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A geotope is the
A geotope is the geological
Geology (). is a branch of natural science concerned with the Earth and other astronomical objects, the rocks of which they are composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other Earth s ...
component of the abiotic
In biology and ecology, abiotic components or abiotic factors are non-living chemical and physical parts of the environment that affect living organisms and the functioning of ecosystems. Abiotic factors and the phenomena associated with them und ...
matrix present in an ecotope
Ecotopes are the smallest ecologically distinct landscape features in a landscape mapping and classification system. As such, they represent relatively homogeneous, spatially explicit landscape functional units that are useful for stratifying lan ...
. Example geotopes might be an exposed outcrop
An outcrop or rocky outcrop is a visible exposure of bedrock or ancient superficial deposits on the surface of the Earth and other terrestrial planets.
Features
Outcrops do not cover the majority of the Earth's land surface because in most p ...
of rocks, an erratic boulder, a grotto or ravine, a cave, an old stone wall marking a property boundary, and so forth.
It is a loanword from German ''( Geotop)'' in the study of ecology and might be the model for many other similar words coined by analogy. As the prototype, it has enjoyed wider currency than many of the other words modelled on it, including physiotope, with which it is used synonymously. But the geotope is properly the rocks and not the whole lay of the land (which would be the physiotope).
For usage in the context of geoheritage
Geoheritage (a blend of ''geological'' and ''heritage'') is the geological aspect of natural and cultural heritage. A geosite is a particular geological heritage asset.
It is a heritage category comparable to other forms of natural heritage, such ...
, like e.g. in Friedrich Wiedenbein's contributions (see below) and in the German discussion on geoheritage, the more adequate term (and translation from the German) is geosite.
See also
*Ecological land classification Ecological classification or ecological typology is the classification of land or water into geographical units that represent variation in one or more ecological features. Traditional approaches focus on geology, topography, biogeography, soils, v ...
References
* Kratochwil, Anselm. ''Biodiversity in Ecosystems: Principles and Case Studies of Different Complexity Levels.'' Series: Tasks for Vegetation Science, XXXIV. Dordrecht, Germany: Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1999. . * Wiedenbein, F.W. "Geotope protection for Europe" in ''Geological Heritage 1993''. (Erlangen, Germany: University Erlangen-Nuremberg, 1993). * Wiedenbein, F.W. "Origin and use of the term 'geotope' in German-speaking countries" in ''Geological and Landscape Conservation''. Editors: D. O'Halloran, C. Green, M. Harley, & J. Knill. (London: Geological Society, 1994) p. 117-120. Ecology {{ecoregion-stub