A new Geodiversity Index

A new

Geodiversity Index

as a quantitative indicator of abiotic parameters to improve

landscape conservation: an Italian case study

Melelli Laura* & Floris Mario***[email protected]

Department of Earth Sciences, University of Perugia*[email protected]

Department of Earth Sciences, University of Padova

European Geosciences Union

General Assembly 2011

Natural diversity GEODIVERSITYGEODIVERSITY

Geodiversity Index ConclusionData analysisStudy areaGeodiversity:definitionGeodiversity: definition

Biodiversity

“the natural range (diversity) of geological (rocks, minerals, fossils), geomorphological (landform, physical processes) and soil features” (Gray, 2004)

“… and also topography and elements of hydrosphere…” (Serrano & Ruiz-Flano, 2007)

- Intrinsic value: “refers to the ethical belief that some things (in this case geodiversity) are of values simply for what they are rather than what they can be used for by humans (utilitarian value)” (Gray, 2004).

- Cultural and aesthetic values: assigned by a community for which a particular site plays an important role in terms of cultural and historical heritage.

- Scientific and educational value: the importance of geodiversity as a topic of scientific research, teaching and dissemination.

- Economic value: the geo-diversity can be an economic resource, sometimes of prime importance for the areas in which it is recognized.


GEODIVERSITY

Landscape Management

Geotourism… a tourism that sustains the

geographical character of a place …

Geosites… any place where you can define a

geological and geomorphological interest for conservation …

Geoparks… A territory which includes a

particular geological heritage and a sustainable territorial development strategy supported by a national program to promote development

Geological f.

GEODIVERSITY INDEX

Maps, field survey

Geomorphological f. Land cover f.

Maps, field survey Maps, Remote Sensed data

GEOLOGICAL FORMATIONS

- Geological complex

- Bedding

- Soil type

LANDFORMS

- Landforms activity

- Morphogenetic processes

LANDUSE

- Hierarchical classification of

land use


Topographic f.

Digital Elevation Model

TOPOGRAPHIC PARAMETERS

- Roughness

- Slope

- Aspect

- Curvature

Geodiversity Index ConclusionData analysisStudy areaGeodiversity:definition Study area

Regional and National Parks

Geosites in the Umbria Region

Altitude (m a.s.l.)

High : 2484.489990

Low : 40.330002


Fluvial Lacustrine Deposits (Olocene-Pliocene)

Low slope values

Terrigenous Complex (Miocene)

Medium slope values

Calcareous Complex (Trias up. – Oligocene)

High slope values

Geology

Subasio Regional Park

Subasio Mt. 1287m


Subasio Mt.

The Subasio Mountain Regional Park

GI = Eg IR/lnSSerrano & Ruiz-Flano, 2007

GI = Geodiversity Index

Eg = number of different elements in the study square (total diversity).

IR = roughness parameter

ln = natural logarithm

S = area of the square (ha)

Geodiversity Index ConclusionData analysisStudy areaGeodiversity:definition Data analysis

G.I.S.GRID format

GEODIVERSITY INDEX

Vi = each abiotic factor that contributes to GI with mapping characteristics of spatial CONTINUITY (geological substrate, soil cover, land use).

Gmi = each abiotic factor contributing to the geodiversity definition with mapping characteristics of spatial DISCONTINUITY (morphogenetic processes).

Sa = "surface area”: a grid in which the cell values reflect the topographic surface area within that cell.

Pa = "planimetric area”, the square of the resolution of the elevation model.

ln Sa = natural logarithm of Sa

Input layer

ArcGIS 9.3 Spatial Analyst tools – Neighboorhood - Focal statistics - Variety


Cell size – 25m

Focal FunctionsNeighborhood Statics

Variety

Output layerLow

Medium

High

ArcGIS 9.3 Spatial Analyst tools – Merge - Raster Calculator –- Sum(ingrid1, ingrid2, ingrid3…)


1

Mass wastingMERGE

Local functionsSUM

Input layer

Fluvial processMERGE

Overlaylayer

Outputlayer

AnthropicKarstMass wastingFluvialStructural

ArcGIS 9.x Spatial Analyst tools – Raster Calculator - Arithmetic operators “+”


Geological variety

Arithmetic operators “+”

Geomorphological variety

Landcover variety

Model 1 IR = 1.1

Model 2 IR = 2

Model 3 IR = 3

Planimetric area

Surface areaSa1 < Sa2 < Sa3


Terrain roughness is a term used to describe how “irregular” an area is

ROUGHNESS INDEX

Landscape model where the geomorphological processes are more active and with much variability …

Terrain roughness is a term used to describe how “irregular” an area is

ROUGHNESS INDEX

Sa Pa

Surface area / Planimetric Area

Jenness, J. 2009. Surface Area and Ratio for ArcGIS (surface area.exe).

http://www.jennessent.com/arcgis/surfacearea.htm.

ArcGIS 9.x - Surface-area.ext

Geodiversity Index ConclusionData analysisStudy areaGeodiversity: definition Data analysis

-Roughness is dipendent only on DEM, not on fields data.

- Roughness can become an important indicator for GI identification

44%

37% 19%

Medium GI

LowGI

High GI

Geodiversity Index ConclusionData analysisStudy areaGeodiversity:definition Geodiversity Index

1) High values corresponding to geosites


2) High values corresponding to high topographic index (roughness)


3) High values corresponding to active geomorphological processes

Geodiversità: definizione Indice quantitativoArea di studio Elementi di geodiversità Analisi dei dati ConclusioniGeodiversity Index ConclusionData analysisStudy areaGeodiversity:definition Conclusion

PRELIMINARY RESULTS

The advancement of knowledge on the identification of geodiversity for the development of the natural heritage,

A quantitative approach to the geodiversity assessment comparable in different areas,

A upgradable digital database,

A tool to identify areas with potential value of the abiotic component, An instrument for economic development and conservation management “in order to predict future evolution, changes and impacts of different land uses, management and planning actions and climatic inputs”…

Thanks for your attention!

FUTURE PLANS

Repeate the process in several areas with different morphogenetic and geological context

The improvement of the topographic data role in the GI assessment

Repeate the process with different cell size resolution to observe the differences in GI behaviour

A new Geodiversity Index

Documents

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