L’évaluation du géopatrimoine à partir des cartes géomorphologiques à grande échelle : l’exemple d’un massif calcaire portugais

Abstract

The importance of scale during the different steps of geomorphological mapping is a well-discussed issue within the scientific community. Nevertheless, in association with the growing importance of geomorphosite assessment, evaluation, promotion and preservation, the use of different scales is yet to be clearly defined, especially because of the differences in spatial scale of the geomorphological phenomena. When talking about scale in geoheritage assessment, one must take into account the evaluation procedure. Based on previous methods we have outlined four major questions connected to the problematic of scale : What do we get by applying large scale geomorphological mapping ? Will it be reasonable to evaluate simultaneously micro and macro forms ? Should they be assessed separately by using different methods ? Which parameters should be considered ? Using the particular example of Fórnia, located at the Estremadura Limestone Massif, this paper discusses the process of geomorphological heritage evaluation and the problems resulting from its application on large scale surveys, emphasising its connection to site preservation.