The inventory and quantitative assessment of the most valuable occurrences of geodiversity are essential steps in any geoconservation strategy and in the establishment of priorities in site management. Despite the existence of many site inventories applied to different scales (countries, municipalities, parks, etc.), the criteria used for their selection are often unclear and poorly defined. This paper proposes a new approach to the concepts of geosite and geodiversity site and reviews the procedures used in the development of a systematic site inventory applied to different scales and values. Procedures to achieve a numerical evaluation of the value and degradation risk of sites are reviewed and new criteria are proposed. Finally, guidelines are presented, bearing in mind the preparation of effective geodiversity inventories, to support geoparks’ strategies. This paper aims to contribute to a better understanding and use of the above-mentioned concepts, which are essential for the implementation of geoconservation actions worldwide.

/pdf/inventory-and-quantitative-assessment-of-geosites-and-573384kuu6.pdf

Inventory and Quantitative Assessment of Geosites and Geodiversity Sites: a Review

Human populations and their use of land have transformed most of the terrestrial biosphere into anthropogenic biomes (anthromes), causing a variety of novel ecological patterns and processes to emerge. To assess whether human populations and their use of land have directly altered the terrestrial biosphere sufficiently to indicate that the Earth system has entered a new geological epoch, spatially explicit global estimates of human populations and their use of land were analysed across the Holocene for their potential to induce irreversible novel transformation of the terrestrial biosphere. Human alteration of the terrestrial biosphere has been significant for more than 8000 years. However, only in the past century has the majority of the terrestrial biosphere been transformed into intensively used anthromes with predominantly novel anthropogenic ecological processes. At present, even were human populations to decline substantially or use of land become far more efficient, the current global extent, duration, type and intensity of human transformation of ecosystems have already irreversibly altered the terrestrial biosphere at levels sufficient to leave an unambiguous geological record differing substantially from that of the Holocene or any prior epoch. It remains to be seen whether the anthropogenic biosphere will be sustained and continue to evolve.

Anthropogenic transformation of the terrestrial biosphere

. Over the last two decades, several methods have been developed to reduce subjectivity of geomorphosite selection through use of transparent assessment criteria. Most of these methods propose criteria such as integrity, rarity, representativeness and palaeogeographical importance for the evaluation of the «scientific value» of sites. For the assessment of their global quality, «additional values» of ecological, cultural, aesthetic and economic nature have, at times, been taken into consideration. This paper proposes a new assessment method that integrates both sets of values into the evaluation of geomorphosites. The method is described and its implementation in two different cases presented: compilation of an inventory of geomorphosites in the National Park of Adula (Ticino, Switzerland) and evaluation of the geocultural heritage of the Trient area (Valais, Switzerland).

/pdf/a-method-for-assessing-scientific-and-additional-values-of-3yoqxt59b2.pdf

A method for assessing "scientific" and "additional values" of geomorphosites

Le Parc National des Picos de Europa, situe dans la Cordillere cantabrique dans le nord de l’Espagne, est le plus ancien parc national du pays. Le paysage est caracterise par des formes glaciaires et karstiques dans un environnement de haute montagne humide, qui subit des conditions climatiques oceaniques et des changements environnementaux induits par les activites minieres et touristiques. Cette etude a pour but de developper une methode d’evaluation des geomorphosites applicable a des espaces naturels proteges a une echelle locale. Elle vise a fournir un inventaire, ainsi qu’une evaluation naturelle et culturelle orientee vers la gestion de ces geomorphosites. La methode est fondee sur l’elaboration d’une carte geomorphologique detaillee afin d’identifier les formes et les processus et de reconstituer l’evolution du paysage. A partir de la carte geomorphologique detaillee, des fiches descriptives et analytiques sont etablies pour chacun des geomorphosites selectionnes. Elles indiquent les caracteres morphologiques les plus importants tels que la morphostructure, le substratum, les formes du relief, les dynamiques observees, les elements singuliers, la gestion, les caracteristiques culturelles heritees ou actuelles, la fragilite naturelle, l’utilisation du sol et la vulnerabilite. Les fiches precisent aussi les trois criteres d’evaluation, scientifique, culturel et d’utilisation et de gestion, pris en compte. Dans cette etude, vingt-deux geomorphosites de taille et de categories differentes sont evalues. Ils sont ensuite classes et compares, puis des propositions d’utilisation potentielle et de conservation sont avancees.

Assessment of geomorphosites in natural protected areas: the Picos de Europa National Park (Spain)

Geotourism spans a range of visitor interests, from the specialist geotourist to the more general visitor. As well as supporting geoconservation outcomes, it provides economic, cultural, relational and social benefits for both visitors and host communities. The interconnections between geoheritage and the cultural components of the landscape have antecedents in concepts of landscape aesthetics in different cultures. These interconnections provide a range of opportunities for enhancing the geotourist experience and promoting geoconservation and geoeducation by means of activities that involve aesthetic and emotional experiences and interpretation through different cultural filters that encourage the rediscovery of a sense of wonder both about the geological stories in the landscape and the human interactions. A cultural ecosystem services framework provides a holistic approach for informing conservation policy, management and planning for geotourism, enabling assessment of multiple benefits and trade-offs for visitors and communities based on the values of the geoheritage assets. Geotourism studies could also benefit from integration of existing theory, conceptual analysis and practice from broader heritage and nature-based tourism and closer collaboration with relevant social sciences. Adhering to sound geoethical practice is an essential part of geotourism, which can also play a role in the promotion of geoethics among the public and professionals.

Geoheritage, Geotourism and the Cultural Landscape: Enhancing the Visitor Experience and Promoting Geoconservation

Methodological proposal for the assessment of the scientific quality of geomorphosites

Urbanization is a global phenomenon and currently more than half of the world’s population lives in urban areas. Studies on geomorphological heritage and the development of specific methods of investigation (assessment, inventories, cartography) are, however, relatively rare and limited. This paper first describes the relationships between urbanization and geomorphology. Secondly, it presents an overview of the main works on the urban geomorphological heritage. Then, the main methods of investigation are presented. Finally, we discuss the challenging issues concerning the protection and the promotion of the urban geomorphological heritage.

https://sciendo.com/pdf/10.1515/quageo-2017-0022

Urban geomorphological heritage. An overview.

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.3166/ga.21.187-202

Late Quaternary episodic displacement on a sackung scarp in the central Spanish Pyrenees. Secondary paleoseismic evidence

Geomorphosites and geological landscapes are among the most important tourist attractions of rural and mountain areas. In the past decades, especially thanks to several research and cultural projects on geological heritage, many regional and local authorities have started inventorying and publicising their landscapes and sites of geological and geomorphological interest publishing booklets, geotouristic maps and equipping their territories with explanatory panels. Nevertheless, geology and geomorphology are able to occupy the head titles of the major newspapers or make the breaking news on TV channels only when natural hazards hit the population. Making the processes that shape the morphologies at the Earth’s surface understandable to a wider public and helping people to “read” the wide variety of signs and remnants of recent or remote natural disasters might help to retain society’s memory of these phenomena and therefore minimise human and material losses. The geomorphological scars in the landscape that remind, if adequately interpreted, past natural and or human-induced disasters are ideal spots for geo-environmental education and should therefore be the subject of a scientific programme able to exploit their didactic value. This paper reports some interesting examples of such sites in Italy.

Paola Coratza

Papers

Methodological proposal for the assessment of the scientific quality of geomorphosites

Urban geomorphological heritage. An overview.

Late Quaternary episodic displacement on a sackung scarp in the central Spanish Pyrenees. Secondary paleoseismic evidence

Geomorphosites and Natural Hazards: Teaching the Importance of Geomorphology in Society

Scientific research on geomorphosites. A review of the activities of the IAG working group on geomorphosites over the last twelve years.