The Conference, 'Engaging with Geodiversity -Why it Matters', December 2010, addressed the wider relevance of geodiversity in Scotland. A key challenge is to integrate geodiversity within existing policy relating to the way we work and live, and therefore to inform better the decisions we make about a sustainable future for our environment. This will require partnership working among the geoscience, geoconservation and voluntary sectors at both national and local levels, not only to demonstrate convincingly the economic, social, cultural and environmental values and benefits of geodiversity, but also to deliver real outcomes for both people and nature. The key drivers that provide particular opportunities, as well as challenges, for the integration of geodiversity are the development of an ecosystem approach and how society responds to climate change. Addressing these will be crucial from a geoconservation perspective to develop a wider understanding of the essential environmental role played by geodiversity and for the protection of key sites, both from a policy perspective in delivering economic, social and environmental benefits, and from an academic perspective in ensuring support for geoscience. The key message -that geodiversity matters -must be communicated strongly to the highest levels of government, among key interest groups and at a local community level.

SYNOPSISThe ecosystem approach is now a key driver for environmental policy and conservation management both in the UK and globally. Within this, geodiversity provides or underpins many essential provisioning, regulating, cultural and supporting ecosystem services and so it is not only the inherent value of geodiversity that matters, but also its role in ecosystem functioning. Protecting geodiversity contributes to maintaining the resilience and adaptive capacity of biodiversity and supports critical ecosystem services. In addition, the analysis of palaeoenvironmental archives and geomorphological records provides a key long-term perspective on trends, rates of change and future trajectories in ecosystems and service delivery, a acknowledged gap within the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, as well as informing adaptive management of the effects of climate change, including sea-level rise. Better integration of geodiversity and biodiversity as part of Earth system science is critical for the future-proofing of ecosystems and their services and provides opportunities and challenges for applied geoscience.Knowledge of the Earth system is humankind's insurance policy for the future (de Mulder et al. 2008).

In the SW part of the Southern Uplands of Scotland the relatively thin Moffat Shale Group (late Ordovician–early Silurian) is succeeded by a thick development of Silurian greywackes, of variable turbiditic facies. This includes late Llandovery (Telychian) quartzose greywackes with interbedded thin graptolitic shales of the turriculatus and crispus biozones, in the upper part of the Gala Group, a sequencewhich is laterally equivalent to the basal part of the Hawick Group. The age of the finer-grained calcareous Hawick Group, which here includes 1. the Ross Formation, ranges from late Llandovery (turriculatus Biozone) to early Wenlock (riccartonensis Biozone). The Riccarton Group, which contains thick units of thinly-bedded siltstones and mudstones, is of Wenlock age (riccartonensis to lundgreni biozones). Within this sequence, all the biozones of the standard graptolite zonal scheme have been recognised in the area, with the exception of the crenulata Biozone of the late Llandovery (Telychian Stage) and the murchisoni and ellesae biozones of the Wenlock (Sheinwoodian Stage). Details of the graptolite biostratigraphy areclosely comparable with those of the markedly thinner sequences of northern England. Acritarchs occur throughout the sequence but are most numerous and best preserved in the Gala Group. Poorly preserved chitinozoa and spores are also present, the former occurring sporadically throughout the succession but the latter become common only in the Riccarton Group.

This paper reviews the values and benefits of geodiversity and geoconservation in the context of Scotland's National Performance Framework and Strategic Objectives, particularly in relation to: economic development; climate change adaptation; biodiversity; science and education; and recreation, health and cultural inspiration. A key challenge is to improve the integration of geodiversity in environmental policy and in its implementation in order to deliver more holistic and sustainable environmental management and wider public benefits. This requires greater awareness and recognition of the key benefits and ecosystem services that geodiversity provides for society. With an overall objective of promoting integration of geodiversity into relevant policies and decision frameworks, we propose a more strategic, ecosystem-based approach to address: the future-proofing of ecosystem services, particularly in a context of climate change and rising sea-levels; conservation and sustainable management of geodiversity both in designated sites and in the wider countryside; raising awareness of the value of geodiversity and its contribution to ecosystem services; and improving understanding of geodiversity and key knowledge gaps. Such an approach is adopted in the Scotland's Geodiversity Charter.

The Siluro-Ordovician Southern Uplands terrane occupies a key position in the Caledonian Orogen, yet its genesis is controversial.