Geological diversity fostering actions in geoconservation: An overview of Brazil

Abstract

The geodiversity of Brazil is associated with the geological evolution of the South American Platform, the part of the South American Plate that behaved as a stable portion during the formation of the Andean and Caribbean mobile belts, in the Mesozoic and Cenozoic. It reflects a geological history that can be identified in the rocks, sediments, landforms, soils and active processes. As the abiotic component of natural diversity, the knowledge of this geological diversity is important to implement territorial plans and public policies, and this can only be done with adequate communication to society. This paper aims to present the geological bases that generated the geodiversity of Brazil and trace an overview of how geodiversity is being approached in the country in the light of geoconservation and its relationship with biodiversity. On the bases of a survey including bibliographic and media sources, our results are based on four aspects: i) studies on geodiversity - 5 states and 8 local areas with geodiversity indexes maps, and the Geodiversity projet of the Geological Survey of Brazil (CPRM); ii) inventories and other surveys - ongoing or finished geoheritage inventories in 5 states, 4 geological units and 5 national parks, 182 sites in the Brazilian Commission of Geological and Paleobiological Sites (SIGEP)’s list, 461 sites in the geoheritage indicative list of CPRM and 10 sites in the World Heritage list; iii) geoparks - 3 UNESCO Global Geopark (UGGp) and about 35 geoparks' applicants and projects to the International Geosciences and Geoparks Program, being 2 aspiring and 31 projects in distinct levels of development; iv) geotourism and outreach - initiatives on interpretative panels, dissemination books, virtual products, events and places. The Brazilian flora and fauna are strongly conditioned by the distinct habitats, which in turn compound ecosystems that integrate geodiversity and biodiversity in many protected areas. All this constitutes a variety of both extractable and non-extractable geological resources that may be used in a sustainable way.