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Methodological Proposal for Assessment Geosites: its Application in Bou-Iblane Region (Middle Atlas, Morocco)

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Abstract

In recent years, various studies have been conducted on inventory and assessment methodologies for geosites leading to the implementation of geoconservation actions worldwide. The main contribution of this methodological proposal is an objective quantification of the criteria used for the assessment of geosites according to values defined during its design. It is based on four main stages, namely the initial inventory, the quantitative assessment, the degree of deterioration, and the values of usage (optional step). The second and third steps of the method are marked with newly designed values which allow sites to be prioritized according to the weighting coefficients established for each criterion. Its application was carried out in the Bou-Iblane region in the mountain chain of the Moroccan Middle Atlas. This made it possible to identify 11 geosites likely to be used out of a total of 56 inventoried geosites, including 1 with high potential and 10 with medium use potential. Forty-eight percent of the sites were filtered for the scientific assessment stage (27 sites out of 56), 27% of the sites were filtered for the degree of deterioration in order to retain only the least deteriorated (8 sites out of the 29 remaining), and 4.7% of the sites were filtered for the last step (1 of the remaining 21 sites). These results confirm the adaptation of the methodology to the region tested; the universality of its criteria suggests that its application is theoretically adaptable to all types of environments.

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Correspondence to Khaoula Baadi.

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Baadi, K., Sabaoui, A. & Tekiout, B. Methodological Proposal for Assessment Geosites: its Application in Bou-Iblane Region (Middle Atlas, Morocco). Geoheritage 12, 55 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12371-020-00476-1

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