Geoconservation

Resumo: O Parque Nacional Serra da Capivara, fundado em 1979 e sagrado Patrimônio Mundial da UNESCO em 1991, foi demarcado com o intuito de proteger a biodiversidade local e o vasto patrimônio arqueológico, que oferece evidências da ocupação primitiva da América do Sul no Pleistoceno. A área, em clima semiárido e solo pouco propício para a agricultura, exibe índices de desenvolvimento social muito baixos. O turismo motivado pelo PNSC seria uma alternativa para o desenvolvimento sustentável, não fosse a falta de investimentos do governo em sua manutenção. Baseando-se essencialmente nos potenciais de uso turístico e educativo-sem, no entanto, olvidar o valor científico-, foi feito um inventário e análise de 30 sítios geológicos, localizados dentro e fora dos limites do parque. Espera-se que, aliados ao valor arqueológico do local, e devidamente valorizados e interpretados, esses sítios adicionem valor geológico à área, alavancando o geoturismo e auxiliando o desenvolvimento sustentável na região. Palavras-chave: desenvolvimento sustentável, geodiversidade, patrimônio geológico, Parque Nacional Serra da Capivara, sítios geológicos. Abstract: The Serra da Capivara National Park (SCNP) was founded in 1979 to protect the local biodiversity and archaeological heritage. Its archaeological sites, which provide evidence of the early human occupation of South America, motivated its status of UNESCO's World Heritage as of 1991. However, its establishment displaced families (many without compensation), and prevented them from the culturally-based use of the local natural resources. Under the semi-arid climate with long droughts and unfavorable soil for agriculture, the region exhibits low social development indices. Tourism motivated by SCNP could boost sustainable development, as much as deterioration of the park could be prevented, if the government invested more. In order to help boost tourism in the area with the addition of the geological value, an inventory of geological sites was carried out, resulting in a list of 30 sites, within and outside the limits of the park. The inventory mainly considered the tourist and educational potentials of the sites, but the scientific value was not neglected whenever it stood out. Provided the sites in the inventory are properly managed and promoted, they might provide a much-needed additional value that will help increase tourism in the region of Serra da Capivara, thus enhancing sustainable development there as well.

Observation itineraries of paleontological and geological aspects in the façades and floors of buildings are very widespread in several places of the world and are currently present in Brazil. This urban geotourism allows people to get to know the geodiversity without having to be in the outcrop in situ. The Museum of Tomorrow, located in Praça Mauá, nº 1, downtown Rio de Janeiro, has an inner lining and part of the outer lining, a coloring lime varying from beige to ivory. This limestone, originating from the Jandaíra Formation, Upper Cretaceous of the Potiguar Basin, Northeast of Brazil, is full of fossils of gastropod molluscs. The present work describes the fossils found on the floor in and around the Museum of Tomorrow and proposes a geotouristic script and an explanatory folder. For the elaboration of the script, eight points were selected based on four aspects: a) quantity of fossils per slab, b) taxonomic diversity, c) better state of preservation of fossils, d) different type of fossilization, and e) paleoenvironmental differences. The fossils identified in the course are the following gastropod molluscs: Plesioptygmatis Böse, 1906 and Nerinea Deshayes, 1827 (Nerineidae), Tylostoma Sharpe, 1849 (Naticidae), Trochactaeon Meek, 1863 (Trochacteonidae) and Family Fasciolariidae (indeterminate genus). As the Museum of Tomorrow works on exhibitions related to past, present and future time, it is possible during the course to enter information on geological time and to discuss this topic more comprehensively. In addition, this script, along with the explanatory folder, will allow the mediators to develop the paleontological content in the guided tours of schools and the public in general, taking advantage of the space to diversify the scientific dissemination.

The Isle of Wight has a rich and varied geological heritage which attracts scientists, tourists and fossil collectors, both private and commercial. Each party has a role to play in geoconservation and geotourism, but a policy on the long term curation of scientifically important specimens is essential to prevent future conflicts. A new code of conduct is recommended, based on the one adopted on the Jurassic Coast of Dorset. I have spent over 40 years living on the Island and working in the tourist industry running geology field-trips for both academics and tourists, and managing one of the longest running geological gift shops. I see the geological heritage and fossil sites as valuable geotourism assets, and envisage no problems with respect to the scientifically important material provided that a clear collecting policy is adopted, and the local museum generates funding to ensure that significant finds remain on the Island. A positive attitude is recommended in view of past experiences.

Recent cave exploration in the Yorkshire Dales glaciokarst of the north of England has mainly been achieved through the removal of sediment infill from passages and entrances. This has resulted in the linking of previously fragmented cave systems to produce the world class Three Counties Cave System. This work has resulted in a growing appreciation by cave explorers of the need to conserve the delicate underground environment. A number of new techniques and approaches have been developed in order to limit the effects of exploratory digging on the cave system along with active efforts to clean up the underground legacy of previous generations of cave explorers. These techniques and approaches pioneered here may have wider applicability to karst areas elsewhere in the world where cave exploration has reached a phase which includes the digging through sediment blockages.

A relação entre o homem e o substrato geológico pode ser observada na paisagem que pode revelar as diferentes maneiras de apropriação cultural dos elementos da geodiversidade. Os produtos dessa relação registram, em alguns casos, trechos importantes da história humana, tornando-os patrimônios geoculturais de grande valor histórico, científico e turístico. O processo de desenvolvimento do Brasil colonial e imperial teve papel preponderante na produção do patrimônio geocultural de Minas Gerais, guardando traços de um período em que a geodiversidade ocupou função relevante para o crescimento econômico regional. Este período, conhecido como ciclo do ouro, deixou na paisagem vestígios da mineração de metais preciosos e da metalurgia em ruínas de construções rudimentares e coloniais. Estes vestígios integram significativamente a paisagem da Serra da Calçada, localizada na porção noroeste do Quadrilátero Ferrífero, importante pólo minerário nacional. A fim de compreender melhor o potencial geoturístico destas áreas, foi proposto um método de quantificação desses elementos que integram o patrimônio geoculturalbuscando auxiliar na tomada de decisões relacionada à sua valorização e à geoconservação. I ntr odução O desenvolvimento da humanidade foi responsável pela produção de uma paisagem cultural que, ao longo da evolução humana na Terra, deixou vestígios da apropriação de elementos da natureza para construção de bens culturais de variados períodos históricos. Estas impressões culturais, que segundo Santos (1978, 2004), compõe a morfologia da paisagem, onde os produtos de diferentes momentos históricos se cristalizam no espaço geográfico criando formas-objeto ou rugosidades. O evidente aspecto da ação humana sobre a crosta terrestre é principalmente a modificação do relevo. Peloggia (2005) apud Pereira (2010) aponta que as intervenções na paisagem natural tiveram início com o domínio do fogo e se intensificaram com o surgirmento das civilizações, provenientes da Revolução Neolítica. Na geologia esta ocasião marca o início do Tecnógeno, período em que o homem passou a exercer forte influência na dinâmica externa do planeta. Para Pereira (2010) no Tecnógeno a espécie humana passa a ser um agente geológico, disseminando um estilo de vida urbanizado, construindo paisagens com significativas transformações na superfície terrestre. Assim como ressaltam Nascimento e Scifoni (2010) & Bento (2012), a relação sociedade-natureza é responsável pela produção de dois tipos de objetos culturais que se expressam na paisagem: os materiais, que constituem as cidades, as edificações e as plantações; e os imateriais, correspondentes às festividades, crenças, lendas, tradições, aos símbolos, entre outros, sendo ambos concebidos por meio de uma construção social e histórica. Destarte, no contexto do processo de desenvolvimento do Brasil colonial e imperial, a paisagem teve forte influência da ação minerária no período conhecido como Ciclo do Ouro, deixando vestígios relevantes para se compreender a história do país. Este período histórico teve

Landform assemblages may be used to define sites of geomorphological interest which are resources for rural sustainability. This paper focuses on the valuation and significance of such sites in the context of one European internal border region, illustrated using a case study from the inland mountains of the Spanish-Portuguese border: the Serra do Larouco. The theoretical and methodological approach used includes the recognition, inventory and assessment of a preliminary list of twenty-eight sites. They comprise diverse granitic landforms which characterise the rural inland landscapes in the North West of the Iberian Peninsula. The results from the qualitative and quantitative assessments were the basis for a final selection of nine sites as significant land resources. An analysis of their key values supports the proposal of different use and management options to promote rural sustainability. A review of the methodology applied and the consideration of other case studies provide a means to interpret and discuss the regional and local significance of the selected sites. The conclusions emphasise the crucial role that values linked to landforms can play in little-known mountainous and rural border regions, suggesting a future research agenda.

This dissertation proposes that the current legal definition of springs, veredas and wetlands should be revised. The existing concepts applied to these hydrological systems are controversial, but at the same time have important legal implications. According to Law 12.651/2012 (Brazil 2012), marginal zones, as well as their surroundings, are entitled to protection as ‘Areas of Permanent Preservation’ - APP. Being defined as an APP area allows a differentiated protection regime, such as maintenance or restoration of the local vegetation. Intervention in APP areas, or the suppression of the local vegetation, is only possible in exceptional circumstances determined by the law. Brazil’s environmental legal framework has many different approaches and many different instruments, all of which aim to restrict the impacts on bodies of water and guide the reasonable use of these vital resources. However, there needs to be improvement in the application of these legal standards, better integration between national laws, and improved interaction between Brazil’s national laws and international treaties, such as the
Ramsar Convention. Springs, veredas and wetlands need to be better conceptualized in the law, which would help to inform decisions on human settlement and alternative land use. This paper proposes a revision of the concepts for springs, veredas and wetlands, as well as a methodology for their future definition, based on a case study of the Ecological Monitoring Station in Águas Emendadas (ESEC-AE) in Brazil’s Federal District. ESEC-AE is particularly relevant for this study, given its role as a meeting point between the Escudo Central hydrogeological system and the Tocantins and Paraná Basins surface hydrology network. ESEC-AE’s hydrological and ecological attributes, combined with its environmental functions, indicate its potential to be recognized as a Ramsar Site. Nevertheless, there are indications that the ESEC-AE wetlands are reducing in size. Further studies are required to determine the factors influencing the shrinkage and any possible mitigation / recovery measures. The reduction in the ESEC-AE wetlands is particularly concerning, given their hydrological importance.

This dissertation proposes that the current legal definition of springs, veredas and wetlands should be revised. The existing concepts applied to these hydrological systems are controversial, but at the same time have important legal implications. According to Law 12.651/2012 (Brazil 2012), marginal zones, as well as their surroundings, are entitled to protection as ‘Areas of Permanent Preservation’ - APP. Being defined as an APP area allows a differentiated protection regime, such as maintenance or restoration of the local vegetation. Intervention in APP areas, or the suppression of the local vegetation, is only possible in exceptional circumstances determined by the law. Brazil’s environmental legal framework has many different approaches and many different instruments, all of which aim to restrict the impacts on bodies of water and guide the reasonable use of these vital resources. However, there needs to be improvement in the application of these legal standards, better integration between national laws, and improved interaction between Brazil’s national laws and international treaties, such as the Ramsar Convention. Springs, veredas and wetlands need to be better conceptualized in the law, which would help to inform decisions on human settlement and alternative land use. This paper proposes a revision of the concepts for springs, veredas and wetlands, as well as a methodology for their future definition, based on a case study of the Ecological Monitoring Station in Águas Emendadas (ESEC-AE) in Brazil’s Federal District. ESEC-AE is particularly relevant for this study, given its role as a meeting point between the Escudo Central hydrogeological system and the Tocantins and Paraná Basins surface hydrology network. ESEC-AE’s hydrological and ecological attributes, combined with its environmental functions, indicate its potential to be recognized as a Ramsar Site. Nevertheless, there are indications that the ESEC-AE wetlands are reducing in size. Further studies are required to determine the factors influencing the shrinkage and any possible mitigation / recovery measures. The reduction in the ESEC-AE wetlands is particularly concerning, given their hydrological importance.