International Journal of Geoheritage and Parks最新文献

Over the past decade, various methodologies have been developed to systematize, discuss, and propose measures for protecting and sustainably managing geological heritage. The Alto Ribeira Touristic State Park is a crucial component of the most significant network of protected areas in the State of São Paulo, Brazil. It has international recognition for its speleological heritage, which underpins its status as a popular tourist destination. This intensive touristic use necessitates solid management plans that ensure sustainable tourism while preserving the karst features. Therefore, this work refined the inventory of geological sites and provided a quantitative assessment of their degradation risk and potential for use. Three geosites and twenty four geodiversity sites were identified and assessed. The quantitative evaluation of these geological sites was conducted using the System for Registration and Quantification of Geosites and Geodiversity Sites (GEOSSIT), which was developed by the Geological Survey of Brazil. The application of this tool, designed for use in a vast and diverse country like Brazil, revealed the need for adaptations when applied to a smaller area such as Alto Ribeira Touristic State Park. This work helped establish management priorities for these sites and determine the most suitable uses for each geological site, providing valuable information for park managers. Such studies demonstrate that proper management of protected and conserved areas should always include geodiversity and geoconservation in their action plans.

The socio-economical importance of geological heritage (geoheritage) makes it a geological resource. New minerals are reported regularly, and their type specimens and localities are ex-situ and in-situ constituents of geoheritage, respectively. The present study focuses on the contemporary dynamics of these specific resources. For this purpose, the information about new minerals reported during the past five years is analyzed. The attention is paid to the distribution of the new mineral specimens (holotypes and cotypes) and their type localities by country; the transboundary replacement of new minerals is also considered. It is established that the new minerals-related geoheritage resources are accumulated in dozens of countries. The ex-situ geoheritage (specimens in museum collections) is represented twice narrower than the in-situ geoheritage (localities as geosites). About a half of new minerals are replaced to the other countries and often to the other parts of the world. The registered patterns are explained by the peculiarities of the contemporary mineralogical research. The outcomes of the present analysis permit to make recommendations for the development of the optimal geoheritage policy.

The UNESCO Global Geoparks are grounded in three core principles: education, geoconservation, and geotourism. Since 2015, the Napo Sumaco Aspiring UNESCO Global Geopark (NSAUGG) in the Ecuadorian Amazon has concentrated its efforts on enhancing local capabilities through Earth Sciences education, underscoring the safeguarding of natural and cultural heritage and environmental stewardship. A comprehensive educational dissemination model was implemented, incorporating both indoor and outdoor activities, geoscience education training, geodiversity knowledge enhancement, and the creation of content and workshops that integrate classroom and field-based learning and evaluation. The concepts of geodiversity and geoparks were disseminated to adults and youth, primarily members of the native peoples' communities, particularly those employed at the Community Tourism Centers and the geopark guides designated as “Yuyaiwa Pushak Runakuna.” A total of 60 individuals from the NSAUGG populations between Tena and Archidona cantons participated in the educational activities, which involved 19 geoeducators. These initiatives facilitated an appreciation of the geopark's diverse heritages, including its geological, biological, and cultural assets. The geoeducation efforts fostered geotourism, with the Yuyaiwa Pushak Runakuna acquiring greater value through their assimilation of geological and speleological knowledge. This is evident in their use of geological vocabulary and understanding of geological processes and materials in guiding activities for both national and foreign tourists. The most significant achievement is the establishment of “Geoeducation for Sustainability” actions, which promotes collective life through knowledge dialogues based on Minka (voluntary community work) and Turkana (reciprocity and barter). These actions encouraged a deeper connection to the geopark's heritage and strengthened community cohesion.

Globally, deserts are considered as fragile and unique biomes. They have the capacity to provide various ecosystem services, and possess great tourism potential and scientific value, but are also susceptible to modifications or alterations in their geomorphology. Despite the strategic importance of these ecosystems at a global level, there is limited specialized research directed towards the study of deserts in Ecuador. The purpose of this research is to determine the susceptibility to degradation and carrying capacity of environmental units to support tourist and recreational activities, thereby offering the community a sustainable resource over time. The delimitation of environmental units was carried out based on the identification of land use and land cover through the supervised classification method. Multicriteria analysis was used to obtain the areas susceptible to degradation, where the environmental units were evaluated through expert evaluation. Once the results of the previous methodologies were obtained, areas with environmental and tourist potential were identified using the hosting capacity matrix, which is based on anthropic activities developed in the area. Subsequently, a proposal for conservation strategies and activities at the national and local levels was formulated. Five categories of land use and land cover were identified, resulting in 11 environmental units represented in spatial data. It was determined that approximately 31% of the territory is more susceptible to degradation, while the remaining 69% is less susceptible. Based on the susceptibility of these areas, 7 activities and 2 tourist routes were designated to help reduce anthropogenic pressure. Additionally, the community was provided with 5 proposals for conservation strategies at the national level, 4 at the local level, and 4 activities to be developed based on the findings identified during the investigation. This highlights the significant potential that the Palmira Desert has to become a conservation area.

Scientific studies, their methods and results are often difficult to understand for non-specialists due to their esoteric nature. Such lack of understanding means that such work is removed from our normal life experience, and thus, the applicability, interest and use of such work can be minimal. The communication of geoscience finds a natural conduit through geoheritage. A good example of an inaccessible technique far removed from everyday experience is anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS), an extremely useful geoscience technique with many applications, including finding strain and flow directions in rocks. We explored here how to make “AMS” understandable, using three different volcanic sites where the flow of molten rock is an important aspect, each situated in different types of geoheritage visitation context (wild trekkers, beach visitors, and walkers). The method we developed and tested follows the production of simple and adapted explanations, and is coupled with geoheritage inventorying and communication. We utilized the tangible geological features of outcrops, as well as intangible elements such as rock magnetic data, and conducted a geoheritage inventory using the modified geosite assessment model (M-GAM) method to create narratives for popular comprehension. The M-GAM analysis has identified the geosites of the San Bartolo lava flow of the Stromboli volcano for the communication of the AMS. Later, a simple and comprehensible definition of AMS and thus of the flow processes was created using a step-by-step process. This method could be useful for scientific studies to allow them to reach out to a wider public, using their input in the simple explanation stage to con-construct a narrative. This would provide a way for science to be more widely appreciated, useful and applicable.

Tourism is pivotal for rural economic development; however, despite hosting a substantial number of tourists, many developing countries with rural landscapes face persistent poverty among local communities. This study aims to delve into the impact of tourism (geoheritage and national parks) on local livelihoods, examining drivers for livelihood portfolio and community decisions to engage in tourism activities. The Multivariate Probit, and instrumental variable models (Instrumental Variable Probit, and Two Stage Least Squares) were employed on data from 582 respondents collected through cross-sectional questionnaires. Results highlight the significant influence of socioeconomic factors—sex, age, household size, credit access, market access, social membership, and education—on livelihood portfolio. Results show that specific tourism activities, such as accommodation services, handcrafts, catering and hospitality, and tour guiding, exert varying effects on household food security, income, and access to essential social services. Challenges hindering participation include education levels, information and awareness, service quality, cultural barriers, financial costs, government policies, competition, resource monopolisation, corruption, and infrastructure deficiencies. Recommendations include investments in skill development, infrastructure enhancement, cultural preservation, financial inclusion, regulatory frameworks, and community awareness programs. These strategies aim to facilitate household participation in tourism activities, promoting geotourism and enhancing the well-being of Mount Kilimanjaro National Park communities. Policymakers are urged to implement these measures to uplift local livelihoods and foster sustainable tourism in the region.