Abstract
To further the disciplines of geoheritage and geoconservation, a Geoheritage Tool-kit has been developed in Western Australia to systematically compile an inventory of the full diversity at various scales of geological and geomorphological features in a given area, assess their levels of significance, and address whether geoheritage features are treated in isolation or as inter-related suites that should be conserved as an ensemble. The objective of the Geoheritage Tool-kit is to provide a systematic approach to develop a database or inventory of sites of geoheritage significance. Use of the Geoheritage Tool-kit begins with identifying geological regions, then listing their geological essentials to develop a database for sites of geoheritage significance. The next stage is to locate good examples, of these features, or of inter-related ensembles of features, regardless of scale, and assess them according to significance criteria. After an assessment of the range, categories, inter-relationships, and level(s) of significance of the geological features, the final step is to determine what type and what level of geoconservation the area requires. Three areas: King Sound and the tide-dominated delta of the Fitzroy River; Leschenault Peninsula, a retrograding Holocene dune barrier in south-western Australia, and its leeward estuarine lagoon; and the Walpole-Nornalup Inlet estuary, provide case studies of the application of this Tool-kit. Each of these coastal areas comprises a wide variety of geological and geomorphological features, from large to fine scale, and varying in significance from International to National to Regional. Some key features of global significance include: the tide-dominated delta at King Sound, the calcrete, beach rock, and calcitised sea rush roots at Leschenault Peninsula, and the intra-estuarine deltas in the Walpole-Nornalup Inlet estuary. In terms of geoconservation, addressing the various features of geoheritage value in this area is best achieved by viewing the systems as an integrated geopark of interactive processes, geology, and geomorphology.
Résumé
Pour promouvoir les disciplines du géopatrimoine et de géoconservation, un toolkit a été développé en Australie occidentale pour compiler un inventaire systématique des caractéristiques géologiques et géomorphologiques à différentes échelles d’une zone donnée, évaluer leurs niveaux de signification, et définir si ces caractéristiques géopatrimiales sont traités isolément ou comme suites inter-liés. Ceci dans le but de développer une base de données des sites d’importance géopatrimoniale et de déterminer leur niveau de géoconservation. Trois zones, King Sound et le delta la rivière Fitzroy, la péninsule de Leschenault, et l’estuaire de Walpole-Nornalup Inlet ont été choisies pour l’application de ce toolkit. Chacune de ces zones côtières comprend une grande variété de caractéristiques géologiques et géomorphologiques d’échelles et d’importances variables. La géoconservation, des différentes caractéristiques de valeur géopatrimoine de cette zone, est mieux réalisée dans le cadre d’un géoparc.
ملخص
لتعزيز تخصصات الجيوتراث والجيومحافظة، تم تطوير مجموعة من الأدوات بغرب أستراليا لجمع قائمة جرد منهجي للخصائص الجيولوجية والجيومورفولوجية على مستويات مختلفة لمنطقة معينة، وتقييم أهميتها، وتحديد ما إذا كانت هذه الخصائص الجيوتراثية قد تمت معالجتها على انفراد أم أنها مرتبطة الواحدة بالأخرى. وهذا من أجل تطوير قاعدة بيانات للمواقع الجيوتراثية الهامة، وتحديد مستوى الجيو محافظة عليها. وقد تم اختيار ثلاثة مناطق هي: كينك سوند” و” دلتا نهر فتزوري” و “شبه جزيرة لتشنولت” ومصب “والبول-نورنلوب إنلت” لتطبيق هذه الأدوات. كل منطقة من هذه المناطق الساحلية تتضمن مجموعة متنوعة من الخصائص الجيولوجية والجيومورفولوجية ذات سلم وأهمية متنوعين. إن الجيومحافظة، على مختلف الخصائص ذات القيمة الجيوتراثية لهذه المنطقة، تنفذ أفضل في إطار جيومنتزه.
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Brocx, M., Semeniuk, V. (2015). Using the Geoheritage Tool-Kit to Identify Inter-related Geological Features at Various Scales for Designating Geoparks: Case Studies from Western Australia. In: Errami, E., Brocx, M., Semeniuk, V. (eds) From Geoheritage to Geoparks. Geoheritage, Geoparks and Geotourism. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-10708-0_17
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