5. Virtual Heritage: A Model of Participatory Knowledge Construction Toward Biogeocultural Heritage Conservation

Virtual heritage has recently received attention as a novel path to better conserve geoheritage values and sites by means of the use of advances in digital imaging technology to synthesize, reproduce, represent, and display information. Traditionally, there have been difficulties in the inventory, quantification, and consolidation of relevant geoheritage sites, especially as concerns the limited tools for an adequate understanding of its complex nature and multiple connections to other landscape values, including biodiversity, cultural values, and the more integrative concept of biogeocultural heritage. This point of contention has been particularly felt in Latin America: although relevant heritage sites are in peril of disappearing, the application of geoheritage and geoconservation concepts has been relatively slow and there continue to be salient difficulties in reaching audiences beyond academic circles. Extant Chilean biogeocultural geoheritage is remarkable not just due to its immense and impressive geoforms, running the gamut from arid to cold–humid climates with their respective geodiversities; it also harbors natural values regarding the same geological and geomorphological richness. The remarkable cultural and historic contributions from original communities are essential to understanding the dynamically evolved Andes geosystem over vast geological periods. Based on the above, this chapter seeks to advance, first, effective action to protect geoheritage in Chile; and second, to reframe that geoheritage with other landscape, biological, and cultural values toward the more holistic concept of biogeocultural heritage, and do so by integrating aspects of ancient and current communities with deep historical ties to this diverse landscape. This goal is forwarded through the implementation of the novel languages and practices made available by geovisualization. Integrally, this is the Virtual Heritage process and includes the use of mobile apps in which wider audiences may interact across critical aspects of environmental and social conflicts.