This paper deals with the main results and methodological processing of the first inventory of Geosites of the province of Leon (Autonomous Region of Castile and Leon, Spain). The inventory was designed to be used as a tool for introducing geoheritage in regional and local environmental management. This main aim determined the methodology of selection, study, description, and evaluation of every site. One of the main contributions in this work is the proposal of classifying Geosites in five typological categories: point, section, area, complex area, and viewpoint. This grouping allows one to summarize the basic features and the best way to popularize each geosite. We also detail both the problematic of dealing with diverse types of Geosites and the management advices proposed to solve it.
Mapping is a basic requirement for land use management, as effective protection of nature requires a clear delimitation of the sites involved. Additionally, mapping has other benefits for the transfer of information, as long as it is a comprehensible way of information exchange. The knowledge of geoheritage (geological heritage) and how it can be incorporated into the management of natural areas is an emerging topic. In this paper, a methodology that can be used to map geoheritage is proposed through the example of the Regional Park of Picos de Europa (Spain). Cartography is designed to be used as a tool for both prescriptive geoheritage management and land use planning processes in the protected area. The current examples of mapping consist of two groups of maps: (1) basic descriptive maps, where geosites are represented and which offer an overview of the geoheritage in the territory and (2) applied derived maps, which use the previous base cartography but also implement specific queries for management. Information codified in the derived maps may be diverse, ranging from the geosite degradation risk to the most adequate geosite use. The designed maps also achieve an important aim: They are easily interpreted and, therefore, might be used by many different professionals involved in environmental management.
The taxonomic assignation and ecological implications of the genus Syringoalcyon Termier & Termier, 1945 have been a palaeontological problem for a long time. Carboniferous material from Morocco and Spain has been studied using a biomineralogical approach by means of petrographic microscopy, SEM, AFM, EMPA and CIP microscopy analysis. Detailed morphological, structural, chemical composition and crystallographic data enable a deeper understanding of the nature of Syringoalcyon. The coral walls and the so‐called epithecal scales exhibit conspicuous differences in microstructure (lamellae and holacanthine fibres in the coral vs. single crystal in scales), nanostructure (pill‐shaped vs. granule‐shaped nanocrystals), composition (LMC vs. HMC) and crystallographic orientation. The results of these analyses imply that Syringoalcyon is an association between the tabulate coral Syringopora and an epibiont. They also suggest that the epibiont was an alcyonarian (a rare occurrence in the fossil record) that was attached to the syringoporoid. This work highlights the utility of the biomineralizational approaches for solving palaeontological problems, such as systematic affinities, and for advancing knowledge of the evolution of biocrystallization processes.
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