Landform Conservation in England and Wales

Abstract

The conservation of sites of geomorphological interest in England and Wales has a long, though sometimes mixed history, but because of a burgeoning interest in geodiversity, it has in recent years become of even greater importance. Numerous methods have been developed, especially since the Second World War, for landform protection and conservation. Given the importance of landforms for controlling habitat types, and the burgeoning interest in bioconservation and its links to geoconservation, there has been a developing interest in appropriate forms of land management. Among the steps take over the years have been the creation of: The National Trust, The Nature Conservancy and its successors, National Parks, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, National Nature Reserves, Sites of Special Scientific Interest, Local Geological Sites, Limestone Pavement Orders, Shoreline Management Plans, Ramsar Sites, World Heritage Sites, and UNESCO Geoparks.