Loess–palaeosol sequences in China and Europe: Common values and geoconservation issues

Abstract

Loess–palaeosol sequences preserve the most significant continental record of climatic and environmental changes during the Quaternary available for scientific study. The Eurasian loess belt in particular could be regarded as one of the most important Quaternary terrestrial records of climatic and environmental changes on a global scale. The Preliminary stratigraphical correlation has determined that loess sections in south-east Europe and China have, perhaps surprisingly, shown many similarities. Unfortunately, these sites, due to their economic (e.g. agriculture and brickyards) and functional (e.g. remote sections as waste disposal sites) values, share the same (both human-induced and natural) threats and are constantly endangered by numerous causes and could be naturally degraded or permanently exploited as a georesource.Conversely, this valuable segment of Earth's geodiversity has gained much attention within the nature conservation community. There are certain individual attempts to protect and promote loess to the general public, which is the case in China (National Geoparks with protected loess, e.g. Luochuan, Huoshi Chai, Kungdongshan, Jingtai, Yellow River), and also in Serbia and Poland. These could serve as good platform for establishing common strategies towards national and international recognition of important loess sections. Thus, the aim of this study is to provide a preliminary and universal strategy concerning conservation, interpretation and promotion (geotourism) of significant Eurasian loess–palaeosol sequences. Once implemented and tested, they could serve for all similar soft-rock exposures and soils.