Residents’ Perception and Assessment of Geomorphosites of the Alvão—Chaves Region

Abstract

This work focuses on the paradigms of a multidimensional and interdisciplinary evaluation of geomorphological heritage and its valorisation within a geosystemic reading of relations between a geomorphological and cultural landscape. This research aims to (i) select geomorphosites at different scales, which represent the regional geodiversity, according to an interdisciplinary approach; and (ii) better understand the perception of the local population concerning the different values of geomorphosites by applying a questionnaire that addresses the scientific, preservation, use, cultural, and educational dimensions. First, the authors selected the geomorphosites at a regional level by respecting the following criteria: (i) representativeness of the landform as a morphogenetic process; (ii) the witnessed periods of morpho-dynamics with potential to contribute to the reconstruction of paleoenvironmental conditions; (iii) the current morpho-dynamic nature; (iv) the importance to the shaping of the cultural landscape; and (v) the use value. Results showed that the major landforms are perceived as those with greater value by the local populations.

Regional Geotourist Resources—Assessment and Management (A Case Study in SE Poland)

“…One of the reasons behind the high rating given by tourists to such geosites is their unquestionable visual (landscape) value. The significance of landscape beauty in the perception, and consequently, assessment of natural components and entire landscapes are indicated by the results of previous studies [17,39]. There is no doubt that geotourism can also develop based on the assets of the cultural landscape [40].…”

“…However, the high synthetic assessment of their tourist value indicates that abiotic nature sites arouse the interest of visitors and can be the basis for the development of geotourism. The favourable perception of geoheritage sites by tourists and residents is of key importance from the perspective of spatial management and preservation of abiotic nature assets [17].…”

“…Such studies constitute an indispensable element of establishing geosites and geoparks. An assessment of geotourist assets can be carried out by means of an expert evaluation [8][9][10][11][12] or questionnaire surveys among tourists and residents [13][14][15][16][17]. Both methods of assessing geoheritage resources have their advantages and limitations.…”

Assessing Geotourism Resources on a Local Level: A Case Study from Southern Moravia (Czech Republic)

“…To recognize the potential of an area for geotourism, it is necessary to undertake the detailed literature and map review and detailed fieldwork which takes into account both abiotic resources (geodiversity) and other types of resources that are related to geodiversity (biotic, cultural aspects) [18]. Numerous methods for assessing the geotourism potential have been developed (for an overview the works of [20,[29][30][31][32][33][34] are relevant), but they have been limited to an assessment of particular geological or geomorphological sites. Larger areas were assessed by the methods using the GIS-based analysis, e.g., [35][36][37][38][39], but those procedures were usually focused on geoheritage management or implications for geoconservation and did not include the cultural or economical aspects that are essential for geotourism development.…”

Geotourism

“…In Martins & Pereira's [11] paper, the focus is on multidimensional evaluation of geomorphological heritage and its valorisation in relation to the cultural landscape in Portugal. Their methodological approach embraces models for analysing and calculates local residents' geomorphological values, such as value of use, preservation value, management value, scientific value, ecological value, cultural value and aesthetic value in order to better understand the local populations' perception of the different values of geomorphosites.…”