Geoconservation and Geotourism: Challenges and Unifying Themes

Williams, Mark A.; McHenry, Melinda; Boothroyd, Anne

doi:10.1007/s12371-020-00492-1

Cited by 34 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…Returning to the discussion of geodiversity, it could be argued that the act of conserving the ruins of anthropogenic structures constructed from local geological materials is a strategy to protect local geodiversity, making it an act of ‘geoconservation’, defined as “the act of identifying and protecting valuable elements of the abiotic environment. The variability of elements within the abiotic environment can be assessed and described… using the term ‘geodiversity’” ([ 58 ]: 2). Not all of an area’s geodiversity has value that justifies the implementation of a geoconservation strategy [ 59 ].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Architectural ruins: geoculture of the anatomy of buildings as illustrated by Casa Ippolito, Malta

Bianco

2021

Herit Sci

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Ruins are a statement on the building materials used and the construction method employed. Casa Ippolito, now in ruins, is typical of 17th-century Maltese aristocratic country residences. It represents an illustration of secondary or anthropogenic geodiversity. This paper scrutinises these ruins as a primary source in reconstructing the building’s architecture. The methodology involved on-site geographical surveying, including visual inspection and non-invasive tests, a geological survey of the local lithostratigraphy, and examination of notarial deeds and secondary sources to support findings about the building’s history as read from its ruins. An unmanned aerial vehicle was used to digitally record the parlous state of the architectural structure and karsten tubes were used to quantify the surface porosity of the limestone. The results are expressed from four perspectives. The anatomy of Casa Ippolito, as revealed in its ruins, provides a cross-section of its building history and shows two distinct phases in its construction. The tissue of Casa Ippolito—the building elements and materials—speaks of the knowledge of raw materials and their properties among the builders who worked on both phases. The architectural history of Casa Ippolito reveals how it supported its inhabitants’ wellbeing in terms of shelter, water and food. Finally, the ruins in their present state bring to the fore the site’s potential for cultural tourism. This case study aims to show that such ruins are not just geocultural remains of historical built fabric. They are open wounds in the built structure; they underpin the anatomy of the building and support insights into its former dynamics. Ruins offer an essay in material culture and building physics. Architectural ruins of masonry structures are anthropogenic discourse rendered in stone which facilitate not only the reconstruction of spaces but also places for human users; they are a statement on the wellbeing of humanity throughout history.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Architectural ruins: geoculture of the anatomy of buildings as illustrated by Casa Ippolito, Malta

Bianco

2021

Herit Sci

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“…In 2004, Europe and China launched a geopark program to kickstart the publicization of geoheritage conservation [106]. Geoparks (Figure 7) have proved to be successful in contributing to sustainable development goals by revolutionizing tourism, promoting local tourism businesses and ensuring the protection of important geological sites and landscapes [107,108]. Hence, UNESCO put it on its agenda opening new opportunities for propagation.…”

Section: Indicatorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Informed Geoheritage Conservation: Determinant Analysis Based on Bibliometric and Sustainability Indicators Using Ordination Techniques

Németh¹,

Németh²,

Procter³

2021

Land

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Ordination methods are used in ecological multivariate statistics in order to reduce the number of dimensions and arrange individual variables along environmental variables. Geoheritage designation is a new challenge for conservation planning. Quantification of geoheritage to date is used explicitly for site selection, however, it also carries significant potential to be one of the indicators of sustainable development that is delivered through geosystem services. In order to achieve such a dominant position, geoheritage needs to be included in the business as usual model of conservation planning. Questions about the quantification process that have typically been addressed in geoheritage studies can be answered more directly by their relationships to world development indicators. We aim to relate the major informative geoheritage practices to underlying trends of successful geoheritage implementation through statistical analysis of countries with the highest trackable geoheritage interest. Correspondence analysis (CA) was used to obtain information on how certain indicators bundle together. Multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) was used to detect sets of factors to determine positive geoheritage conservation outcomes. The analysis resulted in ordination diagrams that visualize correlations among determinant variables translated to links between socio-economic background and geoheritage conservation outcomes. Indicators derived from geoheritage-related academic activity and world development metrics show a shift from significant Earth science output toward disciplines of strong international agreement such as tourism, sustainability and biodiversity. Identifying contributing factors to conservation-related decisions helps experts to tailor their proposals for required evidence-based quantification reports and reinforce the scientific significance of geoheritage.

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“…Geotourism stands out among the geoconservation strategies disseminated nowadays and has an integrating character because it disseminates, in the context of environmental conservation, economic, cultural and aesthetic approaches (DOWLING, 2013;WILLIAMS et al, 2020). Hence, geotourism is a dynamic activity that allows the use of elements of geodiversity in accordance with the fulfillment of sustainability postulates and the strengthening of local identities (GORDON, 2012).…”

Section: Geodiversity: a Paradigm In Evolutionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Geodiversity, marketing and photographic images:

Meira¹,

Silva²,

Nascimento³

et al. 2021

Cad. Geogr.

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Photography is an important instrument in tourism marketing, which aims to encourage consumption and consolidate the image of a tourist destination in consumers’ minds. The elements of geodiversity with aesthetic and cultural values are commonly used as differentiated products in tourism destinations. This article discusses the relation between geodiversity, tourism marketing and the use of photographs in consolidating the image of a destination, focusing on those based in geotourism practices. The case study analyzes photographs from tourism promotion materials of the Basque Coast UNESCO Global Geopark (Spain), seeking to understand the techniques, fieldwork, symbols and narratives present therein. The methodology involves a theoretical discussion, field work and a qualitative description of the photographs with physical attributes. Geological and geomorphological features of Basque Coast are shown in photographs, highlighting a singular geoheritage that sustains environmental and cultural conservation, a principle that every geopark should construct and transmit.

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Geoconservation and Geotourism: Challenges and Unifying Themes

Cited by 34 publications

References 33 publications

Architectural ruins: geoculture of the anatomy of buildings as illustrated by Casa Ippolito, Malta

Architectural ruins: geoculture of the anatomy of buildings as illustrated by Casa Ippolito, Malta

Informed Geoheritage Conservation: Determinant Analysis Based on Bibliometric and Sustainability Indicators Using Ordination Techniques

Geodiversity, marketing and photographic images:

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