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Monitoring of the Visitors Impact at “Ponta da Ferraria e Pico das Camarinhas” Geosite (São Miguel Island, Azores UNESCO Global Geopark, Portugal)

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Abstract

“Ponta da Ferraria e Pico das Camarinhas” is a protected geosite in São Miguel Island in the Azores archipelago, Portugal. Due to its importance for the geoconservation strategy of the Azores UNESCO Global Geopark, monitoring actions of visitor impact were implemented in order to assure that the main geological features of this geosite continue to be in a favourable status of conservation, taking into account present public use. Different types of data were collected over a one-year period aiming at the identification of factors that may affect the geosite and also the assessment of the eventual decrease of relevance that this geosite has experienced throughout that period. Among the many geological features that occur in the geosite, the littoral cone (or pseudocrater) was considered the most threatened due to its uniqueness and high vulnerability. The number of visitors was also analysed with respect to the geosite’s carrying capacity. The monitoring of this geosite allowed the definition of practical actions, in particular to be addressed to the governmental agency who is responsible for the management of this geosite.

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Acknowledgments

This work is co-funded by the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund based on COMPETE 2020 (Programa Operacional da Competitividade e Internacionalização), project ICT (UID/GEO/04683/2013) with reference POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007690 and national funds provided by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia. We also thank the Azores Geopark management body and staff for the support to the master thesis at the aim of which this monitoring was carried out. Authors express their gratitude for the comments made by Dr. Juana Vegas and by an anonymous reviewer, who contributed to improve the final quality of the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Earth Sciences Centre, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal

    Ana Lima

  2. University of Azores & Azores UNESCO Global Geopark, Rua Mãe de Deus, 9501-801, Ponta Delgada, Açores, Portugal

    João Carlos Nunes

  3. Institute of Earth Sciences, Pole of the University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal

    José Brilha

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  1. Ana Lima
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  2. João Carlos Nunes
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  3. José Brilha
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Correspondence to Ana Lima.

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Lima, A., Nunes, J.C. & Brilha, J. Monitoring of the Visitors Impact at “Ponta da Ferraria e Pico das Camarinhas” Geosite (São Miguel Island, Azores UNESCO Global Geopark, Portugal). Geoheritage 9, 495–503 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12371-016-0203-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12371-016-0203-2

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