Conservation principles for geology
The Earth Science Conservation Classification (ESCC) has been used since 1990 by all of the UK statutory conservation agencies to classify geological sites.
The ESCC was revised in 2003 in the light of practical experience in using the original classification. The revised ESCC has sixteen site types organised into three major categories in contrast to the eleven site types and two major categories of the original classification. Table 1 (see below) compares the old and new classifications.
The three main categories are exposure or extensive, finite and integrity. The distinctions between the three main categories are important, reflecting very fundamental differences in conservation strategies. The classification allows generic threats and conservation strategies to be defined for the different site types.
Exposure or extensive sites contain geological features which are relatively extensive beneath the surface. The basic principle is that removal of material does not cause depletion or damage to the resource, as new material of the same type is being freshly exposed as material is removed. The main management aim is to achieve and maintain an acceptable level of exposure of the interest features. Site types include active quarries and mines, disused quarries, rail and road cuttings, coastal cliffs and foreshore, inland outcrops and extensive buried interest sites.
Finite sites contain geological features that are limited in extent so that removal of material may cause depletion of the resource. The features are often irreplaceable if destroyed. The basic management principle is to permit responsible scientific usage of the resource while conserving it in the long term. Hence, it is often necessary to implement controls over removal of material. Site types include many mineral and some fossil deposits, mine dumps, finite underground mines and finite buried interest sites.
Integrity sites are geomorphological and are characterised by the need for holistic management. Damage to one part of a site may adversely affect the site as a whole. In the case of active process sites, the fundamental principle is to maintain the active processes by non-interference as far as possible. Site types include active and static geomorphological sites, caves and karst.
The importance of distinguishing between these three groups is that their successful management usually requires a quite different approach. As a rule, exposure sites are more robust than integrity or finite sites and can often tolerate the effects of human activities to a greater degree.
The site categories are not mutually exclusive and there are numerous examples where part of a site is classified as exposure and another part is classified as finite or integrity. For example, a stratigraphic sequence in a cliff or quarry would have an exposure classification, as removal of rock would generally produce further exposure of the same material. However, mineral veins within the same sequence would often have a finite classification, as removal of vein material would not produce fresh exposure, but would result in loss of the interest.
Table 1
Original Classification | Revised Classification | ||
Exposure Sites | Exposure or Extensive Sites | ||
| Active quarries and pits | EA | Active quarries and pits | EA |
| Disused quarries, pits and cuttings | ED | Disused quarries and pits | ED |
| Coastal and river cliffs | EC | Coastal cliffs and foreshore | EC |
| Foreshore exposures | EF | River and stream sections | EW |
| Inland outcrops and stream sections | EO | Inland outcrops | EO |
| Mines and tunnels | EM | Exposure underground mines and tunnels | EU |
| Extensive buried interest | EB | ||
| Road, rail and canal cuttings | ER | ||
Integrity Sites | Integrity Sites | ||
| Static (fossil) geomorphological | IS | Static (fossil) geomorphological | IS |
| Active process geomorphological | IA | Active process geomorphological | IA |
| Caves and karst | IC | Caves | IC |
| Karst | IK | ||
Finite Sites | |||
| Unique mineral, fossil or other geological | IM | Finite mineral, fossil or other geological | FM |
| Mine dumps | ID | Mine dumps | FD |
| Finite underground mines and tunnels | FU | ||
| Finite buried interest | FB | ||
