Geotourism as a Basis for Conserving Soils of Beligerative

Complexes

Roman Malyk

, Andriy Kyrylchuk

, Ihor Kasiyanyk

and Petro Boltaniuk

Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, 79000, University str. 1, Lviv, Ukraine

Ivan Ogienko National University of Kamianets-Podilskyi, 32301, Ogienko str. 61, Kamianets-Podilskyi, Ukraine

Kamianets-Podilskyi State Historical Museum-Reserve, Ukraine

Keywords: Geotourism, Beligerative Complexes, Soils.

Abstract: In this article geotourism is considered as a basis for use and conservation of soils of beligerative landscape

complexes. The viability of geotouristic use of such soils has been proven through the disclosure of the format

and forms of its development. Effective types of formats and forms of geotouristic use of the studied soils are

determined. Field and laboratory on-line master classes of interaction with the soil have been developed and

experimentally implemented in practice. The integration of soil information into geotours has been done to

increase its adaptability, nonlinearity and interactivity. To assess the effectiveness of the geotour, statistical

calculations and anonymous questionnaires were conducted. The results of the introduction of the soil

component to the geotour were used in the development and implementation of the grant project given by the

Ukrainian Cultural Foundation.

Geotourism use of soils of beligerative landscapes is an effective means of

its conservation with economic development at the same time. In geotour the soil of the beligerative complex

plays the role of the primary link of natural-anthropogenic interaction and is a clear demonstration of its

historical result.

Studies of buried soils of belogerative complexes allow to recreate paleogeographic

conditions, reconstruct paleolandscapes, draw conclusions about the climate of the past and on this basis to

predict future climate change.

1 INTRODUCTION

Topicality. Nowadays geotourism is one of the

effective tools that provides theoretical and practical

justification for the effective use of lithological,

hydrological and biogenic components of the

beligerative landscape. Soils, as its object, are

considered indirectly as a background component due

to the difficulty of their popular demonstration. At the

same time, as a geotourism resource, they have a

special scientific and educational potential because

they reflect the relationship and interaction of

inanimate (geological basis) and living nature

(biosphere). The "memory" of the soil contains

information about the events of both natural change

and the people’s cultural impact in the past

(Targulyan, 1978). Soil serves as a sensitive indicator

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of changes in the landscape in which it develops,

operates and evolves. Its features and properties

reflect the history of development and evolution of

the nature of a particular area (Pozniak, 2008). The

study of soils, in particular beligerative complexes, is

promising, as the appearance of specific structures is

usually clearly dated, so it is possible to objectively

establish the time frame of object under study

creation. At the same time, it gives grounds to

characterize the conditions and factors that emerged

during the formation and operation of these structures

and contributed to the conservation of soil horizons

that existed at that time. Given these features,

information about the soils during the implementation

of the geotour "History of Kamyanets rocks"

significantly strengthens it. At the same time, it can

be the basis for the development, implementation and

Malyk, R., Kyrylchuk, A., Kasiyanyk, I. and Boltaniuk, P.

Geotourism as a Basis for Conserving Soils of Beligerative Complexes.

DOI: 10.5220/0011340700003350

In Proceedings of the 5th International Scientiﬁc Congress Society of Ambient Intelligence (ISC SAI 2022) - Sustainable Development and Global Climate Change, pages 25-31

ISBN: 978-989-758-600-2

application of a highly specialized geotourism

product focused directly on learning soil component

of the beligerative landscape.

The purpose of the study is to demonstrate the

viability of geotourism use of soils of beligerative

landscapes as an effective means of conserving them

simultaneously with economic development (with

Kamyanets-Podilskyi State Historical Reserve

Museum as an example).

To achieve this goal, it is necessary to solve the

following tasks: to find an effective format and forms

of geotourism use of soils of the beligerative complex

and information about their parameters; to optimize

the format of the organization of the reference

geotour "History of Kamyanets rocks" by integrating

information about the soils of the beligerative

complex within the route; to develop and

experimentally implement on the basis of its own soil

research a geotourism product - geotour, where the

soils of the beligerative landscape complex of

Kamyanets-Podilskyi State Historical Reserve

Museum are the main cognitive object; to substantiate

the prospects of geotourism use of soils from the

standpoint of economic development and

conservation.

The object of research is geotourism as a universal

form of soil conservation of the beligerative

landscape complex of Kamyanets-Podilskyi State

Historical Reserve Museum

The subject of research is the soil component of

the beligerative landscape as a cognitive component

of geotour interactivity.

To study the viability of geotourism use of soils

of the beligerative landscape of Kamyanets-Podilskyi

State Historical Reserve Museum as an effective

means of their conservation and economic

development, the following scientific methods were

used: cartographic (route planning), system

(development of geotour as an adaptive

multicomponent multifunctional system), statistical

(calculation of the results of the introduction of new

formats and forms of geotour).

2 RECENT RESEARCH AND

PUBLICATIONS ANALYSIS

Analysis of recent publications shows that the issue

of soil popularization in tourism as a geocomponent

of beligerative landscapes and natural landscapes in

general is insufficiently studied and requires the use

of new non-standard research methods and forms of

implementation. Geotourism as a basis for the

conservation of such soils in scientific publications is

not considered at all.

The aspect of popularization of uniqueness and

protection of soils of beligerative complexes is

considered in the works of S. P. Pozniak (2008), J.M.

Matviyishyna and Y.M. Dmytruk. In particular, the

monograph "Soils of Trajan's Wall: ecological and

genetic analysis" by Y. M. Dmytruk, J. М.

Matviyishyna, I. I Slyusarchuk is devoted to

Holocene soils of beligerative complexes of ancient

shafts and mounds, where its ecological and genetic

features are studied in detail (Dmytruk, Matviyishyna

2008). Studies of the conditions for the effective

development of geotourism are covered in the works

of V. P. Grytsenko (Grytsenko, 2016; Grytsenko,

2018). Features of the functioning of geoparks are

considered in the works of Y. V. Zinko,

A. B. Bogutskyi (Bogutsky, 2018). Problems of

application of specialized information about

geocomponents of landscapes in the organization of

geotours are considered in detail in the publication

"Geological information on tourist natural sites, its

significance and interpretation for a wide range of

tourists" by N.O. Fedoronchuk. Regional conditions

for the organization of geotours within the Podilskyi

region and the territory of the "Podilsky Tovtry"

National Park were covered in the works of G. V.

Chernyuk, Y. Y. Vitvitsky. (Vitvitsky, 2020).

Problems of problems of geotourism potential are

considered by Turkish scientists (Bahadır & VeIşık,

2021). Soil micromorphology as a tool for the

reconstruction of paleoclimatic indicators is

considered in the scientific publications of Longhi,

Trombino, Guglielmin. (Longhi et al., 2021).

3 RESEARCH MATERIALS

The city of Kamyanets-Podilskyi has a unique soil

cover, geological structures, flora and fauna. The

beligerative complex of the Kamyanets-Podilskyi

Fortress in combination with the Smotrych canyon

forms the landscape of the city. These components are

of limited use to ensure tourist attractiveness,

although they have significant aesthetic, cognitive

and resource potential and can be involved in

practical applications. Accordingly, supplementing

the tourist image of the city with a natural component

is necessary.

Geotourism is a universal form of economic use

of natural resources without their direct consumption,

which provides the possibility of multiple use of the

resource with its economic conversion and the

necessary preservation of the original features

ISC SAI 2022 - V International Scientiﬁc Congress SOCIETY OF AMBIENT INTELLIGENCE

(Bahadır & VeIşık, 2021). A striking example of

effective geotour is the "History of Kamyanets

rocks", the route of which has been operating since

2019 and is a reference for our study area. Its main

object is the nature of the lithological components of

the Smotrych river valley, the soil component is

considered indirectly as a background component.

Experimental inclusion of soils of a beligerative

complex within a route as similar or even alternative

object of a geotour was not carried out earlier. This

inclusion is appropriate because the soil component

of the beligerative landscape is extremely

representative due to the configuration of the route at

different hypsometric levels, and within different

landscape taxons of beligerative structures. The soil

of the beligerative complex plays the role of the

primary link of natural-anthropogenic interaction in

geotour and is a clear demonstration of its historical

result. Learning the soil will make geotour more

adaptive and nonlinear, diversify the forms of on-line

interaction of consumers with nature and ensure the

conservation of the soil as a natural resource of the

beligerative landscape.

Beligerative landscape complex within the

geotour route "History of Kamyanets rocks",

according to G. I. Denysyk, is a long-term self-

regulating military-fortification beligerative

landscape complex of sloping type, located over the

canyon of the Smotrych river valley. The total area is

about 4.5 hectares (Denysyk, 2017). Information

parameters about the soils of the beligerative complex

of the Kamyanets-Podilskyi State Historical Reserve

Museum, which were used to introduce the soil

component to the geotour, are based on the results of

our own soil and ecological research, which began in

2019 and are still ongoing. We have laid down 4 key

areas within the beligerative structures, which differ

in functional purpose and period of formation. When

choosing the location of the sections, the following

were used: plan-scheme of the territory of the reserve

museum "Kamyanets-Podilskyi State Historical

Reserve Museum" (scale 1:1000); large-scale

topographic map (scale 1:10000); materials on

geomorphology, geological and tectonic structure,

hydrogeology and historical and local lore archival

materials of the reserve museum. The system of

indices proposed by academician O. N. Sokolovskyi

with additions proposed by S. P. Poznyak and A. A.

Kyrylchuk in combination with the classification

developed by M. M. Stroganova was used to denote

genetic horizons (Stroganova, 1992). The color of

genetic horizons was determined by the Mansell scale

(Mansell, 1994).

Soils within the research area and the route of the

reference geotour are represented by natural and

anthropogenic soils - urborendzins and construct

soils. Studies show that they have specific

morphological, micromorphological and

physicochemical characteristics and are unique

natural and anthropogenic formations. Horizons that

have many exclusively individual features (color,

structure, density, presence of artifacts, etc.),

depending on the reasons, conditions and time of their

formation, are buried in the profile of these soils due

to anthropogenic influence. A specific feature of the

morphology of the studied soils is the presence of

urban horizons (U) with a significant number of

anthropogenic artifacts that fall into natural genetic

horizons as well because of anthropogenic impact.

Quilting of soils with floors, foundations, or floors of

fortifications is quite common. Sometimes there are

layers that consist entirely of building material.

Significant vertical and horizontal variability of

morphological elements of the soil is characteristic of

construct soils. Urban soils are characterized by the

presence in the profile of buried, mostly humus [H]

horizons of natural anthropogenic origin, buried

fragments of zonal soil types and buried soils of the

Black Forest and Trypillia culture. Artifacts (from

Latin Ars, art, facere, to make), represented by

fragments of bricks, ceramics, glass, processed

stones, coal, etc., are an important visual information

resource for geotour and provide an opportunity to

form consumer’s ideas about evolution, history and

ways of using the territory. The most representative

in terms of the morphology of construct soils is the

anthropogenic outcrop wall with buried soils and

urban horizons, located in the northeastern part of the

Kamyanets-Podilskyi State Historical Reserve

Museum at a distance of 10 meters east of the

casemate crossing from the Rozhanka tower to the

Vigilant tower. Geograph The surface is turfed.

Vegetation within the outcrop is meadow-steppe,

represented by dominants: amaranthuscaudatus,

phleumpratense, dáctylisglomeráta; subdominants:

amaranthusretro flexus, malvasylvestris,

bgerteroaincana, stellariamedia, hyoscýamusníge;

petrophyte auriniasaxatilis; rudiralom

artemisiavulgaris.ic coordinates are 48°40′26.13

″ of northern latitude and 26° 33′

45.62″ of

eastern longitude (Fig. 2).

Geotourism as a Basis for Conserving Soils of Beligerative Complexes

Figure 1: 3D model of the Kamyanets-Podilskyi State Historical Reserve Museum beligerative landscape complex (designed

by the authors).

The outcrop consists of 19 natural and

anthropogenic horizons and bulk layers with a

thickness of 770cm without underlying rock.

Figure 2: Visual demonstration of soil morphology with an

example of anthropogenic outcrop wall with buried soils

and urban horizons within the key point of the route.

In general, it includes: modern soil - construct soil

of 0-115cm; buried sod soil of 115-220cm; buried

construct soil of 220-345cm; fragment of buried zonal

soil type of 345-385cm; fragment of buried zonal soil

of 420-455cm; a fragment of the buried soil of the

Black Forest culture of 525-590cm; buried soil of

Trypillia culture of 590-710cm respectively.

Accordingly, the abovementioned unique features

of this outcrop make it an ideal means of

demonstrating the relationship between geological

and social history of their interaction and

complementarity.

The soil is a mirror in which all the conditions and

factors of the functioning of the landscape are

reflected. Climate information is recorded in the soil,

both directly through morphological features

(structure, color, particle size and mineralogical

composition) of buried horizons, and indirectly

through cultural and organic inclusions. Such soil

outcrops are unique records of weather conditions of

the past. Their research at different levels of soil mass

organization allows to reproduce paleogeographic

conditions, reconstruct paleolandscapes, draw

conclusions about the climate of the past and predict

future climate change in the study area.

The lithological structure as the leading object of

geotour includes rich fossils of the upper Silurian (S2)

in the Malynovets series as part of the Koniv horizon

(Holoskiv and Shutniv subhorizons) and Zvykliv

horizon (Sokilskyi subhorizon). There is a good

outcrop and easy access near the Kamyanets fortress.

Soil as an object of geotour does not work without

the correct format and forms of learning. Therefore,

we have a problem of their development and

implementation in the experimental modification of

the reference geotour, the result of which is the next

geotour.

ISC SAI 2022 - V International Scientiﬁc Congress SOCIETY OF AMBIENT INTELLIGENCE

The tour is focused on explaining the processes of

formation of Smotrytch canyon from the formation of

sediments in which it is laid, to the development of

modern landscapes. Basic cognitive principles on

which the explanation of complex phenomena and

processes is based are as follows – interpretation,

analogy and on-line learning. For its implementation

it is convenient to use actual visual information about

the soil cover or its mechanical (physico-chemical)

features in form of a master class.

Fossils in the structure of the Silurian sediments

are the most powerful cognitive tool and the leading

object of geotour. They are available for inspection

directly in the outcrops at the locations within the

route, and due to erosion processes can be

accumulated in the debris.

Fossil groups are clearly grouped by lithological

formations: Goloskiv subhorizon - eurypterids,

Shutnivetskyi subhorizon - corals, stromatopores,

crinoids, mosses; Sokilskyi subhorizon -

brachiopods, trilobites, gastropods, orthoceratids.

Such a grouping is due to the peculiarities of

sedimentation from the depth of the reservoir where

the formation was formed. An on-line fossil search

(fossil hunting) is used to reveal them, and an

interpretation with typical images of the Middle Ages

is used to establish cognitive value as landscape

forms such a sensory-emotional background with

fortress (Fig. 3). The route passes through various

destinations and infrastructure equipment (sidewalks,

roadsides and local sections of roads, trails and sites

of used quarries). It includes also three main

lithological locations, one introductory-explanatory

and a point for organizing a master class.

The geotour route is built on the ring principle, in

which starting point is the initial and the final one.

The most convenient one in our case is the location

between the entrance to the fortress and the car park

along the northern bastion, but there are safety

restrictions and tour participants must be moved to a

technically safe area. The area between the fortress

and the bastion, where the anthropogenic outcrop

wall is located, meets the requirements of the safe

zone. By means of this outcrop we demonstrate the

features of stay and movement within the route while

illustrating safety measures, possibility of

interpretation of the principle of stratification

sequence of construct soils, revealing the information

potential of the soil about historical events and

features of landscapes of the past.

Figure 3: Advanced interpretation stand of the route

"History of Kamyanets rocks"/(in the vulgar tongue).

An effective form of soil learning in geotour is an

on-line master class that can be implemented in the

field and in-house conditions, depending on the

course of geotour. The adaptability of master classes

increases the stability of geotour and promotes its

parallelism and nonlinearity. The field is a master

class on determining the particle size distribution of

the soil by organoleptic method. The work is carried

out with previously prepared soil samples similar in

granulometric composition to the soils of the

beligerative complex. Participants conduct

assessment of the particle size distribution of the soil

according to standard criteria for field determination

(Table 1).

Table 1: Typical indicators for field determination of

particle size distribution by organoleptic method.

Particle

size

distributi

Diagnostic features

Morphology of the

sample during testing

1 2 3

Sand

When moistened, a fluid

mass of "sand-spit" is

formed. Does not twist

into a cord.

Loamy

sand

Non-

lastic mass. Forms

cord prototype.

Geotourism as a Basis for Conserving Soils of Beligerative Complexes

Light

loam

Slightly plastic mass.

Forms a cord that easily

breaks into pieces.

Medium

loam

Plastic mass. When

twisted, it forms a solid

cord, which disintegrates

when bent into a rin

Heavy

loam

Well-defined plastic

mass. When twisting

easily forms a cord. In

case of bending in the

ring cracks are formed

on its outer side

Clay

Good plastic sticky

mass. The cord is easily

bent into a ring without

cracks.

During the master class, participants with the help

of organoleptics through their own experience of

interaction with the soil gain a tactile understanding

of the formation of soil deposits, which are the result

of many natural and social processes. First experience

with the morphology of the samples during the tests

gives participants a clear confirmation of the valuable

material on the interaction of soil mass, lithological

basis and fortifications of the beligerative complex.

In-house master class is a work with samples to

determine the mechanical composition or slides of

soils in the laboratory, which reveals to participants

its new characteristics and creates spectacular

emotional impressions (Fig. 4).

Figure 4: Work to determine the mechanical composition of

the soil in the laboratory.

Reference samples are slides in the form of

sections with intact soil structure made in the grinding

laboratory of the M.P. Semenenko Institute of

Geochemistry, Mineralogy and Ore Formation at the

National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine.

Micromorphology provides a large amount of

objective information about the conditions of soil

formation, soil origin, intensity and ratio of the

processes that form them, physical condition and

material composition.

Working with a microscope in the laboratory

allows to observe at the microscopic level the intact

microstructure of soil deposits (Fig. 3a.), various

forms of remains of carbonate skeletons of ancient

fossilized organisms from dolomitized limestone in

several layers of soil (Fig. 3b-d.), the influence of

microorganisms on the weathering of soil-forming

rock in the soil mass (Fig. 3e-f), anthropogenic

inclusions, traces of life of ancient cultures, in

particular, Trypillia, in the form of carbonaceous

remains of plants confined to the cavity space in the

buried horizons of paleosoil (Fig. 3g), microscopic

structure of soil minerals and new Learning the

composition of the soil of the beligerative complex at

the microscopic level will form a holistic view of the

participants about the direct role of soil in archiving

landscape information and translating it into a

geological record. This form of interaction between

the participants and the soil will effectively contribute

to the understanding of its uniqueness and the

importance of conservation, which, in turn, is a

significant impetus to the popularization of soil

among the population and its protection by law

(Longhi, Trombino, Guglielmin 2021).

To define the effectiveness of these forms of

geotourism activities within the project "History of

Kamyanets rocks" (2021) test groups of different

ages, gender and social composition were polled.

Figure 5: Micromorphology of samples of laboratory

master class.

ISC SAI 2022 - V International Scientiﬁc Congress SOCIETY OF AMBIENT INTELLIGENCE

A total of 587 people (14 groups) were involved.

To assess the effectiveness of the participants an

anonymous survey was conducted after the geotour.

The questionnaire included the following: "Which

natural object best preserves the memory of historical

events?" and rating one (5-point grade) - "Did you

like the work in the master class?" (It was unpleasant;

I didn't like it; I don't know; It was interesting; I want

something else). Respectively, 434 (72%)

participants answered the first question with "land" or

"soil", in the case of the second – 27 (1), 59 (2), 75

(3), 189 (4), 237 (5). It is worth noting that the highest

score (5) in the case of a rating question was given

exclusively by participants under the age of 10.

The results of the introduction of the soil

component to the geotour were used in the

development and implementation of the grant project

"Project № 4REG11-03434 Terra Podolica 2021"

given by the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation.

4 SUMMARIES

Based on the study the following was found:

geotourism use of soils of beligerative landscapes is

an effective means of its conservation with economic

development at the same time. The viability of

geotourism is in its form of economic use of the soil

of the beligerative complex without direct

consumption, providing the possibility of multiple

use of the resource and its economic conversion with

the necessary conservation of natural features. This

form of soil development is the basis for its promotion

among the population and encourages the

introduction of additional protection measures;

soils within the study area are unique natural and

anthropogenic formations and are represented by

urban land and construct soils. Studies show that they

have specific morphological, micromorphological

and physicochemical features;

studies of buried soils of beligerative complexes

at different levels of soil mass organization allow to

reproduce paleogeographic conditions, reconstruct

paleolandscapes, draw conclusions about the climate

of the past and predict future climate change based on

this

soil as an object of geotour does not work without

the correct format and forms of learning;

an effective format of geotourism use of soils of

the beligerative complex is an adapted reference

geotour, expanded by the soil component;

effective forms of soil characteristics learning are

on-line master classes with development and

experimental implementation of its field and in-house

parts;

integration of soil information into geotour makes

it more adaptive, nonlinear, diversifies forms of on-

line consumer interaction with nature and ensures the

soil conservation as a natural resource of the

beligerative landscape;

in geotour the soil of the beligerative complex

plays the role of the primary link of natural-

anthropogenic interaction and is a clear

demonstration of its historical result.

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Geotourism as a Basis for Conserving Soils of Beligerative Complexes