Geodiversity Assessment and Global Geopark Construction in Changzhi City, Shanxi Province, China

Objective: Given the global trend of ecological protection and sustainable development, Global Geoparks have become an essential platform for resource conservation and regional growth. Changzhi City in Shanxi Province, China, is actively applying for Global Geopark status, relying on its rich geoheritage sites, cultural history, and natural landscapes. This paper presents a systematic evaluation of the city’s geodiversity and relic value, analyzes the feasibility of establishing a Global Geopark in Changzhi City, and provides scientific support for Changzhi City’s Global Geopark application. Methods: Geodiversity data were collected by region using a 1:25,000 grid for sampling. Four methods were adopted for evaluation, namely, the Shannon diversity index, Simpson diversity index, entropy weight method (EWM), and Pielou evenness index. Upon comprehensive comparison of the four approaches, the most suitable approach was selected to produce the final results. For the value evaluation of the geoheritage, a combination of the analytic hierarchy process and the entropy weight method was employed. Results: (1) According to the results of all four methods, the geodiversity of Changzhi City is higher in the eastern and western regions and lower in the central area. (2) The geoheritage sites are mainly distributed in the eastern part of the city and have relatively high relic value. (3) Changzhi City contains abundant natural reserves and cultural resources, meeting the fundamental requirements for Global Geopark construction. Specifically, 38 townships across eight counties were identified as potential geopark areas, encompassing 54 geoheritage sites, 76 provincial-level or higher cultural-relic protection sites, and 15 provincial-level or higher natural protected areas, with a total area of 4458.51 km2. Conclusions: Our results suggest that the Shannon diversity index is an effective tool for evaluating geodiversity in Changzhi City. Based on the region’s geological and natural conditions, the delineated geopark area is feasible. In summary, our findings provide essential references for the protection and sustainable development of geoheritage sites, geodiversity, and geoparks and offer strong theoretical and data support for Changzhi City’s Global Geopark application.