Paweł Wolniewicz’s research while affiliated with Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań and other places

The concept of geosites and geodiversity sites that document selected elements of geodiversity has proved to be extremely useful in the preservation and communication of the abiotic diversity of the Earth. However, the process of the designation, description, evaluation and, finally, promotion of geosites requires a fair amount of effort. This hinders the recognition of geosites and the development of geoparks in many areas that would otherwise benefit from their rich but undervalued abiotic environment. To rectify this, the present study introduces the use of automated geographic information system (GIS) mapping and generative artificial intelligence (GAI) for the designation and promotion of points of geological interest and potential geodiversity sites. When used effectively, these techniques permit the rapid development of geodiversity site inventories and, eventually, their dissemination to the general public and decision-makers. In this study, GAI is employed to produce diverse promotional content, both textual and visual, that facilitates geoscientific communication. A case study of an aspiring geopark located in Poland (Central Europe) is discussed, showing that GAI has the potential to enable the rapid development of easy-to-understand and diverse educational materials, limiting the amount of resources and labour required for the effective promotion of geodiversity.

A growing number of geoheritage studies have examined the legacy of natural stone in urban settings, but research into the intersection of cultural and natural heritage (integrating the historical, social, and spiritual significance of stone acquired through the centuries) is relatively sparse. The purpose of the present study was to analyse the use of natural stone in the urban environment of Poznań in Poland over the past thousand years by merging geological, historical, and archaeological data. The results show that in cities that do not have sufficient local sources, complex arrangements of natural materials and the history of changing stone types have been conditioned by the location of state borders and the economic environment, and mediated through the cultural context of subsequent epochs, the preferences of ruling monarchs, the migration of stonemasons, and doctrines of national self-sufficiency. Natural stones in urban settings cannot, therefore, be regarded merely as ex situ geodiversity elements but rather as an interface between cultural and abiotic environments, a memory of past trading and cultural connections, and architectural trends. It is hoped that the integration of geological and cultural heritage will stimulate more comprehensive geoconservation efforts and contribute to the growth of geotourism.

Geodiversity, defined as the natural range of geological, geomorphological, hydrological, and soil features, has been explored in a growing number of studies at different spatial scales. However, most research efforts have been directed at analysing geodiversity at a fine-scale. Here, an estimation of the geodiversity of the European subcontinent is performed using six available high-resolution global data sets that describe the diversity of selected features of the abiotic environment. Six maps representing geomorphological, geological, hydrological, hydrogeological, soil, and topographical diversity are compiled using the methods of centroid analysis and kernel density estimation. The present contribution identifies areas with high values of most geodiversity variables which were not previously studied, nor are included in the network of international geoparks. The study also shows that, although remote sensing images and digital elevation models allow one to grasp a significant understanding of geodiversity on the continental scale, fine-resolution and process-oriented geological data sets are required to further enhance the quality of large-scale geodiversity assessments. To ensure interoperability between studies, a consensus is necessary regarding the analytical methods, classification rules, standardised indices and dictionaries. Without this, comparisons of geodiversity evaluations across different scales and between distant study areas remain difficult.

Urban geodiversity is a complex entity that includes both natural and anthropogenic geological and geomorphological elements, thus requiring broad and interdisciplinary approach to its inventorying and assessment. To estimate and evaluate the widest possible range of urban geodiversity, and to explore the intersection between geo- and cultural heritage, an inventory of 615 natural and anthropogenic geological features of the city of Poznań, Poland, has been established. The preferences of the general public were studied to examine the possibilities of developing urban geotourism. Statistical analyses allowed the estimation of the reliability of the assessment method. The study shows that in the urban environment, anthropogenic geodiversity is rich, although in most cases it scores low in the evaluation. The results of the quantitative assessment reveal few significant correlations showing that the criteria used are not overlapping. However, the preferences of potential geotourists are not consistent with the outcome of the quantitative evaluation. Landforms significantly altered or completely destroyed by human geomorphosites, located in the city centre and close to tourist venues, were selected the most times by the users of the interactive map, but none of these geodiversity sites are included in existing geosite inventories, and most of them ranked low in the assessment process. Studies of potential geotourists’ preferences are therefore required before any strategy for tourism development is adopted.

Geosite and geodiversity site inventories are among the most important means of geological diversity conservation and promotion. However, there are other in situ geological features that have significant educational potential and are not included in many inventories, namely, localities of widespread rock types, common minerals and fossil-bearing strata. In this paper, a broad utilisation of these petrographic, mineralogical and palaeontological geodiversity elements for geoscience communication purposes is postulated, with a case study that focuses on the geological heritage of Poland. A simple quantitative framework for the evaluation of the educational potential of rock types is used for the assessment of preselected geological units on the geological map of Poland. The preferences of potential geotourists are estimated using the interactive web-based map. The promotional materials are written for the most distinctive rock types and geological units that scored the highest in the assessment procedure and/or were most frequently selected by users. This procedure stimulates geodiversity promotion in areas where few geosites and geodiversity sites are documented and no educational activities or interpretative facilities are available, potentially increasing the number of geotourism destinations. The rocks and minerals utilised here are exposed over large areas and can be sampled and studied by untrained collectors without any loss of geodiversity. Shifting the involvement of individuals interested in geosciences from extraordinary to more common rocky outcrops helps to protect the geological heritage and enhances conservation of the most spectacular features for future generations. Field activities such as individual searching and studying outcrops, in turn, play an important role in learning in geosciences, facilitating the acquisition of knowledge and encouraging interdisciplinary thinking. Future improvements could include expanding the applicability of the evaluation method, employment of a location-based learning approach #and more detailed studies of the preferences of potential geotourists.

Stromatoporoids are an extinct group of Palaeozoic sponges that dominated the Devonian carbonate buildups. Although their general environmental requirements are known, their palaeoecological preferences at genus level are less studied. Seven stromatoporoid associations are distinguished within the Givetian (Middle Devonian; associations 1–3) and Frasnian (Upper Devonian; associations 4–7) of the Holy Cross Mountains in Poland, namely: (1) Arctostroma–Pseudoactinodictyon; (2) Actinostroma–Clathrocoilona; (3) Atelodictyon–Stachyodes; (4) Amphipora–Pseudoactinodictyon; (5) stromatoporoid–microbialite bafflestone and bindstone; (6) Stictostroma–tabulate corals; and (7) Hermatoporella–Stictostroma. Stromatoporoid associations 1–3 are late Givetian to earliest Frasnian in age, while associations 4–7 are from the early to middle Frasnian. Associations 1 and 4 occupied calm and shallow parts of the carbonate platform, associations 2 and 7 thrived in more agitated waters, whereas other associations inhabited the deeper, low‐energy environments and mud mounds of the platform slope. General stromatoporoid diversity at genus level is high, but individual associations consist of 4–10 genera. Stromatoporoids of associations 1–2 and 7 are overturned and/or broken/redeposited, and hydrodynamically unstable, sediment‐laden facies dominate the stromatoporoid‐bearing Devonian carbonate platform facies of the Holy Cross Mountains. Lagoonal and biohermal environments were inhabited by dendroid, laminar and domical stromatoporoids, whereas digitate shapes are common within the associations that formed in more agitated water. Most representatives of the order Clathrodictyida were prone to physical destruction and inhabited low‐energy settings. Genera having skeleton supported by thick pillars or network of oblique elements, less affected by physical skeletal breakage, thrived in agitated waters.

The fossil content of building and decorative stones is used to communicate a wide range of geological knowledge, namely the history of the Earth, plate tectonics, evolutionary patterns and climate change, to nonexpert audiences. Storytelling and narratives are employed to improve the level of interpretation of palaeontological geoheritage. Seven rock types, five of which are highly fossiliferous, widely utilized in most recognizable monuments of the city of Poznań in Poland are employed to produce a complex narrative that guides the individual from the Ordovician to the Neogene period. The narrative is accompanied by rich visuals (graphic reconstructions of ancient ecosystems and now-extinct organisms, palaeogeographical maps) available in four printed and online leaflets and guides, supplemented by a museum exhibition where additional rocks and complete fossil specimens are shown and by workshops for more deeply interested participants. The narrative component of the project allows the detection of the most common misconceptions related to the Earth sciences and strengthens the engagement of individuals involved in the project. The project is developed further with self-guided walks around other Polish cities.

Devonian reefs of north-western Gondwana represent the southernmost record of shallow-water coral reefs in the Palaeozoic. However, few studies have attempted to date palaeoecological reconstructions of these high-latitude reefal buildups. This study provides the first detailed palaeoecological analysis of Aferdou el Mrakib, an isolated, Givetian coral-stromatoporoid reef, which developed in a semirestricted basin in the south-eastern part of the Rheic Ocean. The study documents spatial facies variability and succession of faunal replacements accompanying progressive reef accretion towards the sea surface. The investigations included both autochthonous communities found at the base of the reef and, partially, within the reef core, and allochthonous deposits of reef-derived skeletal debris that accumulated in the fore-reef setting. Contrary to some previous suggestions, the study shows that the Aferdou reef shared many characteristics of classical Middle Devonian coral-stromatoporoid buildups, including the ecological succession, limited role of calcareous algae, and development within the range of the euphotic zone, but likely below the zone of regular water agitation. Critical factors in the facies development and temporal changes in the character of reef building were the palaeobathymetry, dominant sedimentary and circulation regimes, level of wave energy, and, possibly, light availability. Distinctive features of the palaeoecology of Aferdou el Mrakib are the dominance of massive colonies of heliolitid tabulates and a subordinate role of massive stromatoporoids, both explained here primarily as a result of increased water turbidity in the high-latitude sedimentary basin. The growth of the high-latitude coral-stromatoporoid reefs in the south-eastern Rheic Ocean was favoured by a combination of the exceptionally warm climate and plate tectonic configuration typifying the Devonian. Of critical importance appears the palaeogeographic position of the Rheic, which resulted in the seawater circulation in the ocean being dominated by tropical water masses, with restricted inflow of cold water from the circumpolar oceanic circulation.

Stromatoporoids of the family Actinostromatidae are common constituents of Givetian to Frasnian (Devonian) organic buildups. The species-level structure of actinostromatid assemblages from the Devonian of southern Poland is described in the present paper, with special emphasis on ecological factors that influenced species composition of the communities. Nine species of the genera Actinostroma and Bifariostroma are distinguished. Members of the family Actinostromatidae predominated in stromatoporoid assemblages within lower Frasnian carbonate buildup margins. The most diverse actinostromatid faunas were found within the middle Givetian Stringocephalus Bank, in the upper Givetian-lower Frasnian biostromal complex and in the lower Frasnian organic buildups. Species-level biodiversity was lowest within detrital facies which surrounded the Frasnian carbonate buildups. Species of Actinostroma with well-developed colliculi are commonest within the middle Givetian to early Frasnian coral-stromatoporoid biostromal complexes, whereas species with strongly reduced colliculi predominate early-middle Frasnian organic buildups. The skeletal structure of actinostromatids reflects environmental changes, documenting a transition from species with thin, close-set pillars and widely spaced laminae (common in the middle Givetian) to those with long, thick pillars and megapillars (in Bifariostroma), which were predominant during the early and middle Frasnian. The distribution of growth forms among species reveals a significant intraspecific variation. Species of Actinostroma can be either tabular or low domical, depending on the palaeoenvironmental setting. Thus, the present study confirms that stromatoporoid morphology was influenced by environmental conditions.

SedMob is an open-source, mobile software package for creating sedimentary logs, targeted for use in tablets and smartphones. The user can create an unlimited number of logs, save data from each bed in the log as well as export and synchronize the data with a remote server. SedMob is designed as a mobile interface to SedLog: a free multiplatform package for drawing graphic logs that runs on PC computers. Data entered into SedMob are saved in the CSV file format, fully compatible with SedLog.