Underground Geosites and Caving Speleotourism: Some Considerations, From a Case Study in Southern Italy

Liso, Isabella Serena; Chieco, Michele; Fiore, Antonello; Pisano, Luca; Parise, Mario

doi:10.1007/s12371-020-00424-z

Cited by 21 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 55 publications

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“…Speleotourism includes visits to underground caves and similar geomorphological features. An important aspect of the attractiveness of caves lies in the subjective experience of every individual (Kim et al 2008;Liso et al 2020). However, the presence of visitors can bring some negative aspects, which can have consequences for the bio-and geoenvironment of caves.…”

Section: Sustainable Speleotourismmentioning

confidence: 99%

Applying the Values of Geoethics for Sustainable Speleotourism Development

2020

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Establishing sustainable and responsible speleotourism development is a major challenge and involves complex activities. Adequate theoretical starting point is the application of geoethical values related to the conservation and protection of the caves to be used for touristic purposes. Positive and negative cases of human behaviors towards speleological geoheritage are discussed, in order to highlight what should be done in cave management to avoid malpractices and on what elements could be founded adequate strategies aimed at promoting sustainable speleotourism. This is important to tourism management organizations involved in the promotion of caves and in creating economic opportunities for local populations, while respecting cave ecosystems. Modern cave management must be focused on the protection of the cave ecosystems, finding ways to achieve at the same time an economic development of local communities. But this approach needs the adoption of a geoethical framework of values to be shared by all stakeholders involved so that successful cooperation can be achieved despite differences in interests and expectations. The aim of this paper is to raise the awareness about the need to apply the values of geoethics to speleotourism, stimulating new fields of discussion within the scientific and technical communities involved in studies and activities related to geotourism and geoheritage. The possibilities of developing new ways to manage caves, in order to promote a sustainable socio-economic development of local communities, have to be balanced with the protection of natural environments as much as possible. The proposed theoretical frameworks have the goal to increase the discussion on the best ways of connecting speleotourism to sustainable and responsible cave management, presenting two case studies, and pointing out potential solutions.

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Section: Sustainable Speleotourismmentioning

confidence: 99%

Applying the Values of Geoethics for Sustainable Speleotourism Development

2020

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“…At least 15 caves are registered in the regional cadastre of karst caves (http://www.catasto.fspuglia.it/) within the Canale di Pirro, most of them being of very limited size. The remarkable exception is represented by 'Inghiottitoio di Masseria Rotolo' (IMR; inghiottitoio means swallow hole; corresponding to PU_355 in the main map), that is a very interesting a complex karst system (Figure 3), reaching the water table at a depth of −264 m (Liso et al, 2020;Parise & Benedetto, 2018). Following scuba-diving exploration below the water table, the site has become the deepest known cave in Apulia (depth 324 m).…”

Section: Area Descriptionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Geomorphological and structural characterization of the ‘Canale di Pirro’ polje, Apulia (Southern Italy)

et al. 2020

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In this work, we present a geomorphological map of the 'Canale di Pirro' polje, located in the central part of Apulia region, Southern Italy, among the most interesting karst landforms in the Mediterranean Basin. This area is characterized by a remarkable underground system of caves, where the so-called 'Inghiottitoio di Masseria Rotolo' reaches a depth of 324 m, thus being the deepest known cave in Apulia. The polje is bounded on both sides by tectonically controlled ridges, showing an overall length of some 12 km. The map of the area is produced starting from the interpretation of aerial photographs, the integration of the digital elevation model analysis and field surveys, in order to obtain a correct distribution of landforms and fluvial processes. Furthermore, karst depressions, conical hills, erosional gullies, alluvial fans and tectonic structures have been also identified and reported in the map.

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“…Geoheritage studies have been carried out in many different environments. Most studies focus on terrestrial environments: coastal areas [9][10][11][12][13][14][15], mountain areas [16][17][18], karst areas [19][20][21][22], volcanic areas [23][24][25][26] and even urban areas [27][28][29][30]. In recent years research has been conducted on underwater geoheritage and marine geosites ( [13] and references therein]) and on archaeogeosites, i.e., sites linking archaeological and geological interests [31][32][33][34].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Geosites Inventory in Liguria Region (Northern Italy): A Tool for Regional Geoconservation and Environmental Management

Ferrando

Faccini

Poggi³

et al. 2021

Sustainability

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The Liguria Region in Northern Italy is characterized by a wide geological and geomorphological variety, encompassing an important and valuable geoheritage. The Ligurian regional law (L.R. 39/2009) protects and enhances geodiversity and geosites, establishing the Regional Inventory of Geosites; however, an approved official inventory is still lacking. In this work, a first reasoned inventory of 120 geosites is proposed for the Liguria Region on the basis of field surveys and literature review. A quantitative assessment of the value and the degradation risk of geosites has been carried out: the value assessment takes into account scientific, additional and potential-for-use values; the degradation risk assessment considers geosites’ fragility and vulnerability. The results, providing knowledge on the Ligurian geoheritage, can serve as the basis for the Regional Inventory of Geosites and can be useful tools for the implementation of any regional geoconservation strategy or environmental management plan.

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Underground Geosites and Caving Speleotourism: Some Considerations, From a Case Study in Southern Italy

Cited by 21 publications

References 55 publications

Applying the Values of Geoethics for Sustainable Speleotourism Development

Applying the Values of Geoethics for Sustainable Speleotourism Development

Geomorphological and structural characterization of the ‘Canale di Pirro’ polje, Apulia (Southern Italy)

Geosites Inventory in Liguria Region (Northern Italy): A Tool for Regional Geoconservation and Environmental Management

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