Geodiversity and Geoheritage are core concepts and tools both for the dissemination of Earth Science ideas and for the protection of unique and valuable landscapes, landforms, bed-rock features and natural geological materials, such as minerals and fossils. The importance of conserving geodiversity through the concept of geoheritage is now widely accepted and has been introduced into the European Landscape Convention and the EU Soil Strategy. These concepts are also generating discussion and interest, not only within researchers in Earth Sciences, but also with workers in biology, spatial planning, tourism and cultural heritage, raising awareness of the complex connections that exist between all these domains. Those interested in integrated and interdisciplinary approaches are particularly involved in this process. This increase in awareness has lead to the recent establishment of the International Commission on Geoheritage (ICG) within IUGS and this new initiative will be introduced and discussed within this session.
Although many attempts have been made to define and assess geoheritage and geodiversity, as with biodiversity, when describing the geodiversity of an area, different aspects, such as the maximum variety as well as those elements and patterns that are characteristic for the genesis of a specific area can take differing emphasis. We wish to build on the very successful last five years of EGU meetings to address all these aspects of geodiversity and geoheritage, including current methods of research and debate at all levels from the global to the local scale. In particular we invite PICO presentations and posters related to the following themes:
1) Definitions (principles, approaches, context), 2) Assessment (mapping, assessment, classification and quantification), 3) Case studies of geodiversity and/or geoheritage, 4) Geo[morpho]sites, geomonuments and geo-hot-spots, especially in a context of sustainable land use, 5) Integration with quarrying, mining and other industrial and infrastructural use of geoheriatge and their effects on geodiversity, 6) Geoparks and geoheritage conservation, management and promotion, 7) Links and interactions between geoheritage and geodiversity, biodiversity and cultural diversity and heritage, 8) Geotourism and geoheritage conservation, management and promotion, including educational aspects of geoheritage and geodiversity.
The session is planned this year to be as an ORAL + PICO + POSTER session to maximise exchange and discussion. It will be accompanied by a Splinter Meeting, where the main themes will be reviewed and a Geodiversity Picnic will be organised to broaden the discussion and increase links with members of other disciplines within the EGU community.
The session is co-organized by the Working Group on Geomorphosites of the International Association of Geomorphologists, the Working Group on Landform Assessment for Geodiversity and ProGEO, the European Association for the Conservation of the Geological Heritage. The newly founded IUGS International Commission on Geoheritage (ICG) will join the session.