The Landscape Attractiveness of Abandoned Quarries

Abstract

This study is a trial for presenting high attractiveness of shape form in abandoned quarry areas, as well as for indicating social interest in the areas in terms of their attractiveness. For this reason, a procedure of evaluation of the landscape attractiveness of abandoned quarries is suggested, which was created by assigning additional partial criteria, and their comparison with the criteria of already existing methods. Methods used for the research are as follows: the semantic differential technique (also called Osgood's method), the entropy method, and the method of point bonitation. In order to verify the procedure suggested, 10 objects (quarries) located in the area of the Ślęża Landscape Park with its buffer zone were studied. Then, comparative studies were conducted, this time with quarries from Great Britain and Austria, also subject to some forms of environmental protection. The results of the research suggest that the main indicator of a quarries' attractiveness is their uniqueness, aesthetic appeal, interest, and the curiosity they raise, which allows the formation of four classification groups for attractiveness: very attractive, attractive, slightly attractive, and unattractive quarries. The research conducted also indicates that highly attractive quarries may gain a larger number of tourists and the development of hiking, cycling, horse riding, and, in some cases, also qualified tourism (rock climbing or diving) through creating additional side attractions. Additionally, due to their uniqueness and form differentiation, abandoned quarries may be used for common social education, being a didactic place in programmes of touristic trips, science lessons, and ecological education.

The Role of Anthropogenic Landforms in Sustainable Landscape Management

“…Margiotta and Sanso [27] confirmed that some abandoned quarries are part of the natural and cultural heritage as an important resource for geotourism development. Baczynska et al [28] also confirmed these landscape forms (quarries) as elements that enrich the value of particular areas in terms of tourism. Authors of the study [26,29] concluded that abandoned quarries could be of geoconservation significance and some of them were very important for geoscientific tourism.…”

“…Specific anthropogenic processes result in anthropogenic landforms (e.g., quarries, pits, communication cuttings and underground landforms) that can be considered important from the 2 of 16 scientific, educational, cultural, historical, environmental and tourism point of view [13][14][15]. These landforms have multiple functions: -They can be seen as elements that increase the overall landscape diversity [16] and positively influence biodiversity [17,18], especially disused quarries and flooded pits); -They provide information about landscape changes and modifications made in the past, and these can be an important resource for understanding the cultural and technical level of a society [19,20]; -They support an ecosystem service provisioning [21]; -They allow us to trace the use of geodiversity in the past and interpret cultural heritage in relation to abiotic nature [22], including the involvement of local communities [23,24] based on applying of historical ecology [25]; -They possess the potential for developing sustainable forms of tourism (or geotourism), which can positively affect local economic development [26,27]-they can be visually attractive [28] or allow us to interpret the technical aspects of using geodiversity resources, e.g., mining and industrial tourism [29,30]; -They allow us to observe stratigraphical, tectonic, palaeopedological and other Earth science features that would normally remain hidden and unrecorded in the literature or on geological maps [31,32] and the information can be used in both formal and informal education, and it is important from the conservation point of view [33]; -Landforms can be considered as an important stepping stones for biological species sensitive to fragmentation of landscape [34,35]; -Specific anthropogenic landforms form an inseparable part of items of cultural heritage, e.g., earth fortifications and ramparts and irrigation channels [36,37]; -In urban areas, the anthropogenic landforms allow us to interpret urban development [38] and they are an inseparable component of urban landscapes [39].…”

Assessing the geotourism potential of abandoned quarries with multitemporal data (České Středohoří Mts., Czechia)

“…The significant, positive effects of quarrying that have been appreciated over the last several decades concern the role of quarries as geological and geomorphological heritage (geoheritage) sites with the potential for geoscientific education (e.g., Petersen 2002) and geotourism (e.g., Newsome & Dowling 2006;Pralong 2005;López-García et al 2011;Baczyńska et al 2017;Stefano & Paolo 2017). Abandoned quarries perceived as geological and geomorphologic heritage sites enable a society to study old quarry sites and their technical infrastructure as historical objects to understand both the variability in approaches and techniques for quarrying over time and quarrying's specific impacts on the Earth's surface.…”

The analysis of the existing terminology related to a post-mining land use: a proposal for new classification

“…However, a newly created form may constitute a landscape diversion with a positive, intriguing or even inspiring impact on our senses (Baczyńska et al 2017). In this case, the above-mentioned negative associations cannot be applied.…”