Geoheritage Conservation Research Articles

Use and transformation of beaches as a tourism resource by promoters and managers in oceanic islands. A conflict for geoheritage conservation and social preferences in the canary islands

In the case of the Canary Islands (Spain), human occupation on beaches has generated environmental and landscape transformations and a loss of their geoheritage values. In this sense, this archipelago could be a good example to demonstrate the paradigm at the regional scale at first and island scale at second, that the colour and composition of the beaches are determinant for urban-tourist development. The beaches with the colour and composition that managers and promoters prefer most are those that have withstood the greatest anthropogenic pressure, and may lead to socio-environmental conflicts. For this, the aim of this work is to characterize and identify beach typologies according to their sedimentological characteristics, the degree of urban-tourist occupation, and the environmental changes and artificialisation that have taken place over the last sixty years in the beaches of La Palma, Tenerife and Fuerteventura. For this purpose, the General Catalogue of Beaches and Maritime Bathing Areas (the latter were excluded from the study) issued by the Canary Islands Government was used. This source was spatially and statistically analysed using a Geographic Information System (GIS) and related to socio-environmental variables extracted from geo-referenced sources. Orthophotos from 1957 and more recent years were also used for the historical characterization. Finally, this information was contrasted with social preferences, obtained from online surveys, about the physical configuration of Canarian beaches. Results show that the quantity and distribution of beach types (grain size and beach colour) differ for each island, and that beach use depends on its typology, with sandy beaches being the most used as an urban-tourist resource and pebble-cobble beaches the most transformed to respond to sand beach user demand. These and other factors that have affected the evolution of these beaches and the degree of conservation of their natural functions and geoheritage values are discussed. The responses to the survey show significant patterns related to user profile and preferences regarding the beach environment and recreational services. The importance of social preferences and beach transformation is discussed to understand the evolution of beach management in the Canary Islands and the identified conflicts.

Management of geoheritage conservation and vulnerability in tourism destinations

Management of geoheritage conservation and vulnerability in tourism destinations

Bijoliya Vindhyan Supergroup Sandstone Region of Rajasthan, India: Conservation of Geoheritage and Geotourism

Bijoliya Vindhyan Supergroup Sandstone Region of Rajasthan, India: Conservation of Geoheritage and Geotourism

Spatial decision-making support for geoheritage conservation in the urban and indigenous environment of the Auckland Volcanic Field, New Zealand

Abstract It is imperative today to make geoheritage conservation an essential part of all environmental standards and operational procedures. This is because geoheritage conservation secures the preservation of in situ geoheritage elements especially in urban environments such as Auckland. Geoheritage in Auckland is strongly associated with both indigenous culture and textbook geology of monogenetic volcanism, and it can play an important role in hazard forecasting and risk mitigation. To date, there has been a lack of policy or any planning tools based explicitly on the current geopreservation inventory. Here, we present an approach to support policy making informed by a spatial multi-criteria analysis that has long been used in environmental decision-making, supported by multi-layer mapping. A systematic literature review was undertaken to define the most accepted assessment criteria used in geoheritage evaluation. We identified six criteria for the base spatial layers of our analysis, highlighting the most suitable areas for geoheritage conservation. For cultural conservation, we used available archaeological shape files, indigenous land ownership data and elevation data (the volcanic cones had multiple roles in the life of first settlers, the ancestors of the Māori). Geographic Information Systems (GIS) multi-objective land use planning is an effective procedure for achieving complex planning and preservation objectives. It allows for outcomes based on quality data and sound analysis while minimizing compromise and conflict between geoheritage, social and cultural values.

The soil trail of Buscagna Valley, an example of the role of soil science in geodiversity and geoheritage analyses

Abstract Soil is a component of geodiversity and, for its scientific value, can also be a component of geoheritage, playing a role in reconstructing the environmental evolution of an area. This assumption will be examined here with special reference to mountain environments, where the high variability of soil forming-factors is responsible for a great variety of soil types, contributing to soil diversity and to local geodiversity. To promote soil as an element of geoheritage, we propose a strategy for creating a trail about soil topics in the Buscagna small mountain catchment in the Veglia–Devero protected area (Lepontine Alps, Italy). Geopedological research carried out in the study area has allowed the identification of seven soil profiles as sites of potential pedological interest along already existing hiking paths. The selected soil profiles mirror the main soil types of the area and testify to past environmental conditions and geomorphic dynamics. Among these, two soil profiles are also selected as pedosites. Providing hikers and mountaineers with a proper key to read exposed soils along the Buscagna Valley, the trail allows an increase in awareness of geoheritage conservation with a focus on soil in mountain landscapes, where soil characteristics reflect the influence of compound forming-factors.

Ecuadorian Committee of Geoparks (CEG) and its contribution with conservation and sustainable use of geo-heritage in Ecuador

Given the important geodiversity present in Ecuador, it is complex to establish criteria related to the scope of geo-heritage conservation in this country; nevertheless, notwithstanding what we might believe, geo-conservation in Ecuador is a pending issue, which is being worked on. An attempt has been made to use most of the tools available for geo-conservation, since in this country, there are countless initiatives with a broad impact on local development, education, and tourism, linked to geological elements; these efforts of geo-conservation, including conservation areas to public and private initiatives. Besides, Geoparks play a starring role in these dynamics, since geoparks are invigorated at both level institutional and territorial, considering the scope and coordination capacity that geoparks can establish. The articulation of Geopark projects, and the support of UNESCO, in coordination with government institutions and the academy, allowed Ecuador to have an Ecuadorian Committee of Geoparks (CEG) since February 2019, framed in the UNESCO Geopark Guidelines, being the second in all Latin America. Exist strong limitations for the comprehensive development of geo-heritage in the country, nevertheless, the formation of the CEG creates an achievement that seeks to fortify territories with interests in generating geoparks, being an entity that supports and manages in front of government institutions.

The Hornsby Quarry Geosite, NSW, Australia—A Geoheritage Treasure

Quarrying for aggregate material at Hornsby in New South Wales (Australia) exposed a >100 m-deep cross-section of the volcanic neck of a Jurassic diatreme, which extruded through the Sydney Basin deposits. The cross-section reveals volcanic features at many scales. Globally, there are very few instances of such excellent 3D exposure. It is arguable that this exposure alone makes it a geosite of international value. However, evaluation of the Hornsby Diatreme using a geoheritage toolkit shows that it meets various geoheritage conservation criteria, being a reference site, and an historically and culturally important site, as well as hosting important archival material. It has significant features at various scales: at the macroscale, where dish beds are visible on all quarry walls, preserving the structure formed during volcanic accretion and later caldera collapse; at the mesoscale, where breccia and surge layers are visible, providing insight into how magma interacted with various host rock types; and at the microscale, where lapilli, chilled margins on host rock blocks, and carbon-rich xenoliths are visible in hand specimens. As such, the Hornsby Quarry hosts a world-class array of volcanic features and preserves an important period of volcanic and post-volcanic history within the Sydney Basin, fostering geoeducation and geotourism.

Geoparks and Geotourism in China: A Sustainable Approach to Geoheritage Conservation and Local Development—A Review

Geoparks and geotourism are relatively new activities within tourism. However, both have grown rapidly over the past decade. Geoparks, as an innovation for the conservation of geoheritage, play an important role in the development of geotourism. Geotourism has evolved partially in response to the need to minimize the negative impacts of mass tourism in geologically and geographically sensitive and/or im-portant areas situated in tourist environments, while at the same time providing a catalyst for sustainable rural development. China, with its vast territory and complex geological and geomorphic features, is often referred to as an open laboratory in geosciences and has 289 national geoparks and 41 UNESCO global geoparks so far. Currently, it is a leading country in the world in establishing and maintaining geoparks. This paper reviews the geoparks initiatives in China, as well as attempts to assess the compatibility of geoconservation and rural development within geotourism areas by exploring the challenges and outcomes of the geotourism development in China and by identifying and analysing the outcomes of geopark development. The results indicate a geopark is a sustainable approach to advancing geoconservation and promoting local economic development. The results further emphasize the importance of sustainable management in geotourism. Only when managed in a sustainable manner is geotourism likely to provide long-term improvements for developments in rural areas. Implications for geopark management and geotourism development are discussed.

Travertine Park in Azarshahr (NW Iran): an Opportunity for Geoheritage Conservation and Diminishing Geohazards Risk

Travertine Park in Azarshahr (NW Iran): an Opportunity for Geoheritage Conservation and Diminishing Geohazards Risk

Progress and future challenges for geoconservation in protected and conserved areas

This paper introduces the set of essays in this issue of Parks Stewardship Forum charting the development of thinking and action on geodiversity and geoheritage conservation. It spells out progress to date on a number of fronts, including defining terms and advancing the geoconservation agenda in IUCN, leading to the conclusion that geoconservation is now well established in geoscience dialogue and practice. Future challenges are set out in some detail in the hope that geoconservation will become an increasingly relevant and integral component of nature conservation and human society agendas. Three areas of challenges are highlighted: making sure that geoconservation specialists have clear and consistent approaches to the classification and assessment of geoheritage assets and their conservation; mainstreaming geoconservation in biodiversity and nature conservation dialogues; and relating geoconservation to all aspects of human society and the emerging people-based agendas.

Geoheritage conservation developments in Ireland – an update

Geoheritage conservation developments in Ireland – an update

Geoheritage Conservation Developments in Ireland – An Update

This paper outlines the development of Irish geological heritage as supported by Geological Survey Ireland through the county geological heritage audit scheme, UNESCO Global Geoparks and other geoheritage and geotourism initiatives. This paper also considers potential developments in Ireland in the context of the growing awareness and understanding of geoheritage at European and international levels, including the recent developments in geodiversity awareness, which culminated in the first International Geodiversity Day on 6 October 2022 being proclaimed by UNESCO at the 41st General Conference 2021. The Geological Heritage programme was established in response to EU legislation transposed in Irish law under the Wildlife Amendment Act 2000 and a need to designate significant geological sites as Natural Heritage Areas. An initial partnership to explore this requirement expanded and changed focus to include the Heritage Council and local authorities through their heritage officers, resulting in a process of county geological heritage audits. These county audits were completed over the intervening years with only counties Cork and Kerry remaining unaudited in 2022. The result of this work is an almost complete national dataset of geological heritage sites in Ireland. This national dataset will provide a significant opportunity to develop new initiatives in the area of geoheritage and geodiversity, not least to highlight the national subset of sites that have been recommended as Natural Heritage Areas to National Parks and Wildlife Service, which will help fulfil the original purpose of the Geological Heritage programme in Geological Survey Ireland. The full dataset will further benefit and support Irish UNESCO Global Geoparks, geotourism initiatives, cultural heritage, local communities and economies, and provide scientific and educational supports and a deeper understanding of the basis on which our biodiversity is built: geodiversity.

RESIDENTS’ PERCEPTION TOWARDS GEOHERITAGE CONSERVATION AND TOURISM DEVELOPMENT: EVIDENCE FROM JODHPUR, INDIA

The Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhpur, India, located at the height of 150 meters above the surrounding sandy plains, is one of the city's most prominent monuments built over the Jodhpur group-Malani-Igneous Suite. The old city, which boasts numerous blue-painted houses, lies adjacent to the Mehrangarh Fort. The residents of the old city play a significant role in keeping the geoheritage and cultural heritage intact. The study investigates the moderating role of residents’ Perception towards support for Geoheritage Tourism and Conservation in and around Mehrangarh Fort. A combination of Weber’s theory of substantive and formal rationality (WTSFR) and Social Exchange Theory (SET) is used to investigate and infer the interposing and moderating role of residents’ perception on the relationship between influencing factors and support for geo-heritage conservation. A PLS evaluation of the SEM reveals a substantial capacity of the residents’ perception to predict support for conservation and tourism development.

Geoconservation strategies framework in Brazil: Current status from the analysis of representative case studies

Achieving an effective management of geodiversity and geoheritage demands integrative, multidisciplinary approaches in different spheres. This mission is enlarged if taking into account the role of these elements in the maintenance of ecosystems and associated goods and services, and the huge responsibility of geoscientists on the dissemination of trustful information that can help people to deal with current socio-environmental issues. The status of geoconservation initiatives in a given territory depend on several aspects. It can be a challenge in developing countries where nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources may be taken as less relevant in face of major, more urgent topics. We present a three-module geoconservation framework aiming to contemplate essential steps for geoconservation strategies named: 1. diagnosis, 2. conservation and 3. promotion. On its basis we analysed six Brazilian case studies to identify strengths and weaknesses and to evaluate the role of these methods in the whole geoconservation chain. Our data indicate that the items related to the diagnosis and promotion are the most prevalent, but conservation represents the main weakness, particularly legal protection, geosite conservation and monitoring. This results from the fact that most of the people involved in diagnosis and promotion are geoscientists with multidisciplinary skills and expertise, whilst conservation involves the participation of national or local government administrators and the existence of adequate legislation. This brings light to the need of an integrated approach including cooperation between academia, public administrations and society in the proposition of fair environmental practices in the conservation of geoheritage.

Evaluation of Potential Geo-tourism Based on Geo-diversity Towards Sustainable Tourism at Citarum River

The research aims to identify and map geodiversity as excellent potential for geo-heritage and geo-tourism attraction, also classify them into geo-tourism destination. Research used qualitative method with descriptive analysis, with data collection through desk study, field observation and analysis of geodiversity and getourism. The main result identified that there are 43 geo-diversity in the upper Citarum River with geo-heritage and potential geo-tourism. The research classified geo-sites into three geo-tourism destination, which are: primary geo-tourism destination, secondary and supporting tourism destination. The Citarum river is one of the main rivers in West Java, which has become a vital source of water and economic activities for West Java community. Citarum river area has geodiversity with a geo-heritage potential which are scattered throughout the region. Environmental degradation has occurred in the area, protection of geo-heritage is important for the geo-tourism. Citarum river area has a potential as the main geo-tourism destination in Bandung City. Therefore, conservation of geo-heritage requires a good planning and policies.

Fossil insects 10 years after the Geological Conservation Review (Great Britain)

At the third congress of the I.P.S. (International Palaeoentomological Society) in Beijing (2010), Professor Dong Ren, conference organiser, was presented with an author’s copy of the arthropod volume of the Geological Conservation Review of Great Britain, which included fossil insects, and had just been published (Jarzembowski et al., 2010). The purpose of the review, which commenced in the last century before the founding of I.P.S., was essentially to select and document the key sites of British geology, geomorphology and palaeontology with view to geoheritage conservation—including palaeoentomology. The results were collated and published in a series of volumes and, as it subsequently transpired, the arthropod volume was the last one (number 35). The insect part (written by the current author) and other arthropods (by Derek Siveter and Paul Selden) were augmented by general geology and palaeontology contributed by Douglas Palmer. A planned volume with relevant Lower Cretaceous (Wealden) geology was eventually produced instead as a short series of papers by the Geologists’ Association of London (Radley & Allen, 2012b). Geoconservation has featured periodically on the I.P.S. agenda and this paper reflects on the legacy of the GCR study, a decade later, and over a generation after its initiation.

ГЕОТУРИЗМ КАК НОВЫЙ ОБЪЕКТ ИССЛЕДОВАНИЙ В НАУКАХ О ЗЕМЛЕ

Geotourism is here considered as an outdoor extension of the study of geological and geographical museum collections. Like ecotourism, geotourism is an integral constituent of scientific tourism. Whereas ecotourism is interested in biodiversity, geotourism is concerned with the variety of geological structures, minerals, rocks, fossils and landforms. Forms of synthesis of museum work and geotourism in the preservation and study of geological and geomorphological objects are traced. The importance of geoparks in the conservation of geoheritage and the prospects of their creation in Russia are considered. Expansion of geopark network is proposed, in view of the experiences of museum geological departments. Abandoned underground mines and similar objects are proposed as a basis for geotourism and as objects of geodiversity. The experience of creating geological museums on their basis is given. Coal mines present an example of such potential for geological excursions, given the history of past catastrophes. The elements of mystery inherent in geological and geomorphological excursions captivate tourists, increasing the attraction of earth sciences. The possibilities of geotourism in expanding the subject field of geology, geography and geomorphology are considered. Along with the activities of geological museums, geotourism is seen as one of the main avenues for integrating geosciences with society. Amateur science is able to contribute to the verification of scientific knowledge, and to new breakthroughs in science.

Linking geological heritage and geoethics with a particular emphasis on palaeontological heritage: the new concept of \u2018palaeontoethics\u2019

Geoconservation and geoethics are two emergent domains in geosciences. During the last decade, both topics have increasingly gained the attention of geoscientists and the society, but the main geoethical dilemmas related to the conservation and management of geoheritage are not clearly identified yet. This work aims at providing an overview on the meaning and scope of geoethics and how it intersects geoheritage and the practice of geoconservation. Some case studies—many of which are under current debate and have a high potential as geoeducational resources—are presented for addressing ethical, social and cultural settings as well as dilemmas affecting geoheritage. We find that there are particular cases (mostly concerning the trade of fossils, and in particular the growing concern about activities that rely on amber from Myanmar) for which a clear dichotomy of views makes them much more problematic and complex. These cases deserve more suitable legal frameworks that help implement more balanced ethical standards and practice guidelines for geoconservation, guarantee human rights and needs in relation to that heritage and contribute to the advancement of geosciences. Particular attention is given to palaeontological heritage, as fossils are among the most threatened elements of the Earth’s diversity and are in need of more effective and statutory protection measures. In the context of geoethics applied to palaeontological heritage, and given the need of a clear understanding of what ethics in palaeontology means, a new concept—palaeontoethics—is proposed and formally defined.

Including geoconservation in the management of protected and conserved areas matters for all of nature and people

Geoconservation is an integral part of nature conservation. It protects our diverse and valued geoheritage, contributes to the sustainable management of ecosystems, provides a range of economic, cultural and social benefits, and connects people, landscapes and their cultures. Geoconservation has a vital part to play in managing the natural environment and helping society to address global challenges, such as biodiversity loss, adaptations to climate change and sea-level rise, and sustainable development. The IUCN Guidelines for Geoconservation in Protected and Conserved Areas, published in 2020, outline the key principles of geoconservation and demonstrate their application across the full range of IUCN protected area management categories and other conserved areas. Protected and conserved areas, including geoparks, have a vital educational role in promoting better understanding and awareness of geoconservation and the values and benefits of geodiversity and geoheritage for nature and society. Integrating geoconservation into the management of all categories of protected and conserved areas would benefit not only the conservation of geoheritage, but also all of nature and contribute to a sustainable future.

Informed Geoheritage Conservation: Determinant Analysis Based on Bibliometric and Sustainability Indicators Using Ordination Techniques

Ordination methods are used in ecological multivariate statistics in order to reduce the number of dimensions and arrange individual variables along environmental variables. Geoheritage designation is a new challenge for conservation planning. Quantification of geoheritage to date is used explicitly for site selection, however, it also carries significant potential to be one of the indicators of sustainable development that is delivered through geosystem services. In order to achieve such a dominant position, geoheritage needs to be included in the business as usual model of conservation planning. Questions about the quantification process that have typically been addressed in geoheritage studies can be answered more directly by their relationships to world development indicators. We aim to relate the major informative geoheritage practices to underlying trends of successful geoheritage implementation through statistical analysis of countries with the highest trackable geoheritage interest. Correspondence analysis (CA) was used to obtain information on how certain indicators bundle together. Multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) was used to detect sets of factors to determine positive geoheritage conservation outcomes. The analysis resulted in ordination diagrams that visualize correlations among determinant variables translated to links between socio-economic background and geoheritage conservation outcomes. Indicators derived from geoheritage-related academic activity and world development metrics show a shift from significant Earth science output toward disciplines of strong international agreement such as tourism, sustainability and biodiversity. Identifying contributing factors to conservation-related decisions helps experts to tailor their proposals for required evidence-based quantification reports and reinforce the scientific significance of geoheritage.