Public Understanding on Geoconservation Strategies at the Passagem das Pedras Geosite, Paraíba (Brazil): Contribution to the Rio do Peixe Geopark Proposal

Abstract

The Rio do Peixe basin, which is developed during the Lower Cretaceous, consists of the Sousa, Uiraúna-Brejo das Freiras, Pombal and Vertentes sub-basins. They have abundant ichnofauna represented by dinosaur tracks of theropods, sauropods and ornithopods, these being the main objects of geological heritage in the region. The majority of palaeontological sites are found in the Sousa basin and the most important geosite in terms of distribution of fossil footprints is Passagem das Pedras (Municipality of Sousa-Sousa basin). In 1992, this area was classified as the BValley of the Dinosaurs Natural Monument^and initially had high-quality infrastructure and trained tour guides; however, following a period of neglect, the local infrastructure became precarious. In 2014, revitalization of the museum, kiosks and walkways in Valley was performed; however, there are inefficient measures to protect the dinosaur footprints from human and natural threats. Thus, 500 interviews with the urban and rural population of Sousa in addition to traders and teachers were done, seeking public understanding of geoconservation strategies at the Passagem das Pedras geosite. Critical analysis of the results was performed as a contribution to the proposal for the Rio do Peixe Geopark. The perception is that the geoconservation strategies are not effective in protecting the Passagem das Pedras geosite or in raising the Sousa population's awareness as to the importance of geological heritage. The other palaeontological sites of the Sousa basin are also quite vulnerable and with deteriorating geological elements. Therefore, the region currently has low potential to become a geopark.

Are Fossils Mineral or Cultural Heritage? The Perspective of Brazilian Legislation

“…Another case where this legal instrument was used was the Sousa Basin. According to Santos et al (2019), this most relevant geosite in terms of the fossil record of dinosaur footprints was designated, in 1992, a natural monument, but there are still many actions needed to protect these fossil tracks from rain, floods of the Peixe River, and trampling by cattle.…”

“…Delphim (2004) noted a lack of legal instruments and effective acts for the defence and safeguarding of palaeontological heritage in Brazil. The duality between a fossil as an item of cultural heritage under the responsibility of the National Historical and Artistic Heritage Institute as a rock constituent that is object of mineral exploration, an activity managed by the National Mining Agency, demands an indepth reflection to define the best conservation strategies (Barreto and Polck 2021;Lima and Carvalho 2020a, b, c;Santos et al 2019) and the feasibility of relevant studies.…”

Tourism, Scientific, and Didactic Potential of the Ultrabasic-Alkaline Intrusion in Afrikanda with Perovskite Mineral (Kola Peninsula, N Russia) and of the Related Built Heritage

“…Such treatments are mentioned in the work of Prosser [43] who shows the aspect of closing and protecting open-pit mining areas as an example of creating natural exposures that allow learning about the geological structure of the area. The work by Sa dos Santos et al [44] demonstrates the possibilities of adapting old excavations with different platforms for their exploration and enriching them with elements that arouse imagination in children. In the case of Afrikanda, both the Paleozoic world when the intrusions in question were formed and the Pleistocene world when the glaciation of the area in question occurred could be shown.…”

Systematic Literature Review of the Natural Environment of the Coromandel Peninsula, New Zealand, from a Conservation Perspective

“…Our research demonstrates a need for the abiotic nature (geology, climate, hydrology, geomorphology, and others) of this area to be developed and understood in an integrated manner with processes (human and biological influences), leading to a holistic approach to geodiversity and geoheritage as keys for planning geoeducation, geotourism, and geoconservation projects in the future. Our study defines the general trends in current research within geoconservation, using published scientific outputs as the basis of knowledge of abiotic aspects of the natural environment of the region [25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33]. We acknowledge some limitations in this approach as it does not include traditional, oral, or indigenous knowledge directly.…”