Protected Geosites in an Urban Area of Norway, Inventories, Values, and Management

Abstract

The Oslo area has a rich geodiversity, a long history of scientific investigations, and several protected geosites. Many of the protected geosites were protected some 30 years ago and have until recently not been followed up with monitoring and systematic management. This paper presents a work where 35 protected geosites have been assessed regarding their state of preservation and their management need. The geosites are mostly small areas protected for their paleontological and stratigraphic heritage. They are situated along the shoreline of the Oslofjord as well as in small quarries and road cuts. The urban setting leads to a significant pressure towards the geodiversity in the area both when it comes to urbanization as well as recreational use. The investigation has shown that the state of the geosites is reasonably good, but overgrowing requires a need for management in many places. It is also a need for upgrading the signposting of the sites with more site-specific information material. A gap analysis shows some gaps in the protection system, especially linked to more recent defined stratotypes and major structural landforms such as the Oslo Graben fault line. It is also a need to be more aware of the general impact of the geodiversity of the area for landscape character and thus in local land-use planning.