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Geodiversity and Geoconservation

by Barbara Dulba and Elżbieta Kania (AGH UST )

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means.)

Before you read the text check these words and expressions

essential, quarrying, stretch back to, appreciation, nurture, legislation, designation,

under the auspices, mandatory, notify

History of geoconservation

Conservation of geodiversity is essential and there are numerous threats to geodiversity that need to be
considered, such as unsustainable fossil collecting, coastal erosion, quarrying or infill of disused quarries
and vegetation overgrowth. The concept of geoconservation - the conservation of geodiversity - is new in
most countries, yet Great Britain has had a framework for protecting geological resources that has been in
place for more than 50 years, with roots that stretch back to the late nineteenth century.

There  are  many  documented  examples  of  measures  to  protect  geological  sites  from  the  early  1800s
onwards. During the 1800s and early 1900s there was a strong appreciation that geology was a significant
part  of  the  natural  world,  supporting  and  helping  to  nurture  the  habitats  and  wildlife  that  live  upon  the
underlying  rocks  and  soils.  For  example,  early  examples  of  protective  measures  in  the  United  Kingdom
include legislation to protect Salisbury Crags in Edingburgh, and the Cheesewring granite tor in Cornwall.

In the late 1940s the Nature Conservancy started to oversee the designation of the first National Parks in
Britain and the development of the Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) series. Although geological
features  were  a  component  of  both  designations,  the  first  comprehensive  and  systematic  review  of
geological sites in Great Britain was started by the Geological Conservation Review (GCR) in 1977, under
the  auspices  of  Nature  Conservancy  Council  (NCC).  However,  it  was  not  until  the  Wildlife  and
Countryside  Act (1981) that  it became  mandatory for the NCC to notify  landowners,  in addition to  local
planning authorities, of geological sites on their land.

Beyond  the  UK,  the  geological  importance  of  the  volcanic  landscape  of  Siebengebirge,  Germany  was
recognised  in  its designation as the  first geological  nature reserve  in 1836. Early geoconservation  efforts
were  also  seen  in  the  USA.  In  1864  Yosemite  Valley  in  California  became  a  protected  area,  which  was
closely followed by the designation of the world's first national park at Yellowstone. The main reason for
its  designation  was  to  protect  its  'natural  curiosities  and  wonders',  thus  preserving  the  features  of
geothermal interest in their natural condition.

SOURCE

http://www.geoconservation.com/HOG.htm

Geodiversity and Geoconservation

by Barbara Dulba and Elżbieta Kania (AGH UST )

Ex. 1 Choose some of the words from the box to replace the words in bold.

1. It is obligatory to report any finds of value to the authorities.
2. The Yosemite Valley national park came into being under the patronage of Lincoln, who signed

the first bill granting its special rights.

3.  It is crucial to preserve not only bio- but also geodiversity.
4.  There has been more and more understanding of its importance.
5.   It is stupid to cultivate your grudges.

Ex.2 In the text there are words with prefix over- and under. Use them with other words and make
examples to show their meaning.

DEVELOPED, COOKED, RATED, ESTIMATED, PRICED, HEADS,

Ex.3 Check the abbreviations in the text.

SSSI, GCR, UK, USA, NCC

Ex. 4 A Scan the text to find out what happened :

1. in1864

2. between 1800 and 1900

3. in 1836

4. in 1977

5. in the late 1940ties

B Do you know how to talk about times and dates? Use the expressions in the box with correct
preposition of time. Make true sentences about yourself with some of them.

Long lazy afternoon, May, Friday, noon, the weekend, Middle Ages, the summer,
lectures, 1June, 1987, Monday morning, bright Christmas day the summer/2/ the
morning, midnight, Easter, the afternoon, dawn, the day of my

AT…………………………………………………………………..…………..

IN……………………………………………………………………………………..……

Geodiversity and Geoconservation

by Barbara Dulba and Elżbieta Kania (AGH UST )

ON………………………………………………………………………………………....

DURING…………………………………………………………………………………..

C What do these expressions mean? Check and use in sentences of your own.

at the turn of the century, in the early, mid, late 20ties, twenty years on, B.C., A.D.,

nowadays, currently, in those times, at the time of, on the eve of…, once, then, back then, once
upon a time, since times immemorial, for ages, as long as I can remember, in pre-school times,
once in a blue moon, from times immemorial

Geodiversity and Geoconservation

by Barbara Dulba and Elżbieta Kania (AGH UST )

Conservation principles for geology

Before you read the text check the meaning of the following words and expressions

outcrop- ........................., integrity-...................., depletion- .........................,pits……………………..

karst- …………………, finite- ......................... , removal-............................, approach-......................

generic- ………………., hence-……………….., features-……………….., extensive-……………….

match column A with column B:

FUNDAMENTAL

MAIN

ADVERSE

HOLISTIC

DISTINCTIONS

MAINTAIN

EXTENSIVE

ROBUST

AIM

NEGATIVE

WHOLE

OBJECTIVE

SUSTAIN

STRONG

DIFFERENCES

KEY

WIDESPREAD

ESSENTIAL

Geodiversity and Geoconservation

by Barbara Dulba and Elżbieta Kania (AGH UST )

The Earth Science Conservation Classification (ESCC) has been used since 1990 by all of the UK
statutory conservation agencies to classify geological sites.

The ESCC was revised in 2003 in the light of practical experience in using the original classification. The
revised ESCC has sixteen site types organised into three major categories in contrast to the eleven site
types and two major categories of the original classification.

Table 1

(see below) compares the old and

new classifications.

The three main categories are exposure or extensive, finite and integrity. The distinctions between the
three main categories are important, reflecting very fundamental differences in conservation strategies. The
classification allows generic threats and conservation strategies to be defined for the different site types.

Exposure or extensive sites contain geological features which are relatively extensive beneath the surface.
The basic principle is that removal of material does not cause depletion or damage to the resource, as new
material of the same type is being freshly exposed as material is removed. The main management aim is to
achieve and maintain an acceptable level of exposure of the interest features. Site types include active
quarries and mines, disused quarries, rail and road cuttings, coastal cliffs and foreshore, inland outcrops
and extensive buried interest sites.

Finite  sites  contain  geological  features  that  are  limited  in  extent  so  that  removal  of  material  may  cause
depletion  of  the  resource.  The  features  are  often  irreplaceable  if  destroyed.  The  basic  management
principle  is  to  permit  responsible  scientific  usage  of  the  resource  while  conserving  it  in  the  long  term  .
Hence,  it  is  often  necessary  to  implement  controls  over  removal  of  material.  Site  types  include  many
mineral and some fossil deposits, mine dumps, finite underground mines and finite buried interest sites.

Integrity sites are geomorphological and are characterised by the need for holistic management. Damage
to one part of a site may adversely affect the site as a whole. In the case of active process sites, the
fundamental principle is to maintain the active processes by non-interference as far as possible. Site types
include active and static geomorphological sites, caves and karst.

The importance of distinguishing between these three groups is that their successful management usually
requires a quite different approach. As a rule, exposure sites are more robust than integrity or finite sites
and can often tolerate the effects of human activities to a greater degree.

The  site  categories  are  not  mutually  exclusive  and  there  are  numerous  examples  where  part  of  a  site  is
classified  as  exposure  and  another  part  is  classified  as  finite  or  integrity.  For  example,  a  stratigraphic
sequence in a cliff or quarry would have an exposure classification,  as removal of rocks would generally
produce further exposure of the same  material. However, mineral  veins within the  same sequence would
often have a finite classification, as removal of vein material would not produce fresh exposure, but would
result in loss of the interest.

Geodiversity and Geoconservation

by Barbara Dulba and Elżbieta Kania (AGH UST )

Table 1

Original Classification

Revised Classification

Exposure Sites

Exposure or Extensive Sites

Active quarries and pits

EA Active quarries and pits

Disused quarries, pits and cuttings

ED Disused quarries and pits

Coastal and river cliffs

EC Coastal cliffs and foreshore

Foreshore exposures

EF River and stream sections

Inland outcrops and stream sections EO Inland outcrops

Mines and tunnels

Exposure underground mines and
tunnels

Extensive buried interest

Road, rail and canal cuttings

Integrity Sites

Static (fossil) geomorphological

IS Static (fossil) geomorphological

Active process geomorphological

IA Active process geomorphological

Caves and karst

IC Caves

Karst

Finite Sites

Unique mineral, fossil or other
geological

Finite mineral, fossil or other
geological

Mine dumps

ID Mine dumps

Finite underground mines and
tunnels

Finite buried interest

SOURCE

http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/ourwork/conservation/geodiversity/protectandmanage/conservation.aspx

Geodiversity and Geoconservation

by Barbara Dulba and Elżbieta Kania (AGH UST )

Ex 1 There are passive structures highlighted throughout the text. Look at the other, underlined fragments
and change them into passive. Decide whether the passive structure is better or not.

1.  The old and the new…………………………………………
2.   The principle is that the depletion or damage…………..….
3.  The depletion of the resource………………………..……..
4.  The basic management principle is for responsible scientific usage……………………… while

it……………………...

5.  Hence, it is often necessary for controls over removal of material…………………………
6.  The site as a whole………………………………. by damage to one part of a site...
7.  As a rule, exposure sites are more robust than integrity or finite sites and the effects of human

activities………………………………..… to a greater degree.

8. ..as further exposure of the same material …………………….. with the removal of rock

Ex.2 In groups of three learn one of the classifications of site types. Give yourselves up to five minutes
then tell the others what you remember.

Ex.3 Provide the missing word forms.

VERB

NOUN

ADJECTIVE

CLASSIFY

CONSERVE

………………………

SUSTAIN

……………………….

…………………………….

……………………………

DIFFERENCE

………………………….

…………………………..

EXTENSIVE

…………………………..

………………………….

Geodiversity and Geoconservation

by Barbara Dulba and Elżbieta Kania (AGH UST )

Ex.4 match column A with column B to make collocations

GEOMORPHOLOGICAL

MAIN

SITE

GEOLOGICAL

FOSSIL

MUTUALLY

NUMEROUS

UNDERGROUND

DISUSED

COASTAL

MINE

EXCLUSIVE

TYPE

DUMPS

QUARRIES AND PITS

TUNNELS

SITE

EXAMPLES

AIM

DEPOSITS

FEATURE

CLIFFS

Geodiversity and Geoconservation

by Barbara Dulba and Elżbieta Kania (AGH UST )

Geodiversity

Try to answer the following questions without reading the text below. The use them as suitable headings
for the following paragraphs.

How does geodiversity underpin the landscape?

What is geodiversity?

Why is geodiversity important?

Why is soil such an important aspect?

……………………………………………….…..

In simple terms, geodiversity is the variety of rocks, minerals, fossils, soils, landforms and natural
processes.

………………………………………………………….

Rocks, fossils and minerals have been formed over millions of years and represent unique past
environments and events. The landforms around us have been produced over hundreds of thousands of
years and soils may take several thousand years to form. The information provided by geodiversity helps
us to understand how our planet has changed over time and how life evolved.

………………………………………………………….

It forms the thin living layer of our geodiversity, linking the underlying geology with the land surface and
atmosphere. It is a complex and diverse natural resource that is fundamental to life on earth. It reflects the
complex relationship between geology, landform, climate and land use.

Geodiversity and Geoconservation

by Barbara Dulba and Elżbieta Kania (AGH UST )

…………………………………………………

Geodiversity is all around us. It provides the raw materials for building, the fuel we put in our cars and the
soils in which our crops grow. It also produces the spectacular landscapes we visit on holiday and the
countryside we see every day.

Source:

http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/ourwork/conservation/geodiversity/default.aspx

Conserving geodiversity

Abiotic

Heritage

Remit

Designated

Policy

Gather momentum

Diversity

Range– locate the above in the text to see what they refer to. Translate the entire sentences.

Special guest editorial by Tim Holt-Wilson

Conserving geodiversity is part of the core business of nature conservation. Geodiversity is essentially the
abiotic part of the natural world, and may be defined as the natural range or diversity of geological and
geomorphological features, soil and water that compose and shape the physical landscape.

Earth heritage resources have been exploited by humans for many thousands of years, but the integrity and
accessibility of these resources may be threatened in various ways. Geodiversity Action Plans (GAPs)
provide a new comprehensive approach to conserving Earth heritage. The statutory conservation of
geodiversity features is part of the remit of National Parks, National Nature Reserves and Sites/Areas of
Special Scientific Interest. The non-statutory conservation of geo-sites is carried out under Local Sites

Geodiversity and Geoconservation

by Barbara Dulba and Elżbieta Kania (AGH UST )

designation procedures, notably Regionally Important Geological / geomorphological Sites (RIGS). Areas
with significant concentrations of geo-features may be designated as European Geoparks.

The Wiltshire Downs at Cherhill: A landscape of dry valleys developed in the Lower Chalk escarpment.
Photo © TD Holt-Wilson

UK planning policies give some protection to geodiversity outside the network of designated sites and
areas. In England, Planning Policy Statement 9: Biodiversity and Geological Conservation (PPS9) views
the delivery of geoconservation as one of the objectives for sustainable development, nature conservation
and social renewal. Elements of physical landscape may be conserved through landscape characterisation
at different levels of detail. Official action to conserve soils is beginning to gather momentum in the UK,
while groundwater and surface water conservation is already well advanced. However, geoconservation is
not just the business of specialised agencies and interest groups, and is being carried out on an everyday
basis by a range of parties who manage the countryside. New digital technologies have great potential for
mapping geo-features for conservation purposes, and for communicating them to a wider public. A wide
range of paper-based and online resources are available giving advice on geodiversity, geoconservation
and planning.

SOURCE:

http://www.ukwildlife.com/index.php/conserving-geodiversity/

Ex. 1 Translate the following phrases into English

1.  Dostępność zasobów                                 accessability of resources
2.  Jeden z celów                                            one of the objectives
3.  Jest już mocno zaawansowany                  is already well advanced
4.   Wykorzystywany przez ludzi                   exploited by humans
5.  Prowadzona na co dzień                            carried out on a daily basis
6.  Sieć wyznaczonych lokalizacji                  network of designated sites
7.  Może być zdefiniowana jako                     may be defined as

Ex.2 Find out what is done in Poland in terms of geoconservation. Find out about sites being actually
under protection. Give a short talk about some examples of inanimate nature monuments.

Geodiversity and Geoconservation

by Barbara Dulba and Elżbieta Kania (AGH UST )