Why geodiversity matters in valuing nature's stage

Abstract

Geodiversity--the variability of Earth's surface materials, forms, and physical processes-is an integral part of nature and crucial for sustaining ecosystems and their services. It provides the substrates, landform mosaics, and dynamic physical processes for habitat development and maintenance. By determining the heterogeneity of the physical environment in conjunction with climate interactions, geodiversity has a crucial influence on biodiversity across a wide range of scales. From a literature review, we identified the diverse values of geodiversity; examined examples of the dependencies of biodiversity on geodiversity at a site-specific scale (for geosites <1 km(2) in area); and evaluated various human-induced threats to geosites and geodiversity. We found that geosites are important to biodiversity because they often support rare or unique biota adapted to distinctive environmental conditions or create a diversity of microenvironments that enhance species richness. Conservation of geodiversity in the face of a range of threats is critical both for effective management of nature's stage and for its own particular values. This requires approaches to nature conservation that integrate climate, biodiversity, and geodiversity at all spatial scales.

Geodiversity and Biodiversity of the Postglacial Landscape (Dębnica River Catchment, Poland)

“…As underlined by Hjort et al (2015) the basic assumption of the biodiversity protection is simultaneous preservation of its abiotic environment. The assessments of geodiversity and biodiversity can be indispensable for creating identification cards and landscape audit (solon et al 2014) and for developing the national list of protected landscapes based on the guidelines of the European Landscape Convention (Marcinek et al 2009) and the Landscape Act (Ustawa krajobrazowa... 2015), as well as when choosing landscapes for the Red Book of the Landscape of Poland (BaranowskaJanota et al 2007).…”

“…The research problems undertaken since the turn of the 20th and 21st century, consider geodiversity integrated with the natural habitats and landscapes (silva 2004, jačková, romportl 2008, Alexandrowicz, Margielewski 2010, Parks, Mulligan 2010, Virtanen et al 2010, Pellitero et al 2010, Hjort et al 2012, Kistowski 2012, Hjort et al 2015, and even cultural heritage (Mazurek et al 2015). The preparation of a good zoning plan or landscape-ecological plan (Pauditšová, reháčková 2010(Pauditšová, reháčková , łowicki 2014 requires taking into account the existing and possibly appointing new nature reserves, specifying the directions of their management.…”

Landform values for rural sustainability: Recognition and assessment in a Spanish–Portuguese border region case study

“…Landforms are a part of the geodiversity (Gray, 2011;Serrano and Ruiz-Flaño, 2007), and may be considered as specific features of a territory at regional or local scales (Panizza, 2009). The main values afforded by society to these geodiversity components are associated with their potential as resources for education, knowledge, recreation, tourism or cultural inspiration (Hjort et al, 2015). Landform assemblages having those scientific, educational, aesthetic, socioeconomic and cultural values define geomorphological sites or geomorphosites (Panizza, 2001;Panizza and Piacente, 2003;Reynard, 2009).…”

Panorama Geral Sobre a Geoconservação Em Natal (Rn): Ameaças À Geodiversidade in Situ E Ex Situ

“…É também fundamental para o desenvolvimento das atividades do ser humano, como a exploração mineral que é responsável pelo provimento de milhares de espécimes minerais utilizadas nas mais diversas aplicações, desde confecção de roupas a fabricação de baterias que movem milhões de máquinas em todo o mundo (HJORT et al, 2015).…”