What is Geodiversity?
Cheviot from Long CragsGeodiversity may be defined as the variety of rocks, fossils, minerals, natural processes, landforms and soils that underlie and determine the character of our landscape and environment. It is fundamental to almost every aspect of life. Britain’s geodiversity is the bedrock of our environment, it is the source of much of our wealth, an important factor in our cultural identity, and will play a vital role in our future development.
Geological resources provide the raw materials for civilisation, be they fuels, water supply, metal ores or bulk and industrial minerals and building materials. A clear understanding of geology is vital to the design and siting of buildings, roads, railways and airports as well as to the safe disposal of waste, and the management of a wide range of natural and man-made hazards.
Geodiversity links people, landscape, biodiversity and culture, and is a vital natural resource. An appreciation of geodiversity is important to a full understanding of many aspects of biodiversity, in particular it has a profound influence on where habitats and species are found. It also has an important impact on the economic activities and history of settlement in any given place. It is fundamentalto how our natural environment works and, consequently, to the way we live and work. The geodiversity of a region is as important a facet of its natural heritage as its wildlife interests and it can be one of the most significant areas of heritage interest, especially in regions in areas of high landscape value, or those previously or currently affected by significant mineral extraction. Conservation, sustainable management, educational use and interpretation of geodiversity are thus as important as those of biodiversity or archaeology, and geodiversity interests need to be integrated into the management and conservation strategies for such related or parallel interests. Geodiversity issues may contribute significantly to informing a wide range of planning and environmental policies.
English Nature (now incorporated in Natural England) has been instrumental in advancing geodiversity and in encouraging strategic initiatives such as the preparation of Local Geodiversity Action Plans (LGAPs). A variety of their publications relating to geodiversity are listed in the bibliography . BGS has been at the forefront of geodiversity studies in northern England and this Geodiversity Audit and Action Plan builds upon and complements work carried out in County Durham and the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
A fundamental starting point in understanding an area’s geodiversity is an appreciation of the most up-to-date available knowledge of its geological deposits and features, together with the processes and phenomena that have formed them and continue to influence them.
