Introduction

One of the main aims if the Dorset/Devon conference (September 2004) was to bring together key individuals and organisations involved in conservation programmes of relevance to geodiversity management. Some of these people/organisations are already engaged in such work. Others are in a position to adopt or promote greater recognition of the importance of geodiversity management, both in its own right and as a significant complement to biological and cultural conservation programmes.

At the global level a number of conservation programmes now recognise, or are beginning to recognise, that geodiversity is an important element in our natural heritage, must be managed effectively if we are to realistically manage biodiversity, and is a potentially important component of sustainable development strategies, particularly in the developing world.

These global programmes, such as the World Heritage Convention, the international geoparks network and the Convention on Biodiversity, provide the basis for international recognition of natural heritage management but draw upon local and regional actions to make them a reality. Many global programmes can only be effective if they recognise the need for close involvement by local communities in heritage management programmes. Local community involvement can only happen if the people who live and work in an area understand and value the heritage with which they live and for which they have a responsibility.

The local, national, global links required to develop effective and sustainable use of our natural heritage need to be based upon sound techniques that allow this heritage to be identified, described, valued and managed. The importance of biodiversity, for scientific, aesthetic and economic reasons is well recognised. The importance of geodiversity and its effective management is less well recognised. This situation is changing as techniques are developed and case studies published that demonstrate the 'how' and 'why' of geodiversity management.

The emerging 'geodiversity management toolkit'

The conference examined a range of techniques and programmes that are being applied to recognise and manage geodiversity. This 'toolkit' consists of procedures and programmes that have local, national or global significance:

Procedures (actions that can be taken) such as:

• Geological/geomorphological site inventories
• Geodiversity audits
• Geodiversity action plans
• Geological site management plans
• Analysis of 'Geodiversity' economics

Programmes (formalised mechanisms embodied in conventions, initiatives etc.)

• The World Heritage Convention
• Global Geoparks Network
• Convention on Biodiversity

This range of procedures and programmes was described and discussed through presentations at the conference.

Geological/geomorphological site inventories

Scientifically based geological/geomorphological site inventories have formed the basis for national geoconservation programmes in many countries. Such inventories identify important sites based on consistent criteria and can involve wide consultation and detailed description of site attributes and management requirements. See Ellis, The Geological Conservation Review: past, present and future.

The rigor of such detailed scientific inventories makes them a powerful tool in planning procedures and gains wide acceptance amongst the scientific community through extensive consultation. But such approaches do take time to develop, focus on only the most 'important' sites and lead to an over emphasis on a site based approached and the specific labeling of sites as of geological interest only. The wider heritage and landscape value of such sites can be lost.

Geodiversity audits

The role of geodiversity audits was reviewed by Cynthia Burek (Local Geodiversity Action Plans – a wider application).

Such audits take a broader approach than site inventories, recognise the value of a wider range of sites and also the importance of landscape elements that are not site bounded. Geological formations and geomorphological features can be accommodated along with museum collections, evidence of mining activity, quarrying etc. In the UK such audits are best conducted in the context of administrative boundaries to fit into the planning process. They can also be carried out within the context of a pre-existing or proposed protected area, such as a national park, nature reserve, World Heritage Site, geopark etc.

Geodiversity Action Plans

The 'Action Plan' process simply defines long term objectives and short term targets and identifies human and financial resources necessary to achieve these (Burek). A geodiversity action plan will build upon an audit and/or inventory to determine management requirements for the different geodiversity elements. When action plans cover a significant landscape area, site specific management plans will form a part of, and sit within, a landscape scale management plan. Graham Seymour described management of a World Heritage site (The Giant's Causeway – Integrating geological conservation with visitor management and wider landscape protection) and the management plan for this site is currently available in draft format on the web. (http://www.ehsni.gov.uk/pubs/ publications/WHS_condoc_web.pdf)

Geodiversity Economics

The economic value to society of environmental goods and services is now being recognised as a result of economic analysis. Michelle Guthrie explained the economic basis for evaluating The social and economic value of geodiversity and there was, in practice, an economic strand to many of the presentations, including those on fossil collecting tours in Argentina (Alcober), geotourism in Scotland (Gordon) and Australia (Bourne) and the geoparks programme (McKeever and Schneider).

This recognition of the economic value of geodiversity is very important. It underpins or overarches (depending on your point of view) much geodiversity work because the economic dimension leads directly into a range of management issues including loca/regional planning considerations, tourism and sustainable development strategies in general.

Protected areas

From a geodiversity management perspective there are two kinds of protected areas. Type 'A' that recognise geodiversity in its own right and have management programmes that protect this heritage. The World Heritage Convention and the Global Geoparks Network fall into this category.

In the context of Type 'A' sites the geodiversity toolkit described above can perform a variety of functions:

• Inventories and audits can provide the scientific basis for identifying and nominating new sites;
• Action plans can provide the basis for identifying and executing management actions;
• Economic analysis can justify proposals to designate sites and provide the basis for post designation management strategies.

Type 'B' protected areas are designated for other attributes (biological or cultural heritage) but contain geodiversity values that need to be recognised and managed. Non-geological World Heritage Sites, Ramsar sites and national parks, biological nature reserves etc. fall into this category. In the context of this site type the toolkit can:

• Identify, through inventory and audit, the geodiversity values within designated sites previously recognised only for biological or cultural values;
• Identify, through inventory and audit, the geodiversity values within sites proposed for designation where biological or cultural values are the primary interest.

In both instances the management strategies for such sites can be amended to take account of geodiversity interests. The toolkit can therefore be used to either 'retrofit' geodiversity into existing management strategies, or implant it into new strategies.

Finally – beyond labels and boundaries

Labels (World Heritage, Geopark) and boundaries (through protected areas) tend to dominate thinking. They are convenient parcels to work with. Beyond the labels and boundaries of protected areas lies the wider landscape. The toolkit can be applied in this environment, particularly in the context of planning at landscape scale. Such landscapes may contain protected areas of various kinds, each with it own heritage values and management plans, but the landscape context in which they sit and the management of this 'context' are important. Lars Erikstad (Use of geological/ geomorphological information in landscape planning) and Chris Sharples (Identification and management of geoconservation values in the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area) made clear how geodiversity can and should be recognised beyond protected area boundaries.

The maturing of the concepts and practices of geoconservation, and the development of techniques that can be applied at local, regional or national level, provides a clear opportunity to promote this aspect of natural heritage management through existing and new international environmental programmes. Armed with a toolkit of techniques, reinforced by case studies from different areas of the world, geoscientists can effectively promote geodiversity management within the context of their own regional or national requirements. These requirements will vary according to scientific, cultural and economic needs, but geoscientists can now present their case for geodiversity management in the knowledge that there is a growing body of international experience for them to draw on and adapt to suit these needs.

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