Local-scale field mapping of geodiversity: a case study from sub-Arctic Finland

The increasing pressure from climate‑driven and human‑induced disturbances in high-latitude regions has created an urgent need for novel approaches to support existing conservation strategies. The development and utilization of new approaches could be particularly useful in investigating and conserving Arctic and sub-Arctic environments, which are among the most vulnerable to ongoing climate change. The integration of geodiversity information, i.e., the diversity of abiotic features in the Earth surface and subsurface, into environmental research offers high potential for assessing risks to geodiversity and ecosystems. 

Varying definitions of geodiversity complicate mapping and analysis efforts, and holistic measures and monitoring schemes of geodiversity are yet to be developed. The fundamental issue in mapping geodiversity is the need to categorize objects into distinct classes that can be judged to be distinctive. To address categorical inconsistency in geodiversity data, Hjort et al. (2024) proposed a hierarchical taxonomy of geodiversity, in which geological (rocks, tectonics) geomorphological (landforms, Earth surface processes), pedological (soil pedons and materials) and hydrological (surface and subsurface water features) components of geodiversity are classified based on their genesis, physico-chemical properties and morphology.  

This study uses the proposed taxonomy of geodiversity under field conditions to test its applicability in identifying high-value geodiversity areas. Our main goals were to 1) conduct a holistic geodiversity mapping across a spatially extensive and diverse environment, and 2) explore the spatial distribution of geodiversity and its components. Field work was conducted at 192 study sites using 5- and 20-meter survey radii to map geofeatures in a sub-Arctic environment in northern Finland characterized by a complex glacial footprint and diverse ecological conditions. Overall, 180 different geofeatures were mapped. On average, survey sites contained 17 geofeatures, while the most geodiverse sites hosted up to 30. Thematically detailed information on fine-scale geodiversity can improve our understanding of high-latitude geodiversity, inform geoconservation efforts, and serve as a tool for identifying and monitoring environmental change. 

 

References 

Hjort, J., Seijmonsbergen, A. C., Kemppinen, J., Tukiainen, H., Maliniemi, T., Gordon, J. E., Alahuhta, J., and Gray, M.: Towards a taxonomy of geodiversity, Philosophical Transactions A Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences, 382, 20230060, https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2023.0060, 2024.