Naslov
Geoheritage in the karst underground of Croatia and problems of their protection

Autori
Bočić, Neven

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Sažeci sa skupova, sažetak, znanstveni

Izvornik
19th International karstological school "Classical karst" - Karst underground protection, Abstract book / Gostničar, Petra ; Hauselmann, Philipp ; Prelovšek, Mitja ; Zupan Hajna, Nadja - Postojna : Karst Research Institute - ZRC SAZU, 2011, 25-25

Skup
19th International karstological school "Classical karst" - Karst underground protection

Mjesto i datum
Postojna, Slovenija, 20.07.2011. - 25.07.2011

Vrsta sudjelovanja
Poster

Vrsta recenzije
Nije recenziran

Ključne riječi
geoheritage; Dinaric karst; caves; caves protection; Croatia

Sažetak
Heritage, to put it simply, encloses a certain area’s natural and cultural values, which should be preserved for future generations. Its values include living and not living components. Unfortunately, the protection of not living natural values – geodiversity, is nowadays, as a social necessity, significantly less marked than the necessity of the living world protection – biodiversity. Caves are the forms of the underground karst geomorphology. They have developed by specific processes in certain conditions of karst geomorphology and hydrogeology. They represent different, often interesting and rare forms which preserve the traces of natural conditions in the time of their development, and make an important component of geoheritage. This paper deals with critical analysis of the protection of speleological phenomena in Croatia as a part of geoheritage in karst. At the moment, there are 42 protected speleological localities in the Republic of Croatia, among which geomorphologic monuments of nature account for the greatest part. Criteria of proclaiming caves and pits protected localities are the most disputable, because the analysis has shown that the caves and pits without necessary values are also among the protected localities, while on the other hand, the caves and pits of great value and high degree of threat are not protected at all. It was also determined that about 1800 speleological phenomena were protected in the framework of protected areas (national parks and parks of nature). It is pointed out that nowadays nature protection, especially that of caves is mainly directed to the protection of the living nature, i. e. the karst underground is being protected as a habitat, and not as a part of geoheritage. This has been confirmed by legal regulations. This paper emphasizes various aspects of cave and pit values (intrinsic, scientific, aesthetic, educative and recreative). Geosciences aspects of cave and pit values are especially emphasized (geomorphological – macro, mezzo and micro, geological-petrographical, mineralogical, sedimentological, hydrographical-hydrogeological, climatological, paleontological, geoarheological, etc.). Totality of all natural and cultural values of caves and necessity of their protection has been pointed to. The main types (mechanic – destruction, mechanic – construction, chemical, physical and biological) and ways (direct and indirect) of cave threats have been presented, as well as their origins. Some problems of karst and its underground protection are being pointed to, and recommendations for their more prestigious protection are given. The emphasis is on research, immediate recognition of values, inventory-making, evaluation and determination of protection priorities and levels. Cooperation among state institutions, speleologists, speleological and caving associations, scientific institutions and other experts is inevitable. In order to achieve a more prestigious protection some criteria for speleological phenomena evaluation from geoscientific point of view have been suggested: morphometrics, location and origin conditions ; diversity, numerosity and rarity of speleothems and other geomorphologic and geologic indicators of geodiversity ; level of potential and present threat ; other geoscientific significance ; geoaestetics ; educative significance.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Geografija

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