The geological heritage of the municipality of Florianópolis, Santa Catarina Island, Santa Catarina, Brazil: inventory of geosites

Abstract

The municipality of Florianópolis has 45% of its territory designated as protected area. These areas are being fragmented and degraded due to the development of urban-tourist infrastructures. Therefore, there has been a reduction in the diversity of ecosystems and natural heritage, including the loss of geodiversity and geological heritage, which still has a low recognition by the municipality. This article presents the result of an inventory carried out aiming the identification of geosites representative of the geological and geomorphological evolution of Florianópolis municipality. Twenty geosites were identified from the review of the geological literature and from suggestions made by experts who have researched the study area. Nine correspond to the geomorphological framework “hills, mountains and elevations” and eleven to the “coastal plain” framework. Most sites have easy access, are cited in scientific articles and, although they are inside protected areas, their conservation is not guaranteed. It was found that in addition to the urban-tourist development, the lack of environmental inspection and management plans in protected areas are also a threat to the conservation of geological heritage. The raises of awareness of the communities of Florianópolis for the importance of geological heritage through educational actions are essential, because we only protect what we know.