Geodiversity. The concept and scope of geodiversity

A b st r ac t . A definition of geodiversity is presented, analogous to that of biodiversity. An outline of existing Polish geodiversity studies is given, with emphasis on geoenvironmental cartography and regional monographs. The ideas of a European geodiversity atlas and geosphere monitoring program are put forward. The author postulates also to proclaim an international convention on geodiversity protection. The principle of a sustainable development, declared during the conference Environment and Development (Rio de Janeiro, 1992), opened a new epoch in our approach to the management of natural resources. New ideas and new principles aiming at preventing further environmental degradation of the Earth have been formulated. It is necessary to maintain balance between individual elements of the natural environment, which has significant importance in supporting life on Earth. Maintaining proper environmental conditions to support life is the fundamental goal of humanity. In order to meet this challenge, the Convention on Biological Diversity was signed in Rio de Janeiro (Convention…, 1993). This convention assumes that the diversity is the major factor helping to maintain life on Earth. The principles of biological diversity emphasize “the variability among living organisms from all sources including, inter alia, terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are part; this includes diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems.” The convention also defines the rules of environmental management and criteria of distribution of the achieved benefits. The theory of biological diversity refers to all the biosphere levels: genetic, species and ecosystem diversity (for ecological systems, abiotic background — on which life develops — is taken into account). The issue of ecosystem diversity of phytocenoses (floral communities and landscapes) is a key problem today (Andrzejewski, 1996). The main fields of the protective activity are: counteraction, prevention, and suppression of the causes which reduce or destruct biodiversity. Over the last 12 years after the Rio de Janeiro conference, much work has been done in the field of biological diversity conservation. It has been a very quickly developing discipline amongst environmental sciences. Rapid loss of biological diversity in the recent years is called the Sixth Extinction (Leakey & Lewin, 1995), alluding to the “Big Five” of mass extinctions in the Phanerozoic. Inhibition of this process is considered the major task facing our civilization. In 2001, in Goteborg, the European Union strategy for sustainable development was accepted. The goal of that strategy is, among others, to reduce the rate of biological diversity loss in Europe by 2010. This is a very difficult job that requires multidirectional actions. Development of life is strongly related to abiotic conditions. Geodiversity has been the basis for the increasing biological diversity during geological history. The environmental conditions within the lithosphere and on the Earth’s surface have significant importance for the creation and development of life. We gradually begin to appreciate the significance of the geosystem in maintaining life. Research of the Solar System, conducted over the last years, distinctly shows that the terrestrial system plays a unique part in the process of the origin and evolution of life (Sagan, 1996). Therefore, it is necessary to pay more attention to the role and significance of the terrestrial system (geosystem). Particularly important is to determine the rules by which the Earth’s geosystem operates. It refers to both recognition and determination of qualitative and quantitative relationships and interactions between these elements, phenomena and objects, as well as between neighbouring subsystems and systems. The changes occurring in the geosphere can be categorized into 4 groups: planetary, endogenic, exogenic and anthropogenic (Table 1). Of special significance are those anthropogenic changes which increasingly disturb the natural balance in the lithosphere that has evolved for at least a few billion years. Human-generated changes intensified beginning in the 19 th