Abstract
This study offers a detailed assessment of the geosites and mining sites present in the Zaruma-Portovelo mining district (Ecuador) through their qualitative and quantitative assessment. It shows up the potentiality of this area taking advantage of its geological-mining heritage. The methodological process includes: (i) compilation and inventory of all the sites within the study area with particular geological or mining interest; (ii) preparation of reports and thematic cartography, (iii) assessment and classification of the elements of geological-mining interest; (iv) SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis and TOWS (Threats, Opportunities, Weaknesses, Strengths) matrix preparation seeking strategies to guarantee the viability of geotourism. A total of 16 sites of geological interest and 11 of mining interest were identified. The 77% of these sites was proved to be of high and very high interest in scientific terms. Likewise, their susceptibility to degradation assessed from their vulnerability and fragility was found to be high or very high in the 30% of the cases. As for the protection priority, all the studied sites obtained a medium-high result. Finally, the study based on the SWOT-TOWS revealed the possibility of applying action strategies in order to facilitate the compatibility of geotourism with the current productive activities, despite the difficult situation in the study area created by mining activities.
Highlights
The word and the concept of “geodiversity” was first introduced in the early nineties [1,2]
The assessment of these sites of interest pursued to facilitate the practical use of thethe geosites and the mining sites considering that the mining sites are often situated in places with special features of geology, topography, geomorphology, rivers, and a unique landscape and biodiversity [18]
The research presented in this paper reveals the existence of several areas of geological and mining interest in the Zaruma-Portovelo mining district
Summary
The word and the concept of “geodiversity” was first introduced in the early nineties [1,2]. The term, coined as an analogue to biodiversity [3], has become increasingly common, and it mainly appears in relation to geological heritage and conservation [4,5]. For [6] geodiversity is “the number and variety of structures (sedimentary, tectonic, geological materials (minerals, rocks, fossils and soils)), that constitute the substratum in a region, above which the organic activity is settled, the anthropic included”. The study of geodiversity, limited to strictly geological features (geology, topography, geomorphology, hydrogeology and soils), represents the base from which relationships between other features and the geological heritage can be developed
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