Abstract
Granite geomorphological sceneries are important components of global geoheritage, but international awareness of their significance seems insufficient. Based on existing literature, ten distinctive types of relief are identified, along with several sub-types, and an overview of medium-size and minor landforms characteristic for granite terrains is provided. Collectively, they tell stories about landscape evolution and environmental changes over geological timescale, having also considerable aesthetic values in many cases. Nevertheless, representation of granite landscapes and landforms on the UNESCO World Heritage List and within the UNESCO Global Geopark network is relatively scarce and only a few properties have been awarded World Heritage status in recognition of their scientific value or unique scenery. Much more often, reasons for inscription resided elsewhere, in biodiversity or cultural heritage values, despite very high geomorphological significance. To facilitate future global comparative analysis a framework is proposed that can be used for this purpose.
Highlights
This paper aims to contribute to geoheritage and geodiversity assessment in the global context, providing a framework for erosional landscapes developed upon granites
Geomorphological landscape (= type of relief) is a sum of medium-size landforms, an approach adopted here follows a top-down pathway and starts with presentation of distinctive types of regional relief, whereas more detailed characterization of certain specific landforms will follow. The latter will be restricted to those giving particular identity to granite terrains and considered to have values associated with geoheritage
In the following part of the paper the current representation of distinctive granite landscapes on the UNESCO World Heritage List is reviewed (Tables 1 and 2; Figure 5), but an important comment is that the list below must not be interpreted as the evidence of recognition of outstanding universal value (OUV) of geomorphology present within a property
Summary
Geoheritage is evaluated at various spatial levels of reference, from very local (municipalities or other small administrative regions, geomorphological entities such as drainage basins) to global The latter is directly relevant to two global initiatives aimed at conservation of heritage of international significance: UNESCO World Heritage [15]. They represent an enormous variety and there is clearly no such phenomenon as a “typical” granite landscape Some of these sceneries have long been appreciated for their outstanding beauty and awarded UNESCO World Heritage status, many others are valued at the national or regional level, featuring on the Tentative List of possible future World Heritage nominations. Challenges and opportunities associated with recognizing geoheritage of granite terrains at the global level will be addressed, including provision of tentative framework and identification of gaps
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