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Geoconservation as an Emerging Geoscience

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Abstract

The main purpose of geoconservation is the conservation of geosites as basic units of the geological heritage through the implementation of specific inventory, evaluation, conservation, valuation and monitoring procedures. In this paper, geoconservation is characterised as an emergent geoscience within the Earth and Space Sciences where its scope and methods, as well as production and validation of knowledge can be recognised–thus defining Basic Geoconservation–, interrelations with other earth sciences can be established–thus supporting Applied Geoconservation–, and Technical Applications of Geoconservation can be identified through the production of materials, methods and/or scientific services useful to society, namely geoeducation. Promoting scientific education relevant to sustainable development requires new educational approaches involving the Earth Sciences, namely through geoconservation, in order to provide citizens with tools to face environmental problems, such as those arising from the depletion of geological resources—which seriously threaten the geological heritage of the Earth—and the information, skills and will make forward-looking choices, like supporting the legal protection of Natural Monuments and/or the implementation of geotourism (including geoparks).

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Acknowledgements

This work has been supported by the projects CGL2008-01273/BTE-MICIIN (“Registro Geológico de Ciclos Paleoambientales del Jurasico Medio en la Cordillera Iberica”) and PTDC/CTE-GEX/64966/2006 (“Identification, characterisation and conservation of geological heritage: a geoconservation strategy for Portugal”). The authors are deeply grateful to the reviewers, namely to W. A. P. Wimbledon, for their helpful comments on the manuscript.

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  1. Earth Sciences Department, Group of Sedimentary Geology and Fossil Record, Geosciences Centre, University of Coimbra, Largo Marquês de Pombal, 3000-272, Coimbra, Portugal

    Maria Helena Henriques

  2. Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University of Coimbra, Largo Marquês de Pombal, 3000-272, Coimbra, Portugal

    Rui Pena dos Reis

  3. Geology Centre of the University of Porto and Earth Sciences Department of the University of Minho, Braga, Portugal

    José Brilha

  4. History of Science and Technology Inter-University Centre, Museum of Science of the University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal

    Teresa Mota

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Correspondence to Maria Helena Henriques.

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Henriques, M.H., dos Reis, R.P., Brilha, J. et al. Geoconservation as an Emerging Geoscience. Geoheritage 3, 117–128 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12371-011-0039-8

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