Conservation of the Geological Heritage of Volcanic Fields: La Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park, Spain

Abstract

AbstractThis article evaluates the strategy approved in 2000 for managing the geological heritage of La Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park (PNZVG). The conservation of geodiversity and geological heritage provides a foundation for the conservation of other types of heritage, for example, in the fields of forestry, agriculture, industry, and urban development. The human imprint on this natural Park is significant, and most of the land it contains is privately owned and is commercially productive. Consequently, the management of its volcanic strata is a highly complex affair as preservation must be compatible with the types of land use that dominate in this protected area. The PNZVG’s strategy for managing its geological heritage stems from the need to promote the efficient conservation of its values based on knowledge and greater awareness of this volcanic field. Quaternary volcanic fields such as this one—which may have experienced volcanic activity in the Holocene—are characterised by their excellent state of conservation, which ensures that their volcanic morphologies and the geological processes that have created them are fully visible. In 2000, the natural Park became one of the first protected areas in the world to put into practice a strategy for preserving the geological heritage of its volcanoes. Twenty years later, an accurate evaluation of this process will help other volcanic zones design their own strategies for preserving their geological heritage. To sum up, both challenges and objectives are necessary for ensuring good management of a protected area such as this.