Geosite Assessment as a Tool for the Promotion and Conservation of Irpinia Landscape Geoheritage (Southern Italy)

Abstract

Irpinia (Province of Avellino, Campania Region) is a historical–geographical region of Southern Italy inhabited in pre-Roman times by the ancient Samnite tribe of the Irpini, from which the name originates. This area is characterized by both low population density and high naturalness; located on the axial sector of the southern Apennine orogenic chain, the area possesses a complex hilly and mountainous orography, with predominantly agricultural and forest land uses. In this geographical context, there are many relevant geological/geomorphological sites, witnessing a wide geodiversity attributable to complex geological evolution and relief morphogenesis. The extensive bio-geodiversity has thus led to widespread geotourism practices. Irpinia is favored for its beautiful landscapes, rich cultural heritage, and typical small towns, often enhanced by quality certifications; moreover, geotourism activities are often associated with other forms of sustainable tourism. Starting from this geographical framework, the article analyzes eight attractive geosites that represent the geotouristic value of the entire Irpinia area well. The analysis was conducted using well-known qualitative and quantitative assessment methods. The results obtained, emphasizing the salient aspects of geodiversity, can be used in planning the usability of the sites and, more generally, planning for the Irpinian landscape in a geo-ecotouristic sense.

Integrating Cultural Sites into the Sesia Val Grande UNESCO Global Geopark (North-West Italy): Methodologies for Monitoring and Enhancing Cultural Heritage

“…Interestingly, in good agreement with the results found in previous studies in comparable areas [64][65][66][67][68], there is no presence of a strict correlation among the scientific value and other values of the geosites; a geosite with a high scientific value could have low educational and touristic values, and vice versa. 1.…”

Earth Science Frontier at Urban Periphery: Geoheritage from the Vicinity of Kazan City, Russia

“…Several methods have been proposed for geoheritage assessment [1,15,20,[59][60][61][62][63]. They have much in common, but they also differ both formally (by algorithms, criteria, and scoring systems) and in terms of their focus on particular aspects of geoheritage and geosites.…”

Geodiversity of Las Loras UNESCO Global Geopark: Hydrogeological Significance of Groundwater and Landscape Interaction and Conceptual Model of Functioning

“…The base concept of geodiversity is the graphic presentation of a variety of geological elements that form the surface of planet Earth [3] and provides the foundation for the biota on which human societies depend. The United Nations included geodiversity in the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Agenda [4], and International Geodiversity Day was officially proclaimed by UNESCO in 2021, with the first celebrated on 6 October 2022 [5].…”