Nature is a wide concept that includes often forgotten geodicetrity. This is a component that cannot be relegated to the planning of the territory and the protection of nature, since it is structuring for life on the planet and on the basis of biodiversity.
By Joana Rodrigues *
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Who among us has never considered the words “nature” and “biodiversity” as synonymous, treating them as if they had the same meaning, without even lifting an eyebrow?
To consider these synonym concepts it is like confusing the human body with its muscles: biodiversity would be muscles, full of action and life, but nature would be the whole body, which also involves bones and organs, essential for global balance and functioning.
Nature is, therefore, a wider concept that includes not only biodiversity, but also “geodicience”, the non -living component of nature, often invisible to our eyes and, therefore, appreciated.
But instead of a test on blindness, I suggest a dissection exercise.
When we talk about geodicettes we talk about the diversity of geological materials that make up our planet, such as minerals, rocks or fossils, as well as forms of rescue such as mountains, valleys, cliffs, dunes or many others that characterize the earth. We also talk about the active processes that shape the planet, such as earthquakes, volcanoes or erosion phenomena. Geodiversity also includes essential elements such as water and soil: the interface between biodiversity and geodicance, often called “skin” of the planet, since it corresponds to an external layer that supports life.
In addition to being everywhere around us, geodicert is essential for the well -being of our current society, providing raw materials, energy, pure water, habitat and contributing to the regulation of natural cycles. It can also be said that geodicettes is fundamental for the sustainability of our planet and for the quality of life of society.
Geodiversity is also the basis for biodiversity and a fundamental element for life on planet Earth. The elements of geodicity create different and unique habitats, which allow the adaptation and survival of different species. For example, mountain areas offer altitude and microclimas variations, which allow the presence of a great diversity of life forms. The soils rich in minerals favor the growth of vegetation, which in turn supports a wide variety of animal species and contributes to the maintenance of food chains and ecological balance.
If we now look in more detailedly for forests, we see that these ecosystems depend directly on geodically to support their biodiversity and perform vital functions, such as climate regulation or water cycle. Of course, the diversity of forests and their geographical distribution are linked to rocks and forms of rescue that influence the type of soil, microclymas, the way the water is drained and other factors that influence nutritional retention in the growth of soil and vegetation.
And so, thanks to Portugal’s Geodiversity, we find, for example, pine forests in more mountainous areas, where the ground is generally more sandy, dissolved and permeable, with slower drainage. Or the mounted, formed by jams, cork oaks and oaks, which grow in delicate reliefs, typical of the plateau regions, with permeable soils and a good drainage, suitable for drier climates, while the forests of the river, such as those of friends and willow, along the rivers and in simple areas, are influenced directly by the water courses.
Strong ties between geodicetrity and biodiversity
On the other hand, the forests, due to their structure and their natural functions, play an important role in water retention and in the prevention of erosion, which shows that the relationship between geodicettes and biodiversity is, in addition to complex, deeply interdependent!
But we continue to dissect … we are now talking about fossils, which are also part of geodicance and are of great importance, both in the context of scientific research and geological heritage.
The vegetable fossils, preserved by natural processes over the age of millions of years, work as testimonies and windows for the past. They allow to trace the evolution of plants, with the most primitive forms, such as the mosses, to the great diversity of the species that currently constitute forests. They help to understand aspects such as old environments, climate change, the emergence of new species, the adaptations of these species and their extinction throughout the history of the planet. Note that, in Portugal, recent discoveries of great importance have been made.
This strong link between geodiversity and biodiversity makes its integrated management essential for better environmental sustainability. Although geodimenies seem, at first sight, robust and immune to threats, this perception does not correspond to reality. Activities such as the construction of large infrastructures, urbanization, intensive agriculture or unsustainable exploitation of geological resources can compromise it. Actions such as these can cause irreversible changes in natural systems, such as waterproofing and even the destruction of the soil, the acceleration of erosion or the degradation of geochemical and environmental sales, which affect fundamental natural cycles such as the water cycle.
It is not possible to conclude without emphasizing that the planning of the territory and the conservation of nature should inevitably incorporate the management of geodicert and the conservation of the geological heritage. This implies, first of all, to remove the geodicetrity of invisibility, making it evident in everyone’s eyes, recognizing its importance and attributing it the value it really deserves.
* Degree in Geology, at the University of Porto, and Master in Geological Heritage and Geoconer, at the University of Minho, where he is doing his doctorate in geology (in 2025). Article originally published on the Forests.pt website.
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