Geology Reference
In-Depth Information
1998 ), Phase V commenced in earnest around 2005; it is still
ongoing, and overlaps with the latter stage of Phase IV.
The formal linking of geodiversity to biodiversity pro-
vided a process by which geologists with a focus on geo-
heritage and geoconservation engaged with biologists/
ecologists with their focus on biodiversity and bio-conser-
vation. This provided the community of biologists/ecologists
with an understanding that, to design and maintain a robust
ecosystem conservation plan, there needed to be a founda-
tion of geosciences. It also provided decision-makers with a
platform to understanding the importance of geodiversity
because of its conceptual similarity to biodiversity which, by
that stage, had been entrenched in the conservation arena.
The year 2005 saw the publication of the Planning Policy
Statement 9: Biodiversity and Geological Conservation .
This policy represented a major step forward in achieving
greater recognition for geological conservation in the plan-
ning system in England. In particular, it makes a number of
important statements about the need for planning to deliver
geological conservation across the whole landscape, not just
protected sites.
In October 2006, English Nature produced an important
publication: Geological conservation
( 2013 ) who emphasised the contribution of geoscience in
delivering integrated environmental management.
The development of holistic management strategies by
linking geodiversity to biodiversity and to land-use planning
was pursued over this period by Gordon and Leys ( 2001 ),
Page et al. ( 2005 ) and Page ( 2008 ).
The focused use of geoheritage areas and geosites for
geotrails and geotourism also has been one of the most
recent activities during Phase V and came about as an out-
growth of the recognition of the value of these sites to sci-
ence, education and tourism. This activity was also linked in
parallel to the developing concept of geoparks where the
geological features of a region were recognised as locations
for geoconservation and local economic sustainable devel-
opment based on the sites of geoconservation (Eder and
Patzac 1999 ). In Britain, key areas that were used for geo-
trails and geotourism included the Jurassic Coast World
Heritage Site in Dorset and East Devon, the Dinosaur Coast
of North Yorkshire and the Aberlady and Malvern Hills
Geopark are actively promoting geotourism (Rawson and
Wright 1992 ; Welton 2004 ; Badman et al. 2003 ; Earth
Heritage Trust 2008 ).
a guide to good
practice: working towards Natural England for people,
places and nature . The environment activities of the Rural
Development Service and the Countryside Agency
4
Geoparks
A Brief History
s Land-
scape, Access and Recreation division merged in a single
body called Natural England . Natural England is an orga-
nization that can deliver geological conservation as part of
whole-of-natural-environment management. It brings toge-
ther geology, geomorphology, soils, habitats, landscapes,
and public access and recreation. This approach supports the
delivery of sustainable environmental management (Stace
and Larwood 2006 ), and geological conservation now is an
integral part of English conservation and land management.
In England,
'
Globally, there are three geoparks initiatives, viz. (1)
National Geoparks; (2) Global Geoparks; and (3) European
Geoparks. National Geoparks have been in existence for the
longest period as geological conservation areas or regions.
The Global Geoparks and the European Geoparks are more
recent endeavours.
National Geoparks are areas designated by individual
countries for their geoheritage values. In fact, many may not
be termed geoparks, but conserved either under Category III
of IUCN conservation categories and criteria, and effectively
function as geoparks in that the National Heritage site, or
National Conservation of the site is based on its geological
values. In this context, there either had been no application
for a given National Geoparks in an individual country to be
part of an international network, or they do not meet the
criteria, or there has been a choice not to be af
there are approximately 1,240 SSSI with a
noti
ed geological interest.
In 2006, English Nature, the Countryside Agency and
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
'
Rural
Development Service jointly published
'Natural Founda-
tions: geodiversity for people, places and nature
as major a
step towards an integrated approach to environmental con-
servation, management and enhancement, by linking biodi-
versity,
'
liated to
global networks. However, all three initiatives can be seen to
share a common aim to protect geodiversity, promote geo-
heritage, and to support sustainable economic development.
The European Geoparks Network (EGN) was initially
created in 2000 as an experimental tool to promote geo-
logical heritage in Europe, originally consisting of four ter-
ritories (France, Germany, Greece and Spain). With an
annually-expanding programme, the EGN has now 44
Geoparks (including cross boundary sites) in Austria,
Romania, Italy, Portugal, Slovenia, Hungary, Spain, the
British Isles, Norway, Iceland, Croatia, Finland, and Poland.
landscape and human life (Stace and Larwood
2006 ).
Over
2013, numerous other works
linked geodiversity to biodiversity in Britain. These included
Jonasson et al. ( 2005 ) who used the link between geodi-
versity to biodiversity in the European mountains with case
studies from Sweden, Scotland and the Czech Republic,
Gordon and Barron ( 2012 ) who emphasised the value of
geodiversity and geoconservation in developing a more
strategic approach to ecosystem management, and Gray et al.
the period 2005
-
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