Ecosystem Services Assessment of Geosites in the Seridó Aspiring UNESCO Geopark Area, Northeast Brazil

Over the course of the Earth’s history, the development of geodiversity has allowed the establishment of biotic diversity on our planet. Just as biodiversity is the subject of studies and protection actions, abiotic nature also needs to be conserved and used more sustainably. One of the ways to do this is to delimit areas where there are elements of high importance, either for the ecosystem, for science, or for human beings. These areas, with important geoheritage, can define geoparks. An example of a Brazilian project in such an area is the Seridó Aspiring UNESCO Geopark, the focus of this study, located in the interior of Rio Grande do Norte – Northeast Brazil. It encompasses six municipalities with a notable geodiversity, ranging from the Riacian to the Quaternary. As a way of highlighting the importance of the abiotic elements of this region, an evaluation of local geosites was carried out according to a approach concerning ecosystem services. It was observed that the 21 geosites that are part of the present proposal are associated with 20 goods and ecosystem services of an abiotic nature; this underlines the importance of protecting these places, both for the ecosystem and for human beings.

Ecosystem Services Assessment of Geosites in the Seridó Aspiring UNESCO Geopark Area, Northeast Brazil Keywords:

Ecosystem Services , geodiversity , Geopark , Geosites Assessment