The ‘management perimeter’: A proposal for effective conservation of geomorphosites

Abstract

Geomorphosites, i.e. geosites with geomorphological interest, have a great spatial variability. Geomorphological heritage is visible at all scales, thus the area of a geomorphosite may include a single landform, groups of landforms, up to larger portions of a landscape. However, in many cases, landforms and processes included in the area of a geomorphosite interact with other processes acting outside of it. Therefore, the evolution and eventual degradation of the geomorphosite can be affected by active processes outside its perimeter, be they natural or anthropogenic. This poses an issue in geoconservation and geoheritage management – the perimeter of the site may be not enough to ensure its conservation and prevent it from degradation. In this paper the identification of a second perimeter, called the ‘management perimeter’ (MP), is proposed for each geomorphosite. The MP is delineated on a geomorphological basis, by individuating the active processes which influence the evolution of the geomorphosite, and including the whole area on which they act. Thus, the extent of the MP depends on the intrinsic characteristics of the geomorphosite and the surrounding geomorphological context. The methodology was tested on two study areas: the Liguria region (North-western Italy), and the Hérens valley (Valais canton, Switzerland), which are characterised by very different geomorphological settings, thus they permit to apply the methodology on a wide variety of geomorphosites. The identification of a MP based on geomorphological evidence could allow for effective conservation and management. The results of this research highlight the systemic dimension of geomorphology and geomorphosites, and emphasise how a systemic look has great significance when dealing with the issues of geoconservation.