The Po Plain Loess Basin (Northern Italy): Scientific Values, Threats, and Promotion Opportunities

Abstract

Geoheritage studies periodically propose assessment methodologies addressed to quantify the value of sites of interests towards geoconservation and/or promotion. Loess outcrops in the Po Plain Loess basin (Northern Italy) represent potential geoheritage sites, allowing to reconstruct glacial and interglacial cycles, testifying evidence of paleoseismicity, and preserving traces of Palaeolithic human exploitation along the foreland of the Alpine and Apennine ranges. In this contribution, firstly we propose a brief review on the loess sites in the framework of geoheritage studies. Then, we evaluate the 6 most significant loess outcrops scattered across the Po Plain Loess Basin (Monte Netto Hill, Val Sorda Sequence, Gajum Section, Ghiardo Plateau, Valenza Section, Torino Hill) applying a quantitative methodology aimed at ranking each locality respect to a benchmark site — the Romanengo Plateau — which is the sole loess site included in the Italian Inventory of Geosites. The 70% of sites obtained a global value higher than our benchmark. They show a high diversity, not only from the scientific point of view (i.e., site-intrinsic geodiversity), but also when we consider their Potential for Use. Despite often disregarded in the international panorama, Italian loess sites require a great attention. Moreover, such sites are evolving passive geomorphosites, thus potentially vulnerable from natural and human causes: this must be considered in the framework of geoconservation and sustainable promotion of each site. Finally, we discuss the possibility of promoting Italian loess sites through different strategies (e.g. virtual tours, 3D models, and gamification based on landscape reconstruction) allowing to visit them by remote and favouring promotion. At the same time, this approach will also promote geoconservation, improving awareness in the general public on the relevance of such sites for Earth (natural and human-related) history.

How Can a Complex Geosite Be Enhanced? A Landscape-Scale Approach to the Deep-Seated Gravitational Slope Deformation of Pointe Leysser (Aosta Valley, NW Italy)

“…Quantitative evaluations represent a useful tool at least under two points of view: (i) if one has to compare sites within a study area, to decide to which site addresses, for instance, economic resources for promotion (Bollati et al 2017); and (ii) when one is looking for comparison, evaluating sites located outside the study area, but comparable for geological and geomorphological genesis (e.g. Bollati and Zerboni 2021). What could also be quantified in the future, in the view of geoconservation versus promotion, is the potential of degradation of each In particular, the investigated slope shows some of the most iconic geomorphological features related to a DSGSD context of the whole Aosta Valley (i.e.…”

“…All the selected spots provide a complete framework of the geomorphological features associated with P. Leysser's DSGSD. The assessment criteria derive from a relatively long-lasting procedure addressed to geomorphosites specifically for ranking them through a quantitative methodology based on attributes (Bollati et al 2017;Bollati and Zerboni 2021). The quantitative procedure was performed according to the numerical values and formula reported entirely in the Supplementary Material.…”

Geosites and Climate Change—A Review and Conceptual Framework

“…Examples of loess outcrops as geosites come from several Central European countries (Figure 2), including southern Moravia in Czechia, with famous localities at Červený kopec in Brno [49] and Dolní Věstonice [50], Willendorf and other sites along the Danube in Lower Austria [51], and several places in Vojvodina, northern Serbia [52,53]. The Po Plain in northern Italy offers further examples of loess/paleosoil sequences which have the potential to be geosites, used for educational purposes [54]. Similar records can be read from outcrops of older rocks.…”

Quantifying Geodiversity at the Continental Scale: Limitations and Prospects

“…The Po Plain, which revealed low values for most geodiversity components in the present study, is a good example. Its loess sequences are potential geoheritage sites [78], a significant historical record of anthropogenic landforms is used for the purpose of geotourism and education [79], and its relatively high soil diversity (when compared to values of other components of geodiversity) served as an important resource for the development of significant cultural heritage [80]. The decoupling of geoheritage potential from the values of geodiversity components is known from a number of earlier studies (e.g., [6]).…”