A Spatial Method for the Geodiversity Fragmentation Assessment of Basilicata Region, Southern Italy

The heterogeneity of the abiotic factor, or geodiversity, is an important issue for the landscape genetics. In this paper, a spatial method for the assessment of the geodiversity of Basilicata region in southern Italy is proposed through the use of fragmentation indexes. The fragmentation indices use the values derived from the overlay of three different maps: i) landform map; ii) climate map; iii) geological map. Three indexes have been applied to obtain the geodiversity of the study area: i) Shannon's diversity index (SHDI); ii) Shannon's Evenness Index (SHEI); iii) Simpson's Diversity Index (SIDI). The results show how the three indices offer similar results. High values of geodiversity can be observed: i) in the frontal sector of the chain; ii) where the complexity of the landscape forms is high. Low values of geodiversity are observed in the Ionian coast belt. These results can represent a basic but valuable tool for the delineation of the main macro-areas with different geodiversity values.