Social assessment of landscapes of the Comarca Minera UNESCO Global Geopark, Hidalgo (Mexico)

To assess the social perception of landscapes in Hidalgo state (Mexico), we developed a digital questionnaire that was answered by 197 people (mostly students) from two high-school centers located in the 'Comarca Minera' UNESCO Global Geopark. The preferred landscape site from Hidalgo is 'Prismas Basalticos', the emblematic geosite of the geopark. This geosite, also, raises most concerns for its conservation. Huasca de Ocampo, Mineral del Monte and Mineral del Chico are the preferred municipal areas mentioned; these possess the touristic brand as 'Pueblos Magicos' (Magic Towns). On the other hand, a conspicuous preference for forests and mountains is observed, distinctive features of Hidalgo landscapes. Questionnaire results do not reflect a link of landscape preference to age, genre, environment (urban or rural) nor home municipality, whereas academic category (student or teacher) and birthplace (Hidalgo or elsewhere) played a role in the preferences. A pronounced difference is that those born in Hidalgo refer to a wider variety of sites, reflecting a greater knowledge of the territory. In terms of geopark meanings, manifested emotions relate to conservation values, care and protection of land, but also to other attributes, among which geology is the most cited.