The Potential for Geotourism Development on the Srem Loess Plateau Based on a Preliminary Geosite Assessment Model (GAM)

Abstract

© 2015, The European Association for Conservation of the Geological Heritage. Geoheritage in connection with loess profiles is a relatively new concept that is increasingly expanding in relation to geotourism. Considering the importance of loess-paleosol sequences in the reconstruction of paleoclimatic, paleoecological and paleontological conditions on the planet, their significance is well established and it would be unfortunate if this was known only by the narrow scientific community. In this paper, the authors propose a list of loess geosites on the Srem Loess Plateau that could become important components of the geotourism potential of Serbia. With that aim, the authors have applied a geosite assessement model (GAM) to the loess profiles in order to obtain information about their importance and the possibilities for the development of geotourism. According to the GAM model, the most important sites are the loess profile Čot in Stari Slankamen, the loess profile at the gully between Novi Slankamen and Stari Slankamen and the loess profile in the Ruma brickyard, and it is to these that the future development of geoturism at loess sites should be directed.