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Geosites as Tools for the Promotion and Conservation of Geoheritage
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Geosites as Tools for the Promotion and Conservation of Geoheritage

A special issue of Resources (ISSN 2079-9276).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2024 | Viewed by 7934

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Federico Pasquarè Mariotto

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Human and Innovation Sciences, Insubria University, Como, Italy
Interests: geosites

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue welcomes contributions focused on the promotion and conservation of geoheritage, through the assessment and communication of geosites. The latter can be related to a great deal of topics within the Earth science field. Thus, there are paleontologic, mineralogic, petrologic, volcanic, tectonic, igneous, mining, hydrogeologic, sedimentary, stratigraphic, and paleogeographic geosites. Contributions to this Special Issue can be focused on one or more of the above types of geosites. Works submitted could delve into the topic of geosite assessment or shed light on how geosites can be promoted, valorized and communicated in geoparks, museums, and also through cutting-edge, innovative techniques such as virtual geosites, which can be navigated in virtual reality. Features articles are welcome as well as reviews (4000 words minimum) that assemble and discuss the most relevant papers published on the above topics in the last 20 years.

Prof. Federico Pasquarè Mariotto
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Resources is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • geoheritage
  • geosite
  • assessment
  • geoparks
  • virtual

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

22 pages, 7818 KiB  
Article
Non-Uniform Distribution of Geoheritage Resources in Geoparks—Problems, Challenges and Opportunities
by Piotr Migoń and Edyta Pijet-Migoń
Resources 2024, 13(2), 23; https://doi.org/10.3390/resources13020023 - 02 Feb 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1279
Abstract
Geoparks are territorial organizations, whose primary aim is to foster sustainable local development through the promotion of geoheritage, geotourism and geoeducation. Sites of significant interest from the perspective of geosciences (geosites), as well as the overall geodiversity of the territory, are the fundamental [...] Read more.
Geoparks are territorial organizations, whose primary aim is to foster sustainable local development through the promotion of geoheritage, geotourism and geoeducation. Sites of significant interest from the perspective of geosciences (geosites), as well as the overall geodiversity of the territory, are the fundamental resources for geopark activities. The distribution of these resources in the geographical space of geoparks may, however, be uneven. We first review four cases of UNESCO Global Geoparks from different European countries (Czechia, Germany, Hungary, Portugal) where such a situation occurs, with consequences on tourism development. Then, we place particular focus on an aspiring geopark of the Land of Extinct Volcanoes in SW Poland, providing evidence of its geoheritage and geodiversity values. The aspiring geopark integrates a mountainous–upland terrain and a lowland part, the latter with much fewer sites of interest and, apparently, fewer opportunities to successfully develop geotourism. Recognizing the challenges emerging from the non-uniform distribution of resources and learning from established geoparks, we highlight various opportunities to encourage (geo)tourism in the less diverse sections of the geoparks. Implementation of the ABC (abiotic–biotic–cultural) concept could be particularly helpful, as could be various events organized in these areas. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Geosites as Tools for the Promotion and Conservation of Geoheritage)
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19 pages, 2684 KiB  
Article
The Use of Geosites in Education—A Case Study in Central Poland
by Wojciech Zgłobicki, Izabela Nowak, Bogusława Baran-Zgłobicka and Aleksandra Głuszek
Resources 2024, 13(1), 15; https://doi.org/10.3390/resources13010015 - 19 Jan 2024
Viewed by 1369
Abstract
One of the important ways to promote geoheritage values is to use geosites in school education. Particularly useful for this are nature reserves that include interesting geological and geomorphological sites. The area of Świętokrzyskie Province is one of the most interesting geological regions [...] Read more.
One of the important ways to promote geoheritage values is to use geosites in school education. Particularly useful for this are nature reserves that include interesting geological and geomorphological sites. The area of Świętokrzyskie Province is one of the most interesting geological regions of Poland. In 2021, the Holy Cross Mountains UNESCO Global Geopark was established. The main objective of this study was to determine the school students’ knowledge of geoheritage sites and their use in geotourism and education. The province’s nature reserves are well accessible by transportation from school. Diverse geoheritage sites were selected for the assessment of their geotourism values. An assessment of their geotourism values was made. The problem of knowledge and perception of geoheritage was studied using a questionnaire survey among students of high schools located in the city of Starachowice. The results showed that despite the presence of sites of high value, unique in the country and Europe, they are rarely visited by students and even less frequently used in formal education (field classes). On the other hand, students declare that geoheritage assets can be treated as important tourism attractions. Researchers in the field of geoeducation and geotourism should place greater emphasis on disseminating this knowledge among teachers and the public. An opportunity for the development of geoeducation will certainly be the establishment of a geopark. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Geosites as Tools for the Promotion and Conservation of Geoheritage)
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13 pages, 22667 KiB  
Article
Geosites in the Gole della Breggia Geopark, Ticino, Southern Switzerland
by Paolo Oppizzi, Federico Pasquaré Mariotto, Rudolf Stockar, Andrea Stella, Noemi Corti, Martina Pedicini, Sergio Andò, Giovanni Vezzoli and Fabio Luca Bonali
Resources 2023, 12(10), 122; https://doi.org/10.3390/resources12100122 - 12 Oct 2023
Viewed by 1508
Abstract
This work is aimed at illustrating one of the most engaging geoparks in Europe, the Gole della Breggia Geopark. By following its geotrail, the visitors can observe a great deal of features that encompass a wide variety of sedimentary, stratigraphic, tectonic and paleogeographic [...] Read more.
This work is aimed at illustrating one of the most engaging geoparks in Europe, the Gole della Breggia Geopark. By following its geotrail, the visitors can observe a great deal of features that encompass a wide variety of sedimentary, stratigraphic, tectonic and paleogeographic processes. Its contents are popularized by a comprehensive geotrail that encompasses 23 geostops, enriched with explanatory panels, which enable viewers to gain an overall picture of the complex processes that led to the present-day configuration of the outcrops encountered in the geopark. We have selected five significative outcrops, which we have regarded as fully-fledged geosites, and which encompass the whole 170-million-year interval, from Early Jurassic to Late Miocene times, during which the rocks of the geopark were deposited and deformed. We have performed an assessment of the five geosites, using the most common criteria that can be applied for geosite evaluation. The results of the assessment show that the most valuable geosites are the Lombardian Maiolica, and the Limestone with Pelagic Bivalves. All five geosites, thanks to a QR code added to each figure along the text, can be viewed as virtual geosites (VGs), integrated by 360° videos. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Geosites as Tools for the Promotion and Conservation of Geoheritage)
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21 pages, 25326 KiB  
Article
The Geo-Cultural Heritage of Kos Revisited: Web-GIS Applications and Storytelling Promoting the Well-Known Island of Dodecanese, Greece
by Varvara Antoniou, Dimitris Panousis, Elisavet Nikoli, Anna Katsigera, Othonas Vlasopoulos and Paraskevi Nomikou
Resources 2023, 12(7), 74; https://doi.org/10.3390/resources12070074 - 25 Jun 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1974
Abstract
Kos is the third largest island of the Dodecanese, located in the southeastern Aegean Sea, Greece. The island’s remarkable location both in a prominent geodynamic space and at a crossroads of East, West and South has endowed it with a unique wealth of [...] Read more.
Kos is the third largest island of the Dodecanese, located in the southeastern Aegean Sea, Greece. The island’s remarkable location both in a prominent geodynamic space and at a crossroads of East, West and South has endowed it with a unique wealth of geological, biological, cultural, and traditional heritage. Steep mountain ranges consisting of Alpine Mesozoic rocks alternate with low-altitude plateaus featuring marine and lacustrine sediments that contain fossils of past life. In addition, the transition of barren land to lush forests where numerous species of flora and fauna thrive is unique to Greek ecosystems. This environment hosted civilizations and activities that gradually led to the present-day cultural and religious state of the island, where people and nature coexist respectfully on one of the country’s most favourite destinations. In an effort to further enhance the public’s awareness of the geo-cultural heritage of Kos, an online ESRI Hub was created, featuring several individual ESRI StoryMaps web apps regarding each specific aspect of the island’s heritage. The goal of this paper is to discuss the importance of using such means for disseminating geoscientific information to the public, to describe the methods used and to give a brief presentation of its content. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Geosites as Tools for the Promotion and Conservation of Geoheritage)
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17 pages, 2516 KiB  
Article
Promoting Geosites on Web-Pages: An Assessment of the Quality and Quantity of Information in Real Cases
by Anna V. Mikhailenko, Svetlana O. Zorina, Natalia N. Yashalova and Dmitry A. Ruban
Resources 2023, 12(5), 61; https://doi.org/10.3390/resources12050061 - 22 May 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1151
Abstract
Geological information present on web-pages determines the efficacy of the online marketing of geosites. In this paper, a new approach aimed at an easy and quick assessment of geosite-focused web-pages is proposed. It is based on scoring by several criteria reflecting the quality [...] Read more.
Geological information present on web-pages determines the efficacy of the online marketing of geosites. In this paper, a new approach aimed at an easy and quick assessment of geosite-focused web-pages is proposed. It is based on scoring by several criteria reflecting the quality and the quantity of geological information. Attention is paid to the simplicity and correctness of information, mention of technical properties (accessibility, location, and safety), relative and absolute amounts of information, and adaptation to persons with disabilities. Textual and graphical elements are considered differently. The approach is tested in three cases, namely, the Granite Gorge in the Western Caucasus, Pechischi in the Volga Region, and the Red Stones in the Southern Ciscaucasus. These are well-known geosites already used as important (geo)tourist attractions. It is established that the web-pages devoted to them chiefly allow minimally perfect promotion. Some examples of misinterpretations of geological information and errors are specially considered. The approach seems to be promising, and its application allows finding the deficiencies of web-pages, an improvement of which will enhance geosite promotion. Cooperation between representatives of the tourism industry and geological faculty members of local universities or administrations of protected areas is reasonable to create more informative geosite-focused web-pages. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Geosites as Tools for the Promotion and Conservation of Geoheritage)
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