Original Article
Investigation of Geological Diversity Based on the Degree of Sensitivity and the Amount of Equilibrium and Resilience of the Geosystem (Case study: The Eastern Kopet-Dagh Zone)
Authors
- Sima Tavsoli 1
- Adel Sepehr 2
- Abbas Ghaderi * 3
Abstract
Geomorphological principles show that the earth’s surface is not fixed and changes over time. The physical elements of the earth’s surface, from microscopic components such as minerals to macroscopic phenomena such as landforms, are all part of geodiversity. Landform equilibrium and resilience are related to the resistance to the erosion pattern. In other words, morphogenic processes in low resilience geosystems cause landform changes. Resilience is usually considered as increasing stability and reducing sensitivity; measuring the amount and quality of that issue is essential in protecting perspectives. Here, we evaluate the geo-diversity of the Eastern Kopet-Dagh Mountains in northeastern Iran based on the geosystem’s degree of sensitivity, equilibrium, and resilience. In this study, using overlapping information layers, we classified each indicator into three degrees of sensitivity after selecting suitable indicators. Then, a geological diversity map was prepared by combining the data into two sub-sets of geosystem sensitivity and protection. We find that about 41% of the Eastern Kopet-Dagh Mountains, equivalent to 7800 km2, have a high degree of sensitivity, more in the southern half of the study area than in the northern half. In these sensitive areas the slightest change by disturbance can overwhelm the recovery potential and change the state of the geosystem. Consistency of research findings with field visits shows the necessity of proper management and exploitation of the mentioned areas to prevent critical conditions and further expansion of vulnerable regions.
Read the full text of the articleKeywords
Main Subjects
References
Abdollahzadeh S, Sepehr A & Rashki A (2021). Detecting degraded, prone, and transition ecosystems by environmental thresholds and spectral functions. Remote Sensing Applications: Society and Environment, 22:100503. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rsase.2021.100503
Aghanabati SA (2004). Geology of Iran. Tehran: Geological Survey and Mining Exploration of Iran. (in Persian).
Ahmadi H, Mohammadkhan Sh, Feiznia S & Ghoddusi J (2005). A Modeling of mass movement hazard, Case study: Taleghan Drainage Catchment. Iranian Journal of Natural Resources. 58 (1): 3–14 (in Persian).
Alberti M (2008). Advances in urban Ecology: Integrating Humans and Ecological
Processes in urban Ecosystems. Springer New York, NY. 366 p.
Processes in urban Ecosystems. Springer New York, NY. 366 p.
Batajrobeh M, Sepehr A & Hosseinzadeh SR (2017). Geodiversity Mapping of Mashhad Township based on landform sensitivity variations. Quantitative Geomorphology Research. 6(2): 99–115 (in Persian).
Brilha JB (2005). Património geológico e geoconservação: a conservação da natureza na sua vertente geológica. Palimage Editores. 183 p.
Brilha JB (2018). Geoheritage: inventories and evaluation. In: Reynard E, Brilha J (eds.), Geoheritage: Assessment, Protection and Management. Elsevier. Amsterdam, pp. 67–86.
Brunsden D (2001). A critical assessment of the sensitivity concept in geomorphology. Catena. 42: 99–123.
Chorley RJ & Kennedy BA (1971). Physical geography: a systems approach. Prentice–Hall. 371 p.
Collerson KD & Kamber B S (1999). Evolution of the continents and the atmosphere inferred from Th–U–Nb systematics of the depleted mantle. Science. 283: 1519–1522.
Condie KC (2000). Episodic continental growth models: afterthoughts and extensions. Tectonophysics. 322: 153–162.
Folke C, Carpenter S, Walker B, Scheffer M, Elmqvist T, Gunderson L & Holling CS (2004). Regime Shifts, Resilience, and Biodiversity in Ecosystem Management. Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics. 35: 557–581.
Gakaev R, Bachaeva T & Dudaeva M (2021). Ecological and geomorphological analysis of ecosystems in the mountainous part of the Chechen Republic. Advances Social Science Education and Humanities Research. 632: 58–62.
Ghahroudi Tali M, Ali Nouri KH & Farjadi-Nia S (2022). Application of Geodiversity in Environmental Management (Case Study of Karaj Dam Upstream Basin). Quantitative Geomorphology Research. 10(4): 1–17 (in Persian).
Giardino M, Bacenetti M, Perotti L, Giordano E, Ghiraldi L & Palomba M (2013). Geodiversity and geohazards of the Susa Valley (W-Alps Italy): combining scientific research and new technologies for enhanced knowledge and proactive management of geo–heritage in mountain regions. In EGU General Assembly Conference Abstracts. (pp. EGU2013–7204).
Gordon JE & Barron HF (2011). Scotland’s Geodiversity: Development of basis for a national framework. Scottish Natural Heritage Commissioned Report No 417.
Goudie A (1969). Statistical laws and dune ridges in southern Africa. The Geographical Journal. 135(3): 404–406.
Gray M (2004). Geodiversity: valuing and conserving abiotic nature. John Wiley & Sons. England: West Sussex 434 p.
Gray M (2008). Geodiversity: developing the paradigm. Proceedings of the Geologists' Association. 119: 287–298.
Gray M, Gordon JE & Brown EJ (2013). Geodiversity and the ecosystem approach: the contribution of geoscience in delivering integrated environmental management. Proceedings of the Geologists Association. 124(4): 659–673.
Kozłowski S (2004). Geodiversity. The concept and scope of geodiversity. Przegląd Geologiczny. 52: 833–837.
Liu YS, Wang JY & Guo LY (2006). GIS–based assessment of land suitability for optimal allocation in the Qinling Mountains, China. Pedosphere. 16 (5): 579–586.
Luo YL, Liu TX, Wang XX, Duan LM, Zhang SW & Shi JX (2012). Landform classification using soil data and remote sensing in the northern Ordos Plateau of China. Journal of Geographical Sciences. 22: 681–698.
Melelli L, Vergari F, Liucci L & Del Monte M (2017). Geomorphodiversity index: Quantifying the diversity of landforms and physical landscape. Science of the Total Environment. 584: 701–714.
Nägler TF & Kramers JD (1998). Nd isotopic evolution of the upper mantle during the Precambrian: models, data and the uncertainty of both. Precambrian Research. 91(3–4): 233–252.
Najwer A & Zwolinski Z (2014). Semantyka i metodyka oceny georóżnorodności: przegląd i propozycja badawcza. Landform Analysis. 26: 115–126.
Naveh Z & Lieberman AS (1990). Some Major Contributions of Landscape Ecology: Examples of Tools, Methods, and Applications in Landscape Ecology Springer New York, NY. pp. 111–255.
Parivar P, Ahmadi A, Vakili F & Sotoudeh A (2019). Developing of Integrated Framework for strategic Environmental Assessment Based on the Principle and Theories of Resilience Thinking. Environmental Science and Technology. 21(8): 53–63 (in Persian).
Peyrowan H & Shariat Jafari M (2013). Presentation of a comprehensive method for determining erodibility rate of rock units with a review on Iranian geology. Journal of Watershed Engineering and Management. 5(3): 199–213 (in Persian).
Phillips JD (1999). Earth Surface Systems. Oxford: Blackwell, 180 p.
Phillips JD (2011). Emergence and pseudo-equilibrium in geomorphology. Geomorphology. 132(3–4): 319–326.
Rollinson H (2007). Recognizing early Archaean mantle: a reappraisal. Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology. 154: 241–252.
Ruban DA (2016). Comment on “Geotourist values of loess geoheritage within the planned Geopark Małopolska Vistula River Gap Poland” by J Warowna et al [Quaternary International 399, 46–57]. Quaternary International. 425: 196–197.
Ruban DA, Sallam ES, Khater TM & Ermolaev VA (2021) Golden triangle geosites: preliminary geoheritage assessment in a geologically rich area of Eastern Egypt. Geoheritage 13 (3): 1–15.
Saffari A & Gholizadeh V (2018). Geomorphological Resilience, A new approach in geosystems studies. 6th Symposium of Iranian Association of Geomorphology (pp.474–477) Shahid Beheshti University Tehran: Publisher (in Persian).
Sepehr A (2014). Non-equilibrium geosystems: analyzing Lyapunov concepts on pattern formation. Geography and Environmental Planning. 25(1): 51–64 (in Persian).
Serrano E & Ruiz–Flaño P (2007). Geodiversity: a theoretical and applied concept. Geographica Helvetica. 62(3): 140–147.
Stanley M (2000). Geodiversity. Earth heritage. 14: 15–18.
Stavi I, Rachmilevitch S & Yizhaq H (2019). Geodiversity effects on soil quality and geo–ecosystem functioning in drylands. Catena. 176: 372–380.
Taylor SR & McLennan SM (1985). The continental crust: its composition and evolution: An Examination of the Geochemical Record Preserved in Sedimentary Rocks. Blackwell Scientific Publications.
Thomas DSG & Allison RJ (1993). Landscape sensitivity. Chichester; New York: Wiley.
Thomas MF (2012). Geodiversity and landscape sensitivity: A geomorphological perspective. Scottish Geographical Journal. 128 (3-4): 195–210.
Tooth S (2018). The geomorphology of wetlands in drylands: Resilience, nonresilience, or…? Geomorphology. 305 (15): 33–48.
Yamani M (2013). Geomorphological maps methods and techniques. Tehran: University of Tehran Press (in Persian).
Zwolinski Z (2008). The routine of landform geodiversity map design for the Polish Carpathian Mts. Landform Analysis. 11: 77–85.
Additional Information
Geoconservation Research (Geoconserv. Res.)
Volume 5 (2022)
Issue 2, November 2022
Page Numbers: 303-320
Article views: 7
Share: