Diagnostic assessment of patrimonial value geosites in Maisí town from Guantanamo province, Cuba

Abstract

There are interesting geological elements and structures that could be part of the nation's geological heritage in Maisí municipality; however, these Geosites lack an adequate assessment. This research focuses on diagnosing the state of these Geosites and classifying them in order to establish their heritage value. For this purpose, a methodology that quantitatively and qualitatively categorizes the Geosites from the quality assessment of 10 parameters, to which a weighted score is made to correspond based on 100 points, was adopted. As a result, it was possible to verify that 70% of Geosites are exposed to erosive agents and anthropic action, what is evident they need to be protected. Five Geosites are considered to have heritage value of national or international significance and eleven have regional or local value from 17 Geosites assessed. Among those with the greatest heritage value, three caves (Patana, La Parada and Patato) and two valleys (El Cupey and La Máquina) stand out.

Keywords

• geositios
• geomorfositios
• geoparques
• patrimonio geológico