Quantifying alpha, beta and gamma geodiversity

Tukiainen, Helena; Maliniemi, Tuija; Alahuhta, Janne; Hjort, Jan; Lindholm, Marja; Salminen, Henriikka; Snåre, Henna; Toivanen, Maija; Vilmi, Annika; Heino, Jani

doi:10.1177/03091333221114714

Cited by 19 publications

(34 citation statements)

References 50 publications

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“…The approach we used to quantify geodiversity uniqueness proved to be robust, as (i) the raw data and distance-based data approaches and (ii) both selection criteria to indicate potentially exceptional sites for geoconservation provided consistent results for each of our three study areas. Previous investigations have emphasized that the methods and measures developed in biodiversity research can be applied to quantify geodiversity across different spatial scales [21,27], although the focal spatial scale influences our perception of beta diversity patterns (e.g. [44,45] geofeatures do not accumulate with increasing spatial scale in a geodiversity-poor study region [46].…”

Section: (D) Results and Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Quantitative measurement of geodiversity uniqueness: research implications and conservation applications

Alahuhta,

García-Girón,

Hjort

et al. 2024

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A.

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Quantitative approaches are needed to complement qualitative explorations to identify sites with unique geodiversity and thereby guide geoconservation and geoheritage programmes. Here, we introduce the concept and associated index of ‘geodiversity uniqueness’. This index is based on a numerical analysis of geofeatures and allows the identification of sites with unique geodiversity in a study area. We applied this approach to geofeature data from three areas in Finland. Our results showed that patterns of geodiversity uniqueness varied profoundly among the three study areas and across sites within each area. This was due to different sets of geofeatures and distinct characteristics of each study area. More importantly, the approach presented here was robust across the datasets and selection criteria for sets of sites, showing potential for geoconservation in each study area. The geodiversity uniqueness approach is a promising starting point to identify and map sites with unique geodiversity that can be further verified using field observations. To improve our knowledge of geodiversity variation, complementary approaches providing objective information on contributions to total beta geodiversity are needed to advance geoconservation programmes across areas and different spatial scales. This article is part of the Theo Murphy meeting issue ‘Geodiversity for science and society’.

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Section: (D) Results and Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Quantitative measurement of geodiversity uniqueness: research implications and conservation applications

Alahuhta,

García-Girón,

Hjort

et al. 2024

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A.

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“…For both abiotic features and ecosystem services' variables, various diversity indices and distance-based multivariate methods (Legendre & Legendre, 2012) can be modified and used to calculate the alpha, beta and gamma components. For abiotic diversity (or, more specifically, for geodiversity), such a scheme has been recently proposed elsewhere (Tukiainen et al, 2022).…”

Section: A Prop Os Ed Approach To G U Ide C Atchment Pl Anningmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Abiotic beta diversity is the difference in physical and chemical conditions between any two lakes. Previous research has indirectly considered abiotic beta diversity by calculating differences in physical conditions between sites or between different areas (Tukiainen et al, 2022). Abiotic gamma diversity refers to variation in abiotic conditions across multiple lakes in a landscape.…”

Section: Biotic Featuresmentioning

confidence: 99%

Deciphering land‐use influences on boreal lakes to guide landscape planning

Heino

Toivanen

Alahuhta

2023

Ecol Sol and Evidence

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Changes in natural land cover have been pronounced in the last 12,000 years, and land use has intensified in the last century owing to anthropogenic pressures on landscapes. This trend has led to concomitant changes in the abiotic templates and biotic communities of different ecosystems embedded in a landscape. Deciphering the role of land use is key to understand ecological change in boreal landscapes. These landscapes are characterized by large numbers of lakes that have been affected by various anthropogenic factors, of which land use has considerable direct and indirect effects on lakes. In this review, we focus on land use impacts on boreal lakes in a historical perspective. We will consider lake features related to abiotic conditions, biological communities and ecosystem services, and provide potential solutions for planning lake management and conservation in a landscape setting. More specifically, we propose a novel way to characterize lake abiotic, biotic and ecosystem service features by applying the alpha, beta and gamma concept used widely in ecological research. Finally, we highlight situations where this approach could be a valuable addition to existing means to identify lakes that should be reserved for ecosystem services (‘lake‐sharing’) and those that are vital for protecting aquatic biodiversity (‘lake‐sparing’).

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“…Both α and γ geodiversity can be measured e.g. with simple richness measures or diversity indices, whereas β geodiversity can be calculated with different distance-based statistical methods [18][19][20][21]. To date, most quantitative geodiversity assessments have been carried out at the α geodiversity level, i.e.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, the number of different types of geodiversity elements in one site is a measure of α geodiversity. [8] .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A framework for quantifying geodiversity at the local scale: a case study from the Rokua UNESCO Global Geopark

Tukiainen,

Maliniemi,

Brilha

et al. 2024

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A.

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Geoconservation and related quantitative and qualitative geodiversity assessments are gaining increasing attention. However, methodologies for measuring geodiversity at local scale are currently rare. Here, we present a framework for assessing local-scale geodiversity of different landforms using field-based and digital elevation model (DEM-) derived data from the Rokua UNESCO Global Geopark in Finland. We observed the presence or absence of various geodiversity elements, such as geological or topographical elements in our study sites, and used these data to quantify alpha (α), gamma (γ) and beta (β) geodiversity of various landforms. In addition, we measured topographical heterogeneity in the field and from DEMs. The results showed distinct patterns in the geodiversity and topographical variation of the landforms. The differences between α, γ and β geodiversity of different landforms were particularly clear. According to the results, measures of topographical variability can be used to some extent as surrogates for geodiversity, but the choice of optimal variables is context and scale dependent. These results provide perspectives for further local-scale geodiversity assessments in different study areas and are applicable for a range of purposes, from scientific research to practical management and geoconservation. This article is part of the Theo Murphy meeting issue ‘Geodiversity for science and society’.

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Quantifying alpha, beta and gamma geodiversity

Cited by 19 publications

References 50 publications

Quantitative measurement of geodiversity uniqueness: research implications and conservation applications

Quantitative measurement of geodiversity uniqueness: research implications and conservation applications

Deciphering land‐use influences on boreal lakes to guide landscape planning

A framework for quantifying geodiversity at the local scale: a case study from the Rokua UNESCO Global Geopark

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