Abstract
Abstract. This paper presents a methodology for assessment of geomorphosites located in protected areas. The methodological process involves definition of «geomorphological value» of all sites using six criteria: 1) «scientific» and «educational value»; 2) geodiversity, 3) «ecological» and «aesthetic value»; 4) «cultural value»; 5) potential threats and protection needs; and 6) potential for use. The assessment method was implemented in Greece on various geomorphosites at different scales: landscape scale (national parks and monuments) and landform scale (Lesvos Island Geopark). For this purpose, eight representative national parks and natural monuments were classified and assessed using the proposed methodology at a large scale. The same methodology was also used to evaluate 15 distinet geomorphosites found in the coastal zone of the Lesvos Petrified Forest Geopark. Here, geomorphosites of different sizes and categories were selected, classified and assessed. In order to protect the identified geomorphosites and ensure their proper management, the Natural History Museum of the Lesvos Petrified Forest, which is the management structure of the Lesvos Geopark, proposed the development of the Western Lesvos Marine Park. This park is to include the existing coastal visiting parks and a series of geomorphosites and marine fossil Sites.
Highlights
The establishment of the first two geoparks in Greece, that is the Lesvos Petrified Forest Geopark in 2000 and the Psiloritis Geopark in Crete in 2001 (Zoueos 2004), refiects the desire within Greece to preserve the rieh geodiversity of the country
Aiming at protecting and efficiently managing the petrified forest, the Natural History Museum of the Lesvos Petrified Forest was founded in 1994. It is a non-profit Organisation involved in the research, pro¬ tection, promotion and rational utilization ofthe petri¬ fied forest and incorporates the management structure of the Lesvos Petrified Forest Geopark
The above presented geomorphosite assessment meth¬ odology was applied on these specific geomorphosites of smaller scale in order to create a new inventory for the Lesvos Geopark's coastal and marine zone and to assess the potential use of the sites
Summary
Greece with its complex geological and geomorpho¬ logical setting and evolution, the great variety in climatic conditions and the numerous islands and convoluted coastline presents a great diversity of natural scenery The abiotic diversity and the «mosaic» of micro-climatic types are reflected in the presence of a highly diverse flora and fauna and a great variety of ecosystems. The Mesogean orogenic belt along the external Hellenic are formed as a result of the Mesogean-Afri¬ can underplate moving beneath the Alpine-Eurasian plate in Miocene-Pliocene times and the exhumation of the Cretan-Southern Peloponnesus tectonic Win¬ dows. During Alpine and Mesogean orogenic proc¬ esses in Tertiary times, a southwest migration of successive compressional and extentional tectonic events took place, producing nape stacking and extensional exhumation of underplate rocks. As a consequence of this complex geological and geo¬ morphological setting and evolution, the Hellenides boasts the presence of a high geodiversity, speetacular landscapes and a large number of geomorphosites
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