On relatively small land portion approximately 1 x 1 km due to the ore excavation the biggest rubble dump was formed the size of 405 510 m3 above the village (the width 533 m, the height differs from 45 to 170m, on average 128 m). Nowadays the hill like dump is the state protected heritage. On the hillsides in angle from 15° to 30° it is hard for any vegetation to grow, the first to appear are mosses, birches and pines.

The rocks forming the dump are mainly sandstone and crystalloids. Most of the village houses were built from this material still containing 0,2% of cooper.
The rubble dump of the Ferdinand shaft (250 000 m3) creates the foundation on which the houses of the village center have been built.
The rubble dump of the Ludovica shaft (70 000 m3) consists of three sole dumps.
Apart from a small dump of the Mann-Feitlova shaft there is one more from the Karol shaft, buried under the sludge pool.

The mining watercourse a unique 36 km long system of leats, troughs and ditches carried water from the river Vah basin to the Hron river basin. Following descending contours from the Prasiva mountain through Kozi chrbat, Donovaly (Bully), Bukovec, Jelenska Skala down to Low Sturec the watercourse was delivering water to the mining machines in the villages Richtarova, Piesky, Stare Hory and Spania Dolina. Estimated of 70 - 100 liters of water per second was delivered. Nowadays some remains of rock galleries and walls or earthwork is visible here and there. Some parts of the water track serves as mountain paths of which people are seldom aware.

Forests:

originally beechen forests

Pines and spruces substituted beechen woods due to extensive logging for mining purposes. In the second half of the 19th and beginning of 20th century beech trees started to be planted back so that the original forest has returned.    

The biggest changes in the natural habitat occurred in the 16th century. The size of land taken by mining industry was close to 100 hectares.

According to historic records 40 000 logs a year were needed to support the mining galleries. More wood was consumed by smeltery in Stare Hory which used exclusively charcoal.
Large clearings made for herds of livestock also cased devastation of mmountaintops.

The first measure to stop such mistreatment was The Forest Act issued 15 May 1565 in Banska Bystrica by the King Maximilian II and later another one issued by the Empress Maria Theresa on 22nd December 1769. From then on new principles of looking after the land started to be implemented.
It comes as a paradox that mining which caused such large forests devastation was also the initiator to legislate measures for forests cultivation and protection. During the period 1816 - 1830 the faster growing spruce forest started to be planted under the supervision of Jozef Dekret Matejovie - the forestry district headmaster.
24 hectares of perished forest was planted back under his tender care in localities Na Lazarete – Suchý vrch, na Jame, Pod dlhým dielom, Červený Krámec, Krásna Hôrka, Končitý vrch, Suchý vrch a Malá Lesná. Unfortunately in the mid of the 20th century due to the new mining plant building the forest in Krasna Hora and Jama was cleared off again. 

The oldest forest in Spania Dolina parts Baranovo, Pancierovo and Dubiny is about 160 years old. It is a mixture of species Fagus silvestris, Fraxinus excelsior, Acer pseudoplatanus, Abies alba and rare Taxus baccata.
Protected Quercus petraea and Quercus cerris are 150 years old, 325 cm in perimeter and 25 m tall.
The locality Baranovo registerd as SKUEV0299 is proposed to be registered on The European natural heritage list for its Alpine type carbonate hillsides and hill washes with specific vegetation and inaccessible caves.

Very rich is fauna and flora subalpine character

Flora:

It is represented with all of the Low Tatras species for example snowdrop, dandelions, crocuses, 10 types of wild orchids, may-flowers, wild clove-gillyflowers, marguerites, harebells.
In spring only the blossom plum trees can balance the beauty of the surrounding meadows.

Ferment from Spania Dolina plums has newer failed the local distillers making the famous Spania Dolina plum brandy - Slivovica. Honey from Spania Dolina has three flavours: linden, raspberry and forest flavour (dark greenish-brown honey from fir trees when in blossom, which doesn't occur every year).

For its mountain character there is no proper agricultural land - short vegetation period, early frost. Overgrown pastures saw the last sheep in 2003. Cattle grazing stopped almost 50 years ago. To scythe the meadows doesn't pay off anymore, there in none to buy the hay, so people do it only to keep them clean

Fauna:

Beetles/Scarabs:
Carabus variolosus, Eriogaster catax, Lucanus cervus, Rosalia alpina, Maculinea nasithous, Lycaena dispar, Callimorpha quadripunctata, Bombina variegata, Rhinolophus hipposideros

Mammals:
volf (Canis lupus), fox (Vulpes vulpes), marten (Martes sp.), weasel (Mustela nivalis), badger (Meles meles), roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), deer (Cervus elaphus), wild boar (Sus scrofa), brown bear (Ursus arctos), lynx ostrovid (Lynx lynx)

Pri zotmení zo skalných štrbín vylieta: netopier veľkouchý (Myosotis bechsteini), uchaňa čierna (Barbastella barbastellus), netopier obyčajný (Myosotis myosotis)

Birds:
black stork (Cicconia nigra) great tit (Parus major), bluue tit (Parus caeruleus), forest tit (Parus palustris), brhlík lesný (Sitta europaea), mlynárka dlhochvostá (Aegithalos caudatus), blackbird (Apus apus), chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs), zelienka obyčajná (Carduelis chloris), hýľ obyčajný (Pyrrhula pyrrhula). Bežne sa vyskytuje orešnica perlavá (nucifraga caryocatactes) čo môžu dosvedčiť majitelia orecha vlašského. Nad odkaliskom často vidieť a počuť raven (Corvus frugilegus). V lete môžeme počuť alebo vidieť: cuckoo (Cuculus canorus), žltochvost záhradný (Phoenicurus phoenicurus), magpie (Pica pica), jay-bird (Garrulus glandarius), ďateľ veľký (Dendrocopos major),  long tailed owl, sulky, chochláče severské.

Amphibians:
frogs (Rana temporaria), toads (Bufo bufo), vipers (Vipera berus), salamander...