## 2 Materials and Methods
### Conservation Quality Mapping  
The high level of knowledge of the inherent factors of the physical environment--abiotic (lithology and geomorphology), biotic (vegetation), landscape, and natural heritage--allows the development of Conservation Quality Mapping (CQM). This process employs a Weighted Overlay Analysis (WOA) method, which assigns a rank to each attribute and a weight to each factor according to its relevance, based on its uniqueness in the territory. This evaluation considers characteristics such as visual perception, naturalness, and heritage rank, which are closely related to the territory's ability to absorb impacts. 1. Conservation Quality of Geomorphological Domains: the geomorphological domains map simplifies the most representative morphological elements of the territory, facilitating the interpretation and manipulation of geoinformation [46]. This simplification process of the geomorphological map allows for the generation of polygons that better define the terrain's relief characteristics. Based on these polygons, a more precise evaluation of this physical parameter can be made (Table 1). Given the importance of geomorphology in shaping the landscape, this factor is considered one of the most significant when assessing conservation quality. The highest ranks are assigned to areas with greater topographic prominence, corresponding to summits, ridges, and hills where granite landforms such as domes or inselbergs are distinguished (rank 5). Areas with less pronounced topographic contrast receive lower conservation quality ranks. In the study area, the lowest ranks correspond to coastal morphogenetic system features (e.g., beaches, dunes, and marine terraces) (rank 2). Anthropized areas receive the lowest score, as no significant landforms are identified (rank 1). 2. Conservation Quality of Lithological Domains: the geological formations of the territory are evaluated based on their perceptual relevance (e.g., relief and colour) and intrinsic characteristics (e.g., shape and resistance). These formations are scored on a scale from 1 to 4 and assigned a weight of 4 (Table 2), which is lower than the geomorphology factor due to its reduced influence on shaping the relief. The highest ranks are given to granite lithologies, which are associated with the most representative granite landforms in the study area. Additionally, the chromatic and intrinsic characteristics (e.g., greater resistance to weathering) of early granitoids justify their maximum rank (4). Conversely, poorly consolidated or unconsolidated surface formations closely linked to the coastal morphostructural system receive the lowest rank (1) due to their minimal perception. \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c} \hline \hline
**Geomorphological Domains** & **Weighting** \\ \hline Ridges, hills, inselbergs, and summits & 5 \\ Alluvial fans and slopes & 4 \\ Glacis and pediments & 3 \\ Marine terraces and surfaces & 2 \\ Dunes, beaches, marshes, and valley floors & 2 \\ Urban centres and anthropic infrastructures & 1 \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 1: Assessment of Geomorphological Domains for Conservation Quality. * [3] Vegetation Conservation Quality: vegetation is a key factor in environmental conservation (weight 5) and is closely linked to naturalness (landscape visibility), scientific significance, and environmental and socioeconomic importance. In this study, the ecological importance of each vegetation unit is derived from the Spanish Forest Map (1:50,000 scale) ([[https://www.miteco.gob.es/es/biodiversidad/servicios/banco-datos-naturaleza/informacion-disponible/mfe50.html](https://www.miteco.gob.es/es/biodiversidad/servicios/banco-datos-naturaleza/informacion-disponible/mfe50.html)]([https://www.miteco.gob.es/es/biodiversidad/servicios/banco-datos-naturaleza/informacion-disponible/mfe50.html](https://www.miteco.gob.es/es/biodiversidad/servicios/banco-datos-naturaleza/informacion-disponible/mfe50.html)), accessed on 15 March 2025).