fonelas megalithic necropolis

ASSET OF CULTURAL INTEREST HISTORICAL COMPLEX

QGNGV-57

Cúllar-Baza I (Cúllar)

Las Angosturas (Gor)

QGNGV-61 QGNGV-62 QGNGV-63

Cerro de la Virgen (Orce)

Basti: Settlement (Cerro Cepero), Necropolis (Cerro Santuario) and Necropolis (Cerro Largo) - (Baza)

FORTHCOMING GEOSITES

Network of towers, castles and ramparts scattered all over the Geopark territory

QGNGV-01 QGNGV-38 QGNGV-44 QGNGV-65 QGNGV-61 QGNGV-62 QGNGV-63 Practically all

ANDALUSIAN NETWORK OF CULTURAL SPACES (ANCS) Castellón Alto (Galera) Tútugi Iberian Necropolis (Galera)

Arab Baths of Baza

LANDSCAPES OF CULTURAL INTEREST OF ANDALUSIA

Law 14/2007, of 26 November, on the Historical Heritage of Andalusia, defines the Andalusian Network of Cultural Spaces as "an integrated and unitary system made up of those Cultural Spaces located in the territory of the Autonomous Region that are included in the network by the competent Department of the Regional Government in matters of historical heritage, and those areas open to the public, which due to their conditions and characteristics do not require to be endowed with a self-management body"

Re-created landscape of Cerro de Jabalcón Landscape of Castellón Alto Landscape of Castril

QGNGV-24 QGNGV-29 QGNGV-33 QGNGV-43

Landscape Strategy of Andalusia QGNGV-01 QGNGV-38 QGNGV-51 QGNGV-53

Landscape of Guadix and Purullena Megalithic landscape of the Gor River Valley

QGNGV-59 QGNGV-60 QGNGV-66 QGNGV-68 QGNGV-69

The Landscapes of Cultural Interest of Andalusia are unique landscapes due to their cultural, tangible and intangible values. They are representative of the different forms of interaction between human beings and the physical environment, intended to satisfy their need for settlement, safety, communication and the production and transformation of resources, as well as their ideological appropriation

QGNGV-04 QGNGV-20 QGNGV-21 QGNGV-25 QGNGV-07 QGNGV-33 QGNGV-42 QGNGV-70 QGNGV-59 QGNGV-60 QGNGV-66 QGNGV-68 QGNGV-69 QGNGV-65

• Looting or pillaging of archaeological and paleontological sites. The commercialisation of original and unique objects acquired from pillaging is the main reason for the constant search for artefacts and artwork from the past. This has led to the existence of criminal activity with very negative consequences for the heritage of the proposed Geopark. National and regional legislation protects the defence of Spanish heritage against exportation and exploitation (Law 16/1985 of Historical Spanish Heritage and Law 14/2007 of Historical Andalusian Heritage). Similarly, the law entails the express regulation of the destruction of archaeological and paleontological remains, as well as that of sites that represent an irreparable loss of information (article 109 n.) due to illegal excavations. • Creation of transportation infrastructure in the territory. The possible rail connection between Guadix and the Province of Murcia, the construction of a high-speed line between the provinces of Almería and Jaén, which would pass through Guadix, and the Mediterranean Corridor route between Almería and Granada were recently assessed. It should be highlighted that in these cases there is still time to intervene in the impact evaluation and public participation process to avoid harm to the territory’s Sites of Geological Interest.

• Non-organised tourism and leisure activities in at-risk areas which, by their nature, are susceptible to irreversible damage (off-road all-terrain vehicles). • Land clearance and movements for construction and/or expansion of farmland, especially due to the planting of almond trees. • Artificial erosive processes resulting from ploughing and terracing for agricultural purposes and the planting of pine trees in areas beyond their natural area of distribution, or even within it, with the use of planting systems (terracing). • Over-use of aquifers. Specifically, the excessive use of the aquifer supplying the Baños de Alicún may alter the continuity or functionality of the travertine system. • Topographical impacts linked to extraction activities, industrial estates and second homes located around the A-92N motorway due to the access this road provides. • Development of the production of new photovoltaic, thermosolar or wind energy infrastructure could severely affect the conservation of the landscape and Sites of Geological Interest. • Introduction of mining activity and quarries in the area. • Dam construction projects in the territory. • Depopulation trends and the ageing of the population jeopardise the continuation of customs and practices and the historical conservation of the territory.

Current status in terms of protection of geological sites within the proposed Geopark The conservation of Geodiversity and Geological Heritage is protected by national, regional and provincial legislation. Regarding the proposed Geopark, it is necessary to draw attention to the following legal tools that safeguard the protection of the proposed area. (Fig. C21) Of the 70 proposed Geosites: • 45 Geosites have specific established legal restric-

tions that prohibit the gathering of fossils, minerals and samples. • In addition, 37 sites of geological interest are part of the Inventory of Geodiversity and Geological Heritage of Andalusia and are protected by the Andalusian Strategy for Comprehensive Geodiversity Management. • 24 Geosites are protected by Inventory of Public Forestry of Andalusia and the Forestry Law of Andalusia.

QUATERNARY GEOPARK NORTHERN GRANADA VALLEYS

CULTURAL HERITAGE PROTECTION LAWS

TERRITORIAL PLANNING LAWS

APPLICATION DOSSIER FOR UNESCO GLOBAL GEOPARK

• 15 Sites are protected by the Special Plan for Protection of the Physical Environment and the Protected Spaces and Assets of the Province of Granada Catalogue, which determines the necessary measures in urban planning to assure the protection of the physical natural environment. The Plan determines how the ground can be used in protected areas and establishes specific rules for the performance of activities all over the territory. • 7 Geosites are protected by Law 14/2007 of Historical Andalusian Heritage through the Asset of Cultural Interest regulatory protection in the category of Archaeological Area. General Catalogue of Andalusian Historical Heritage.

ENVIROMENTAL PROTECTION LAWS

• 2 Sites are Natural Monuments protected by the regional government through Law 4/1989 of Conservation of Natural Spaces and Wild Flora and Fauna and Law 2/1989, which approved the Andalusian Inventory of Protected Natural Areas and established additional measures for their protection. • 20 Sites of Geological Interest are not currently subject to protection measures. The proposed Geopark is currently working on the following protection measures at local level for the most representative sites: - Subsidiary rules for protection and local use of sites of geological interest. - Signage for geological sites with the highest risk of alteration and deterioration with recommendations for use.

Data on the management and maintenance of all heritage sites (geological and nongeological)

NATIONAL LEVEL

Ley 16/1985 Patrimonio Histórico Español (Spanish Historical Heritage)

Ley 33/2015 Modificación 42/2007 Patrimonio Natural y de la Biodiversidad. (Natural heritage and biodiversity). RDL 1/2001TRL de Aguas (Water Law) Ley 43/2003 Montes (Forest Act) Ley 45/2007 Desarrollo sostenible del medio rural. (Sustainable Development Rural Environment) Ley 22/1973, Minas y Reglamentos de Desarrollo (Mines Act)

RDL 7/2015 Ley de Suelo y Rehabilitación Urbana (Land and Urban Renewal Act)

Firstly, it is necessary to highlight the importance of the Andalusian Strategy for Comprehensive Geodiversity Management with the development of initiatives whose aim is to inventory, assess, protect and manage geodiversity and andalusian geological heritage. Equally important is the acquisition by the Geological and Mining Institute of Spain (IGME) of the 25-hectare estate containing the Fonelas P-1 palaentological site and its immediate geological context for its scientific and cultural exploitation as well as the management of its heritage values. (See D4.3 Geoconservation).

REGIONAL LEVEL

Ley 14/2007 Patrimonio Histórico de Andalucía (Andalusia Historical Heritage) Ley 8/2007, Museos y Colecciones Museográficas de Andalucía. (Museums and Collections in Andalusia)

The management and maintenance of the proposed geopark’s places of interest are conducted by the different institutions and organisations (public and private) that make up the Coordinating Committee of the Quaternary Geopark Northern Granada Valleys project. Activities are conducted depending on each institution’s competencies and proposals, based on criteria of identified complementarity and synergies.

Ley 2/1989, Inventario de Espacios Protegidos de Andalucía. (Inventory of Andalusian Natural Protected Areas) Ley 2/1992, de 15 de junio, Forestal de Andalucía (Forest Act) Ley 7/1994, de 18 de mayo, de Protección Ambiental (Environmental Protection Act) Ley 3/1995, de 23 de marzo, de Vías Pecuarias (Livestock route) Decreto 225/1999 .Regulación y desarrollo de la figura de Monumento Natural (National Monument Protection)

Ley 1/1994 Ordenación del Territorio de la Comunidad Autónoma de Andalucía (Regional Planning Law ) Ley 7/2002, de 17 de diciembre, de Ordenación Urbanística de Andalucía (Urban planning of Andalusia)

Fig.C21.Standards legislation of environmental, cultural and territorial protection.

In the natural heritage sector, the territory relies on the Nature Protection Service (SEPRONA) as the public safety body of the Government of the Spanish State.This includes 12 agents in the territory specifically dedicated to the conservation of nature and the environment, hydraulic resources and hunting, fishing and forest abundance. In addition,there are 29 Environmental Agents of the Regional Government of Andalusia whose mission is to protect and monitor natural and environmental heritage. Finally, at local government level, there are 6 municipal environmental technicians with the mission of achieving the sustainable development of the municipalities of

the proposed Geopark and a suitable quality of life for their citizens. With regard to cultural heritage, the activities in the field of conservation and appreciation of Andalusian historical heritage correspond to the General Directorate of Cultural Assets and Museums of the Regional Government. This body helps promote activities in the heritage of the territory with special attention to protection measures involving the assets listed in the General Catalogue of Andalusian Historical Heritage. Finally, the Andalusian Network of Cultural Spaces (RECA) integrates the management of the enclaves of Castellón Alto, the Tútugi Iberian Necropolis and the Arab Baths of Baza. Furthermore, the collaboration between the Central, Regional and Local Governments makes possible the implementation of annual maintenance and conservation measures for the heritage included in the territory of the proposed Geopark. These activities are conducted within the framework of the Programme for the Promotion of Agricultural Employment. They include activities favouring routes and trails, restoration of natural and cultural heritage, reforestation and conservation of mountains and rural paths. Between 2015 and 2016 these activities had a value of €893,648.06. In addition, the territory contains other public resources (Museums and Visitor Centres) that carry out research, conservation, dissemination and teaching. These resources conform to the Network of Exhibition Centres of the Proposed Geopark and make up part of the working group in charge of conservation and protection of heritage. (See D2.1)

QUATERNARY GEOPARK NORTHERN GRANADA VALLEYS

APPLICATION DOSSIER FOR UNESCO GLOBAL GEOPARK

Economic Activity & Business Plan

Economic activity in the proposed Geopark The economic sectors of greatest importance to the territory are agriculture and livestock farming, commercial activity and tourism. The provision of public services and the promotion of heritage and natural resources also stand out as emerging economic sectors.

allowed for the transformation of vineyards toward quality products, with the modernization of wineries and the opening of new markets. Similarly, the “Miel de Granada” Designation of Origin has been used in the management and promotion of quality products produced in the territory. (Fig. D112, D113, D114)

D1.1. Agriculture and livestock farming

The predominant livestock sector in the district is sheep, where the local Segura breed particularly stands out for being perfectly adapted to the extreme climate conditions and topography of the territory. The “Cordero Segureño” Protected Geographical Indication has regulated the quality of this product since 2013, selling more than 4,000 certified lambs per year. Livestock holdings in the district are a combination of herds of sheep and small herds of goats. (Fig. D115)

The primary sector is one of the most traditional and important sectors in the proposed Geopark. It represents one of the area’s main opportunities for socio-economic development and the establishment of new businesses and young farmers. (Fig. D111) Agricultural activity in the territory is based on rainfed crops, mainly wheat, barley, legumes, olives, almonds and grapes. In the case of olives, the “Montes de Granada” Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) has regulated the production of virgin olive oil grown in the area since ancient times. For the wine sector of the area, the “Vinos de calidad de Granada” Designation of Origin and the “Vinos de la Tierra, Norte de Granada” Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) have

Fig. D112

Fig. D114

Agribusiness is another important element in socio-economic development, as it generates added value by transforming local products for the sale of processed foods. The “Sabor Granada” brand is collaborating with the agro-food sector in order to support and promote local produce.(Fig. D116) Fig. D113

Fig. D115

Fig. D112. Vineyards in the proposed Geopark©DIPGRA. Fig. D113. Production of PDO ‘Montes de Granada’ virgin olive oil ©DIPGRA. Fig. D114. There is no doubt that the main factor which gives Granada honey or the special features which distinguish it from other honeys is the flowers in the province. ©DIPGRA. Fig. D115. The “cordero segureño” adapted to this rough area, producing a first-class meat, valued both nationwide and worldwide.©DIPGRA.

   

Service Agriculture Industry Construction

Fig.D116. Agro-food sector in proposed Geopark(2017).@ Agricultural ,Fisheries and Local Development Council of Andalucia.

 Vegetable oils and fats industries.  Aquaculture, seafood and fishing.  Food preparations, condiments, spices  Oenological, alcohols and alcoholic beverages.  Eggs and egg products  Meat industries  Sugar, honey and wax industries  Canned vegetables  Industries of fresh fruits and vegetables  Handling and conservation industries  Mill industries, flours and derivatives  Fruit and vegetable juices, waters, and agrifood drinks  Bread industries  Forest industries  Dairy industries  Feed, grains and seeds.

D1.2. Commercial activity Trade is the predominant activity in the area, representing a diversified economy where the proximity of producers and consumers improves the environment, health and social relationships among the local inhabitants. Moreover, a high percentage of businesses are located in the urban centres of the proposed Geopark, directly contributing to the conservation and maintenance of local business activity. Ceramics are the most widespread artisanal product, representing a long tradition dating back to pre-history. The abundance of clay in the territory

favours the practice of this activity and allows for unique pottery with local forms such as the accitana jar. The production of goods made from esparto grass comes from use of the local vegetation. Other typical artisanal products of the territory are artistic ironwork and chairs made from the typha plant. There are numerous artisanal bakeries in the area, some of them with certificates of ecological production and wood-fired ovens used to produce baked goods and sweets whose origins date back to the Moorish inheritance of this area of Andalusia.

QUATERNARY GEOPARK NORTHERN GRANADA VALLEYS

Similarly, the production and sale of local products like traditional cured meats, wines, cheeses and oils represent an important part of the local economy.

D1.3. Tourism The uniqueness of the proposed territory has a great touristic potential that the Quaternary Geopark Northern Granada Valleys project is using to attract cultural and nature tourism. The average number of visitors per year between 2011 and 2016 was more than 170,000. This included people attracted mainly by the archaeological and palaeontological resources, nature, landscape and cultural heritage of the different civilizations that have populated the territory.

According to data obtained from the Province of Granada Tourism Observatory, 220,000 tourists visited the area in 2016, representing a 16% increase in the number of visits over the year before. This fact attests to the importance that the promotion activities have had on the framework of the proposed Geopark project application. The tourist profile is fundamentally families (41%) with an age range of 30-44 (36.5%), mainly coming from other parts of Spain (65%) and the region of Andalusia (31%). The main reason for travelling is for a cultural visit (42.9%). The elements most valued by visitors are peacefulness, hospitality and environmental conservation.

APPLICATION DOSSIER FOR UNESCO GLOBAL GEOPARK

Gorafe Megalithic Park (Gorafe) This area concentrates more than 240 Neolithic dolmens scattered over 10 necropolises, making it one of the largest concentrations of prehistoric burial mounds in Europe. The Gorafe Megalithic Park was created in 1998 in order to protect and promote them. It includes the Megalith Visitor Centre and the Star Park (certified by the Starlight Foundation), where astronomical observation activities are conducted. Visitors can also go trekking and cycling in nearby areas. Its privileged location makes it a mirador, or viewpoint, overlooking the vast, spectacular badlands of clay and sand of reddish and pinkish tones. It plays an important role in geoeducation in the territory, especially through the guided tours for schools.

Baza Municipal Archaeological Museum (Baza) The Baza Museum is located in the heart of the city’s historical centre, declared an Asset of Cultural Interest in 2003, in the area of what was the Muslim city of Baza. It occupies two adjoining historical buildings from the 16th century. The museum has eight permanent exhibition rooms distributed over more than 1,000 m2 of usable floorspace. The visitor can take a complete tour through the history and archaeology of Baza and its district from prehistory to the Modern Age, observing Iberian culture, the Roman world, Visigoths and the Middle Ages. In addition to these rooms, the museum has two spaces for temporary exhibitions in the courtyard and upper gallery of the Alhóndiga (old grain exchange). Once a year, the Lady of Baza Week is held, showcasing cultural and leisure activities.

Existing and planned facilities for the proposed Geopark

GEOEDUCATION

RESEARCH TEACHING

GEOTOURISM ECOTOURISM GEOCONSERVATION

CULTURAL TOURISM

D2.1. Existing facilities and equipment Tourist Information Offices The territory has 6 Tourist Information Offices offering information about touristic attractions in the territory as well as cultural, scientific and educational activities conducted in the proposed Geopark. They also offer general information about existing services and facilities for tourism (accommodation, hospitality, communications, landmarks, etc.).

Museums and Visitor Centres Valle del Río Fardes Palaeontological Station (Fonelas) An exceptional facility belonging to the Geological and Mining Institute of Spain, it conducts research, dissemination and specialised teaching in the field in parallel. Since beginning its research in 2001, more than 3,000 fossilised bones representing 38 animal species, including 24 large mammals, have been found. It is one of the few facilities of its kind to allow the in situ study and observation of the paleontological remains found. The excellent conditions for observing the landscape from the station allow for broadening the educational content and showing the evolution of the geology and landscape of the territory. There are an intense daily activity with visits of schoolchildren, scientific community and groups of visitors.

Castellón Alto Archaeological Site (Galera) The town of Castellón Alto is shaped by the El Argar culture, in a late period of the Bronze Age (1900-1600 BC), where between eighty and one hundred people might have lived. Today, it is partially rebuilt and tours allow visitors to discover what daily life was like in an agrarian town in 3,500 BC. The Castellón Alto Archaeological Site is integrated into the Andalusian Network of Cultural Spaces (RECA).

Josep Gibert First Settlers of Europe Visitor Centre (Orce) Created in 1985, it houses a complete collection of pieces from the Sites of Geological Interest found in the municipality. (Venta Micena, Barranco León and Fuente Nueva). These sites, which provide fossils to the museum, expose these archaeological and palaeontological treasures which are admired and valued by specialists all over the world. There are guided tours for tourists and school groups, as well as general scientific dissemination activities (“Science in Your Town”)

Castilléjar Visitor Reception Centre and Eco-Museum (Castillejar) A space dedicated to the promotion and interpretation of the trades and customs of the characteristic and particular ecosystem of the proposed geopark. The Castilléjar Eco-Museum showcases the interaction between nature and human beings, illustrating their evolutionary history and traditional ways of using the land, in order to preserve its ecodiversity. Its activities are focused on preservation, dissemination and recovery of the environment and a lifestyle tied to the land that is characteristic of northern Granada. Visits to the exhibitions, guided tours, training, workshops and seminars adapted to groups and visitors are conducted.

QUATERNARY GEOPARK NORTHERN GRANADA VALLEYS

Galera Archaeological Museum (Galera) The Museum of Galera offers an archaeological tour stretching from the Copper Age to our most recent past. The well-known partially mummified remains of grave number 121 at the Castellón Alto Archaeological Site (“the Galera Mummy”) are exhibited in the first room. They are oldest and best preserved prehistorical human remains after Ötzi, the 5,000 year old mummy discovered frozen in the Alps in 1991.It also boasts an ethnographic room where there is a tour of centuries-old winemaking techniques, esparto grass and hemp goods and traditional housing. There are also reproductions of pieces of ceramic pottery found in the archaeological sites of the area available for sale.

Archaeological Sites Visitor Centre- CIYA (Baza) Forming part of the Cerro Cepero archaeological complex, it is the location of the Ibero-Roman city of Basti and the necropolises of Cerro Santuario, where the Lady of Baza statue was found in 1971, and Cerro Largo. The ASVC, in its more than seven hundred square meters of exhibition area, boasts the most upto-date audiovisual technologies for museology services, offering the visitor a magnificent approach to understanding the social, cultural, economic and religious processes of the successive cultures that settled in Basti and its surrounding area.

Almagruz Troglodytic Habitat (Guadix) A complex of human habitats ranging from prehistoric settlements to contemporary cave-house dwellings. Additionally, it has a visitor centre where educational activities and projects are conducted for school children from the area.

Caves Visitor Centre (Guadix) This resource offers visitors an in-depth look at the origins of troglodytism in the world, focusing the exhibition content on the different cave neighbourhoods of Guadix and the district, with its unique characteristics.

Castril Castle (Castril). Although the rocky outcrop on which the castle is perched has remains of an earlier occupation dating from the pre-Islamic period, the best examples of occupation date from the 11th century, mainly from the Nasrid period after the Christian Reconquista. The remains of the castle reveal a rectangular floor with towers, wells and walls that formed part of a defensive system that extended to other parts of the crag. High atop the rock is the “Christ of the Sacred Heart” statue, rebuilt after it was severely damaged by lightning a few years ago.The castle remains can be visited through the tourist office next to the church. Castril’s historical quarter also deserves special mention since it has been declared a “Site of Historical Interest” and is a wonderful place to enjoy a quiet stroll and discover each and every corner of the old town. Information about the Geopark project can be obtained at all of them. In addition to the facilities and equipment described, the territory has a wide range of the additional infrastructure that complement this varied offering to tourists. (Recreational Areas, Sports Centres, Mudéjar Churches, Castles, Historic National Monuments, Monasteries, Wineries, Arab Baths and Natural Thermal Resources). (See Annex 4) Main offices of Geopark and training centres

Tutugi Necropolis (Galera) Together with the Cerro del Real site, it forms part of the Ibero-Roman city of Tútugi. The necropolis has been known at the archaeological level since 1920. The tumular complex of Tútugi, probably one of the largest of the Iberian world, contains more than one hundred tombs, varied as much in the their building structure as in the quality of their dowries. It was here that the famous alabaster statuette of a divinity known as the Lady of Galera appeared. Near the city of Tútugi and its necropolis are a number of small sanctuaries where some type of ritual was performed. Visits for students, the scientific community and groups of visitors are conducted daily.

APPLICATION DOSSIER FOR UNESCO GLOBAL GEOPARK

1 Offices of the District of Guadix Rural Development Group (Guadix) A non-profit association managing initiatives aimed at supporting entrepreneurs and creating and improving small public infrastructure. It also encourages all projects that promote natural and cultural heritage by creating employment, wealth or improvement to the quality of life in the district of Guadix and contributing to equality of opportunity between men and women. 2 Offices of the Altiplano de Granada Rural Development Group (Baza and Huéscar) A non-profit association aiming to serve as a nucleus of convergence and representation for all the institutions, organizations and interested parties, public and private, interested in the comprehensive development of the municipalities composing the area of action. All of these locations have offices, classrooms and spaces for events, seminars and training activities.

1 International School of Rural Tourism (Enturna) A centre of generation and knowledge in the field of rural and nature tourism, contributing to the training of businessmen and women, entrepreneurs, workers, students and the population of the territory. 2 Teacher Training Centres (Guadix and Baza) Centres for the ongoing training of teachers of the Andalusian education system with the pedagogical and managerial autonomy needed to adapt teaching to the latest educational needs of students. Training activities for teachers of the educational programme of the proposed Geopark are carried out at their facilities. 25 Guadalinfo centres spread throughout the territory. Spaces belonging to the social innovation network of Andalusia dependent on the regional government. They conduct activities related to training in digital competencies and promote collective initiatives of social revitalisation, community awareness and promotion of the environment. They are engaged in employability, digital literacy, promoting innovative culture, citizen participation, improving quality of life, entrepreneurship, business digitization and electronic administration. 6 Andalusian Centres for Enterprise (Baza, Guadix, Huéscar, Benalúa and Cuevas del Campo) Public foundation attached to the Ministry for the Economy and Knowledge of the Regional Government of Andalusia. It develops free services for promoting and supporting the creation and consolidation of businesses and employment in the territory.

QUATERNARY GEOPARK NORTHERN GRANADA VALLEYS

APPLICATION DOSSIER FOR UNESCO GLOBAL GEOPARK

Fig.D222. The proposed Geopark has spectacular viewpoints overlooking the surrounding landscape territory @Alberto Tauste Fig.D223. Characteristic landscape of the territory formed by cave houses @GDR Guadix

Geopark Miradors Network Currently composed of the following spaces: Mirador del Negratín (Cuevas del Campo), Mirador del Jabalcón (Zújar), Mirador Cuevas de los Amos (Castillejar), Mirador del Llano de Olivares, Megalithic Park (Gorafe), Mirador of the Megalith Visitor Centre (Gorafe), Mirador del Balneario de Alicún (Villanueva de las Torres), Miradors of the Route of Mencal (Pedro Martínez), Mirador de Benalúa. (Fig.222)

Fig.D224. Astronomical observation from the viewpoint "Peñon de la Era" (Alamedilla) @Azimuth Spain

ANALYSIS OF GEO-TOURISM POTENTIAL OF THE PROPOSED GEOPARK.

D2.2. Planned facilities and equipment The proposed Geopark plans to expand the Miradors Network, whether through informative signage

 Family and Friend  Regular visitors  Travel Agencies  Facebook  Others social networks  Advertising  Radio, Press, TV

D3.1. Profile of current tourism of the proposed Geopark Initial indicators for measuring the return of the activities of the Quaternary Geopark project were established through data from the Province of Granada Tourism Observatory (Tourism Board). (Fig. D311)

Accommodation The proposed Geopark has a total of 3,800 tourist accommodation locations divided into the categories Hotels, Hostels, Inns, Apartments, Campsites and Rural Accommodation. (Fig.D223) Among the different tourist accommodations, the cave-houses stand out as habitats inextricably linked to the geological nature of the territory. Cave-houses represent important cultural, ethnological, artistic, social and topographical values, unique to this territory. Cave-houses have become one of the biggest tourist attractions in the proposed area. Built depending on the shape and size of the excavated terrain, they represent a unique bioclimatic living space. The territory currently has 1,000 touristic cave-house accommodations. Additionally, these unique and distinctive spaces are used for activities such as visitor centres, restaurants, wineries, equestrian centres and artisan workshops.

Information channels

Overnight stays

D3.2. Ecotourism today at existing sites in the territory, or through the creation of new spaces for the dissemination and promotion of geological heritage. Similarly, it also plans to develop small, public infrastructure intended for particular uses: trails, road itineraries, mountain biking, horseback riding, etc. Network of Astronomical/Scientific Viewpoints. The proposed geopark plans to develop a network of astronomical observation points that locally interrelate different heritage, nature and immaterial resources through scientific and astronomical interpretation. First, a map has been produced to identify the optimal points for astronomical observation in the territory, with criteria focused on quality of the local night sky and conditions of accessibility, linking it to the sites of geological interest. (Fig.D224)

 Proposed Geopark  Other places

Top reason for travel

While conventional tourism has grown by 7.5% in the last five years, ecotourism has increased by 20% and represents 5% of tourism worldwide. (Source: OMT, 2010). Ecotourism is becoming an increasingly popular type and a great alternative to mass tourism. In Spain, the number of travellers classified as rural tourists is growing considerably. Profile of the Ecotourist The profile of ecotourists has evolved over time. Today, they are not only characterised by their specific scientific background in some area, but also by more generic tourist profiles of those who wish for memorable experiences and are characterised by: • Interest in being in direct contact with nature. • Interest in learning about different ways of understanding and living life (search for cultural exchange). • A readiness to learn: Always active and dynamic.

   

Reservation and purchase system

Rural tourism Cultural tourism Leisure tourism Ecotourism

Average expenditure for person

    

Specialized websites Online travel agencies Generalist search engines Others/Internet Others/No Internet

60 50 40 30 20 10 0

Accommodation

Food

Monuments Guided Tours Aventure Activities

Fig.D311. Tourism Statistics @Provincial Council of Tourism

QUATERNARY GEOPARK NORTHERN GRANADA VALLEYS

• Having a high-level of studies and some previous knowledge of the destination, the resource to visit and the possible activities to take part in. • Interest in sport and well-being. • Preference for direct contact with people and establishing friendships. • Preference for personalised service and quality. • Willingness to collaborate on sustainable waste management initiatives, reduction of water and energy consumption and any other efforts to decrease negative impact. Potential Source Markets According to data from the “2014 Comprehensive Plan for Rural Tourism” (Tourism Institute of Spain), the preference for ecotourism in Europe is especially focused in Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Belgium, France, Great Britain, Austria and Switzerland. On the other hand, the United States and China represent the strongest source markets of nature tourism. Analysis of Ecotourism Trends • “Device in hand”. Modern lifestyles make necessary the incorporation of new channels of promotion and marketing that improve the experience of

users and the productivity of supplier companies. • Search for tourism excellence. The search for excellence in tourism, understood as value for the traveller. It involves trying to determine unsatisfied needs through research and market analysis and making appropriate decisions to improve and meet the expectations of visitors. • Commitment to marketing. In tourism, the marketing of content has become a fundamental pillar and is an effective tool with great potential. • Links to education. Ecotourism is becoming a key educational component capable of transmitting environmental, cultural and social values and encouraging cultural immersion, an increasingly popular activity among tourists. • Event promotion. The promotion of destinations through events is becoming more and more common in different areas. There is great potential for events related to the characteristics of the territory to attract ecotourism, both for businesses and for the destination. • Commitment to the green economy. The green economy represents one of the sectors with the most promising future for generating sustainable employment and wealth among the most vulnerable groups.

Analysis of good practices in ecotourism and geotourism LINKED TO GEOLOGICAL HERITAGE LINKED TO ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND PALAEONTOLOGICAL HERITAGE

LINKED TO TOURISM:

COMMUNICATION

• • • • •

Regular guided tours with geologists Temporary exhibitions Informative seminars Training courses (training for guides) Research grants

• • • •

• Exhibitions • Cultural tours • Guided routes • • • • • • • • • •

Environmental education Educational itineraries Distinguished visitors: geologists, influencers Informative touchscreen panels at certain points

• Fossil visits • Popular tradition experiences

Bicycle tourism Water activities Relaxation activities Bird-watching routes Tours indicating the geological significance of the area GPS trails Information provided in different languages Regular dissemination in the media Specific web pages for students Labels for associated companies

• • • • • • • •

Grants for innovation Recreational areas Astronomical observation Agritourism Tourism product club Organisation of conferences on tourism Glamping Informative panels with computer graphics and different comprehension levels, possibility of downloading more through BIDI • Use of iconography

APPLICATION DOSSIER FOR UNESCO GLOBAL GEOPARK

The expected results of the analysis of the possibilities for ecotourism in the proposed Geopark are: • Implementation of a territorial strategy for sustainable and lasting socio-economic development. • A 20% to 30% increase in visitors over a 4 year period. • Touristic and scientific international positioning. • Boosting the permanence and creation of local businesses • Improving the settlement of the local population in the territory • Supporting the growth of key economic sectors in the area: hospitality, local trade, agriculture, livestock farming. • Respecting traditional resources and landscapes of the territory.

OVERVIEW AND POLICIES FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

D4.1. Geotourism and economy Since 1996, different Rural Development Programmes financed by the EU and the Regional Government of Andalusia have been developed in the proposed geopark. They are designed within the framework of the policies of the European Union for Rural Development as part of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). (See section A 4.1) Through the LEADER method, based on participatory local development, these programmes have taken steps directed at the appreciation of natural and cultural heritage. They have also worked to support entrepreneurs, create and improve small public infrastructure and promote projects that create employment, wealth or improvement to the quality of life of local inhabitants by promoting equality of opportunity between men and women.

Starting in 2009, the inter-territorial and transnational cooperation projects in the framework of the national rural network have been added to the programme above. They are financed by the Spanish State and led by the Local Action Groups. The aim of these projects is to contribute to economic diversification, modernisation, and improvement of quality of life as well as to the multi-functionality of the rural environment within the framework of sustainable development. In the period between 2010 and 2013 the joint cooperation action “Geodiversity: A Solution for Sustainable Rural Development (2007-2013)” was developed. It included interesting products for geotourism like the “Guadix and Baza Basin Geotourism Itinerary”. (Fig. D411, D412,D413, D414). The Rural Development Programme (RDP) is currently being developed for the 2014-2020 period. The established priorities are focused on increasing the competitiveness, viability and sustainability of the local economy with the participation of women and young people in activities in rural areas. It also aims to boost local commerce, public services and activities related to the green economy. In this regard, the Rural Development Groups of the districts of Baza, Guadix, Huéscar and Montes are the drivers of RDP actions in the green economy sector: agro-ecology, bio- and circular-economy, cultural tourism and ecotourism. Additionally, since 2008 the Regional Government has been implementing the General Plan for Sustainable Tourism in Andalusia, protected by law 13/2011. In it, the promotion of sustainable tourism as a strategic sector in the regional economy is expressly established. The Plan has been summarised in the proposed territory in the Granada Troglodytic Highland Landscapes Sustainable Tourism Initiative (STI), which has developed guides and routes of archaeological and paleontological heritage in the territory.

D3.3. Strengths and opportunities for ecotourism in the proposed Geopark. STRENGTHS

OPPORTUNITIES

• Great variety of high value and quality tourism resources • Geological, palaeontological, archaeological and topographical diversity and wealth • Extraordinary types of accommodation linked to the territory and sustainability: cave-houses • Enclaves of an international geological level • Increasing development in tourism, including residential. • Retirement destination • Spread of cave-houses • Creation and consolidation of heritage-related tourism products • There is an emerging worldwide ecological, rural and cultural tourism market

• Ethnographic heritage • Communication: area of transportation for Andalusia/ Levant. • Wide range of rural accommodation • Heritage is beginning to appear in the media • Cultural and monumental wealth • Large number of professionals and university students from the territory that could return and stay • Increase in accommodations for young people: hostels, campsites, etc. • Offer of quality gastronomy linked to local produce • Natural and cultural heritage allows for the emergence of more active tourism businesses

Fig.D411. Geortourism Seminar held in 2006 with the participation of Mr. Nikolas Zouros

QUATERNARY GEOPARK NORTHERN GRANADA VALLEYS

APPLICATION DOSSIER FOR UNESCO GLOBAL GEOPARK

D4.2. Geo-education Backed by the UNESCO Heritage Plan of the Provincial Council of Granada (the Flamenco and Territory Programme, the Campaign for Promotion of the Territory) and the Action Plan of the Granada Tourist Board (courses for nature, language, trekking and marketing guides), the number of activities favouring geotourism has increased since 2015. The planned investments in road materials laid out in the Road Plan of the Delegation of Public Works and Housing of the Provincial Council of Granada are currently being finalised. (Fig. D415, D416, D417, D418).

Periodic geo-education activities have been taking part in the territory proposed for the Geopark since the late 90s. In this regard, it is important to point out the celebration of international conferences on human palaeontology as well as the periodic visits of university students to the resources of the territory. Similarly, the “Know Your Region and Discover Your Past” programme (2003/2006), aimed at students from the area, has developed educational material adapted to the formative needs of primary education. It has been included in school curriculum by local teachers. (Fig.D421)

Fig. D413

Fig. D421

In the proposed Geopark there are 116 public schools that provide education to boys and girls up to 16 years old. Additionally, there are three schools offering mid-level and higher education. There are also 2 Schools of Music, 1 School of Arts and Crafts and 1 Official Language School. The “Quaternary Geopark Northern Granada Valleys Educational Programme” conducts educational activities focused on the geological values of the territory, biodiversity and natural heritage for school teachers. Teachers and students visit the geological and natural resources of the territory every year as part of the annual school calendar.

Fig. D414 Fig. D415

Fig. D422

From a scientific point of view, the summer course “Palaeontology of the Quaternary Period in the Guadix Basin”, organised by the University of Granada Mediterranean Centre, currently in its fourth edition, particularly stands out. The course is eminently practical regarding basic aspects of geology and the palaeontology of vertebrates of the Quaternary Period. It also allows for discovering first hand some of the most important landscapes and places of geological interest of the Geopark project.The field training activities are conducted at the Valle del Río Fardes Palaeontological Station (VRFPS) of the Geological and Mining Institute of Spain (IGME).

Fig. D417

Fig. D416 Fig.D411. Geortourism Seminar held in 2006 with the participation of Mr. Nikolas Zouros Fig.D412.Development teacher guide “Conoce tu comarca y descubre tu pasado”©GDR Guadix Fig.D413. Geo trails in the proposed Geopark©Rafael Toledo Fig.D414. Cycling routes©TECOS Guadix

(Fig.D423, D424)

Fig. D423

Fig.D416. There is a local company that does balloon flights in the proposed Geopark

Fig.D417. Cultural activities in geological sites.©Ayto. Guadix Fig.D418. Training courses for entrepreneurs of the territory©Dipgra

Since 2016, there has been an annual training programme designed by the Educational Working Group composed of the Directors of the Teacher Training Centres, Rural Development Groups and the Provincial Council of Granada, along with the supervision of the Scientific and Geological Committee of the Geopark. The aim of the training is to develop teaching units that incorporate the geological and natural resources of the territory into the educational content of the students. (Fig.D422)

Fig. D418

In addition to these activities, geo-education activities are conducted periodically through collaboration between town halls, exhibition centres of the

QUATERNARY GEOPARK NORTHERN GRANADA VALLEYS

Among the work conducted, the creation of the Andalusian Inventory of Georesources particularly stands out for its size and importance. It is the result of extensive investigative, diagnostic and collection work of Andalusian geological heritage. The Inventory currently identifies, catalogues and evaluates 662 locations of scientific, educational and touristic interest. 31 places of geological interest at the proposed Geopark have been identified and evaluated by the Andalusian Geodiversity Service. Similarly, the Geological and Mining Institute of Spain (IGME) along with the Geological Society of Spain have been the bodies in charge of developing the Global Geosites project in Spain. It reflects the strategies for the protection of international geodiversity. The project contributes to the creation of an inventory of the elements that make up the Geological Heritage of the World. There are currently 215 elements inventoried on the list, 10 of which make up part of the proposed geopark.

territory, cultural associations and schools. Some examples include: The Astrotourism Star Party Day (Gorafe), Lady of Baza Week (Baza), Encounters with Your Heritage (Huéscar and Galera), and the “Integral de los Valles del Norte de Granada” mountain bike georoute. (Fig.D425) (See annex 12)

In addition, this body, which is dependent upon the Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness has acquired the 25-acre estate where the Valle del Río Fardes Palaeontological Station is located. It contains the Fonelas P-1 site and its geological context. The aim of this institution is to preserve natural values and protect this unique palaeontological heritage for scientific and cultural use.

D4.3. Geo-heritage For more than a decade the Regional Government of Andalusia has been undertaking a set of initiatives whose general objective is to inventory, evaluate, protect and manage the geodiversity and geological heritage of Andalusia. These initiatives are meant as another asset of natural heritage and also acquire a notable dimension as a resource in sustainable development strategies in the rural Andalusian environment. In 2010, the Andalusian Strategy for Comprehensive Geodiversity Management was implemented, making Andalusia the first region in Spain to have a roadmap aimed at the conservation and sustainable use of this exceptional natural heritage. The Strategy provides a framework of reference aimed at ensuring the conservation of geodiversity through the implementation of a specific programme of measures meant for this purpose. In also includes the establishment of coordination and cooperation mechanisms between the actors involved in some way in its management. Furthermore, it aims to promote the role of geological heritage as a socio-economic asset for the sustainable development of the territory.

POLICIES FOR, AND EXAMPLES OF, COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT (INVOLVEMENT AND CONSULTATION) IN THE PROPOSED GEOPARK The actions taken to encourage participation and interest are set out in the Plan for Participation of the Quaternary Geopark Northern Granada Valleys project. The aim is to involve all of the regional players and to achieve the active participation of the population of the territory where the geopark is located. This applies to the candidacy process as well as the sustaining of a future management structure, once it has been declared a Global Geopark. Analysis meetings for the viability of the project. Since the creation of the UNESCO Global Geoparks in 2015, the following meetings have been organised to analyse all the technical aspects for the effective progression of the candidacy process (candidature procedure, legal competence framework, comparative data at the national and international level, the driving idea of the project, self-assessment form of the candidature. territorial and political analysis and structure of local participation): • Work meetings with the Rural Development Groups and the collaborating scientific body: Geological and Mining Institute of Spain (IGME), to assess the involvement and participation of the territory in the project. • Work meeting with the president of the Spanish National Geopark Committee, for consultation regarding the technical aspects of the candidacy process. • Work meeting with the Manager and Scientific Director of the Molina de Aragón-Alto Tajo Geopark, to establish best practices in the development of UNESCO candidacy procedures. Once the viability of the project at the technical and operational level was verified, the following participatory and public consulting actions were taken:

APPLICATION DOSSIER FOR UNESCO GLOBAL GEOPARK

• Introductory meeting of the Quaternary Geopark project. Institutional event presided over by the Delegation of the Regional Government and the Provincial Council of Granada with the participation of the mayors and municipal technical teams of the territory involved in the project. The aim of the meeting was to gather the opinions and proposals of the political and technical representatives of the territory regarding the project, as well as to promote strategies for cooperation among the participating bodies. • Meetings with the Employers’ Association to establish lines of work and collaboration between entities for the development of the project. .(Fig.D51) • Visit to study the Villuercas Ibores Jara Geopark, of a delegation of 14 territorial representatives of the proposed Geopark, including mayors and businesspeople from the area. (Fig.D52)

Fig.D53. Seminars for the presentation of the delineation and geological proposal of the project in the territory. ©Dipgra

• “Cuaternary Geopark Northern Granada Valleys. Geoparks and Geodiversity and Sustainable Development” seminars, for the presentation of the delineation and geological proposal of the project in the territory. (Fig.D53) • Exchange of Experiences Round Tables with the directors of other Geoparks in Spain. (Villuercas, Costa Vasca and Molina Alto Tajo). • Meetings with the Guadalinfo Centres of the territory for participation and design of activities related to communication and involvement of citizens. • Meetings with the Heads of the Teaching School of the territory for the planning and participation of activities with the educational community of the territory. Similarly, a legal procedure for public information about the project has also been established so that any person or legal entity can observe the project and present the contributions and observations they consider appropriate. (Official Gazette of the Province of Granada dated 27 March 2017). The Participation Plan of the North Granada Valleys Quaternary Geopark project is manifested in the Organization and Structure of Management. This structure represents a methodology for cooperation and participation with all the stakeholders in the local population, reflected in the composition of the Working Groups: Scientific, Institutional and Socio-economic. (See A4) The degree of participation in the proposed Geopark is high, consistent and suitable for the procedures of UNESCO candidacy. The methodology implemented is a strategy of cooperation and participation among all the public institutions, economic stakeholders, scientific bodies and citizens who have actively participated in the demarcation of the future Geopark as well as in the design and development of the

QUATERNARY GEOPARK NORTHERN GRANADA VALLEYS

activities conducted. In this way, some of the results that attest to the proper implementation of the Participation Plan are summarised: • 16 participatory work meetings between institutional bodies (local, regional, national and international) • 30 technicians and territorial managers of various bodies working together on the project. • 34 town councils institutionally support the project, representing a population of 100,000 inhabitants • 900 attendees to the dissemination seminars of the proposed geopark in 2017. • 155,000 people reached in the presentation campaign of the Quaternary Geopark project promotional video. • Support of the Spanish State and the National Committee of Geology of Spain.

POLICIES FOR, AND EXAMPLES OF, PUBLIC AND STAKEHOLDER AWARENESS IN THE PROPOSED GEOPARK Activities held during the “First Quaternary Geopark Project’s Activity Week” showcased the landscapes, resources, culture and places of interest that this area possesses. It enjoyed the participation of more than 650 attendees. Musical performances in natural settings have taken place as part of the Flamenco and Territory programme. Moreover, there have been guided tours to the geological resources of the territory, designed and led by the geologist of the Geopark and the Scientific Working Group. (Fig.D61) One activity of great impact has been the Astronomical Observations, conducted at the miradors of the proposed Geopark. The aim is to raise awareness about the quality of the night sky and the need for light protection policies. Finally, awareness activities with key

stakeholders in the territory have been developed that have been able to uncover the most important geological resources and analyse their level of protection and the measures that will be necessary to implement in order to improve their geoconservation. (Fig.D62) The Communication Plan of the project has been implemented to create awareness of the initiative and encourage the involvement of civil society as well as civic, business and cultural associations, and trade and tourism networks in the candidacy of the North Granada Valleys Quaternary Geopark. To this end, a dissemination campaign has been designed with participatory activities in international events (Talking About Twitter Granada), promotion and dissemination in written press and relevant presence in social networks (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram). The impact of the video of the proposed Geopark in promoting the geological, cultural and natural values of the territory particularly stands out. It was shown at the Province of Granada Trade Show. A campaign with the slogan “I support the Geopark project” has been developed to encourage the support of businesses and financial institutions. It seeks to increase the dissemination, knowledge and awareness of geological, palaeontological and cultural heritage as an element of identity and a resource for sustainable socio-economic development. The Geopark project was presented to other European countries at the 14th European Geoparks Conference held in the Azores (Portugal) from 7-9 September 2017. Similarly, in the area of geotourism, the project was presented at the Second National Ecotourism Congress (November 2017), a national reference for trends and innovations pertaining to national and international tourism. (Fig.D63)

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Interest and Arguments for Becoming a UNESCO GLOBAL GEOPARK

INTEREST AND ARGUMENTS FOR BECOMING A UNESCO GLOBAL GEOPARK The Quaternary Geopark Northern Granada Valleys project has been established in a territory whose first records of scientific research in relation to its Geology/Geomorphology date back to the first half of the 17th century. An intense and productive stage of research within the territory began in the 1970s. This stage was bolstered by the discovery of some macrovertebrate fossil sites which, taken together, cover the whole Early Pleistocene, and also the first detailed stratigraphic works which revealed a continental Plio-Quaternary sequence that is unique in the European continent in terms of thickness, continuity and extension. During the 1980s and 1990s, research and conservation in the territory focused on palaeontological studies, backed up by regional stratigraphic and sedimentological studies. This research has continued intensively up to the present day, demonstrating that the territory proposed as a Geopark is home to the most extensive assemblage of fossils of Quaternary continental vertebrates in Europe, and is also one of the most complete from a chronological perspective. The level of knowledge attained in the first decade of the 21st century, and the possibility of combining and relating the palaeontological, geological and geomorphological singularities of the territory in relation to the Quaternary Period, has aroused the enthusiasm and expectations of all its inhabitants, creating a territorial unit based on geology and geological heritage that will mark a turning point for the north of the province of Granada. This territory has been working for a long time to demonstrate that it is worthy of gaining international recognition for the value of its geological heritage, among other aspects. It has also been demonstrating, in coordinated and joint action between public institutions and companies, the ability to design sustainable economic growth that respects the heritage and

Fig.D63. Presentation of QGNGV candidacy at the Annual Meeting of the European Network of Geoparks (Azores, Portugal) ©Dipgra

the identity of our land. Growth based on attracting the interest of high-quality tourism, capable of appreciating the exceptional value of this region. Growth that enables the development of small companies and the creation of employment in local municipalities, and which improves the competitiveness of our exceptional products. All planned and developed with a work philosophy that we believe to be the only one that is valid and effective in order to achieve our goal of sustainable development. A work philosophy from the territory and for the territory. What the project for the Quaternary Geopark Northern Granada Valleys contributes, for the first time and in an integral form, is a geological context and natural landscape directly related to the geological and palaeobiological processes, agents and results that occurred in the European continent during the Quaternary period. The three fundamental pillars of the geology of the geopark territory are Stratigraphy/ Historic Geology, Palaeontology and Geomorphology. This project, given its theme, complements the other geoparks already in existence in Spain as it records and preserves an exceptional Quaternary, a very singular Neogene and Palaeogene and a Mesozoic seldom observed in the Iberian Peninsula, related to the rifting that occurred during this period of time. All of this is accessible and observable thanks to the Quaternary form recently produced in the North Granada Valleys over the last half a million years. The set of geoparks already established in Spain have records and propose geoconservation strategies mainly related to singular elements of the Palaeozoic, Mesozoic and/or Cenozoic record. In this respect, the Quaternary Geopark Northern Granada Valleys project is the first to be structured and developed within the realm of the history of Earth during the last two and a half million years, setting itself up as the only geopark of these characteristics, not only in Spain but within the European Network.