Karstology in the Classical Karst

“Karstology in the Classical Karst” is the first book that presents a selected karst area from different perspectives, supported by interdisciplinary methods, including monitoring and data analysis from geographical, geological, geomorphological, speleological, hydrogeological, biological and microbiological viewpoints. It seems that only a holistic approach to study karst fits this particular and peculiar landscape. &nbsp

17th International Symposium on Microbial Ecology - ISME 17

 ISME meetings have been organ­ized regularly since 1977, and in 1986 the 4th ISME was hosted by Ljubljana. The 17th ISME was in Leipzig, Germa­ny, where 2250 delegates from 60 countries met. Dur­ing the symposium eight plenary lectures, 26 different sections and three days of poster presentations were or­ganized. A participant could choose one of six or seven simultaneously running sections daily which covered an extremely wide set of microbial ecology from evo­lution, modeling of microbial interactions, review on new and existing metabolic pathways, (meta)genomics, interactions between microbes and hosts, biogeochemi­cal cycles, bioinformatics, new methods and innovative bioremediation procedures. It became clearly evident that microbial ecology can offer some answers to many urgent global issues. Some interesting highlights from the symposium are given below

Exposition in Stone Forest National Park: international cooperation between Slovenia and China in research and development of Stone Forest UNESCO Global Geopark

Informal cooperation between Slovenian and Chinese karstologists started as early as 1980's, but the main boost was initiated after 1995 in the frame of several national and international projects. Fruitful long-term cooperation between the Karst Research Institute, Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, and Yunnan Institute of Geography, Yunnan University, successfully culminated in many joint research efforts, among which the research in Stone Forest (Shilin) in South China Karst was the most apparent one

Microorganisms in Hypogeon: Examples from Slovenian Karst Caves

In caves microorganisms inhabit distinct habitats where they develop various interactions. As an evidence of microbial activ­ity several features can be identified. Microorganisms are in­volved bothin lithogenic and litholitic processes. Besides het­erotrophs in caves autotrophic organisms can be also expected. Some cyanobacteria and microalgae in caves can survive even at photon flux densities lower than their photosynthetic compen­sation point. In the paper up-to-date identified groups of mi­croorganisms (bacteria, cyanobacteria, microalgae, fungi and protozoa) withtheir localities in Slovenian caves are presented. Especially bacteria from caves, as the most diverse group, of­fer immense biotechnological and bioremediation potential. In caves microbial biomass can be considered a considerable food source for cave-dwelling higher organisms. Caves in Slovenia offer great chances to discover new species, as was fungus Mu­cor troglophilus discovered in association withthe cave cricket Troglophilus neglectus

Karst spring microbial diversity differs across an oxygen-sulphide ecocline and reveals potential for novel taxa discovery

Strong geochemical gradients of dissolved oxygen and sulphide establish habitats where specialized bacterial and archaeal taxonomic groups occupy specific redox-sensitive niches, primarily based on metabolic and ecological requirements. In contrast, knowledge of microeukaryote diversity and their ecology in redox-stratified habitats is poor, as species-specific occupation of such geochemical gradients has not been well established. Here we assessed total microbial diversity from rRNA genes retrieved from two morphologically distinct microbial mats formed along an oxygen-sulphide gradient in the outflow channel from the Žveplenica sulphidic karst spring, Slovenia. Microbial mats contained diverse bacteria and archaea associated with chemolithoautotrophic and primary productivity, and overall microeukaryotic diversity was higher under oxygenated conditions. The oxygenated mats were comprised of undescribed and undifferentiated fungi, Annelida, Nematoda, Apicomplexa, and Gastrotricha, some being represented by novel lineages. Under anoxic conditions, diversity was dominated by Ciliophora, Nematoda, and Fungi-Ascomycota, also affiliated with novel lineages. Colonization of the distinct mat types related to ecological tolerance of specific geochemical conditions, and the associations between bacterial and archaeal diversity with distinct microeukaryotes may be related to grazing options and food web structure within the karst system.Key words: karst, spring, sulphide, geochemical gradient, diversity, microeukaryotes.Pestra mikrobna diverziteta vzdolž ekokline kisik-sulfid kraškega izvira odkriva potencial za okritje novih taksonovIzraziti geokemijski gradienti raztopljenega kisika in sulfida so osnova za habitate, kjer v odvisnosti od redoks potenciala, predvsem pa glede na metabolne in ekološke zahteve, specializirane bakterijske in arhejske taksonomske skupine zasedajo občutljive ekološke niše. Nasprotno pa je poznavanje diverzitete mikroevkariontov in njihove ekologije v habitatih, stratificiranih glede na redoks potencial, pomanjkljivo, saj vrstno specifične kolonizacije takšnih gradientnih okolij še nismo dobro proučili. Celotno mikrobno diverziteto smo ovrednotili na podlagi zaporedij rRNA genov, ki so bila pridobljena iz dveh morfološko različnih mikrobnih biofilmov, ki nastajata vzdolž gradienta kisik-sulfid v žveplenem kraškem izviru Žveplenica, Slovenija. Mikrobni biofilmi so vsebovali pestro združbo bakterij in arhej, ki jim pripisujemo kemolitoavtotrofen metabolizem s primarno produkcijo, celotna mikroevkariontska diverziteta pa je bila v oksigeniranih okoljskih razmerah višja. Oksigeniran biofilm so večinoma sestavljale še neopisane in nepoznane glive ter predstavniki skupin Annelida, Nematoda, Apicomplexa in Gastrotricha; nekatere izmed njih pripadajo celo novim linijam. V anoksičnih razmerah so prevladovali predstavniki skupin Ciliophora, Nematoda in Glive-Ascomycota, ki tudi pripadajo novim genetskim linijam. Kolonizacija različnih tipov biofilmov glede na ekološko toleranco specifičnih geokemijskih razmer ter povezava med bakterijsko in arhejsko diverziteto z značilnimi mikroevkariontskimi predstavniki sta lahko povezana z različnimi možnostmi prehranjevanja in s strukturo prehranjevalne verige v kraškem sistemu.Ključne besede: kras, izvir, sulfid, geokemijski gradient, diverziteta, mikroevkarionti.

Monitoring of microbial indicator groups in caves through the use of RIDA®COUNT kits

RIDA®COUNT kitsMeasurements of microbiological parameters are not currently widely used for protection, monitoring and preservation of caves although they indicate very well the recent human impact. Here we present a commercially available microbiological kit for cave ecologists, the RIDA®COUNT test kit (R-Biopharm AG, Germany), as a supplementary tool for research and show examples. Simultaneously, lists of microbial indicator groups and cave microhabitats, where this methodology may be applied, are presented. Indicators include certain clinically important human-associated microbes such as Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp. and Staphylococcus aureus that are easy to quantify with basic cultivation methodology. Relatively higher bacterial counts compared to yeast and moulds on RIDA®COUNT test plates indicate recent and pronounced human impact. Swab samples allow detection of gradients of surface microbial colonization and determination of the microbial load on footprints and fingerprints in caves. In our tests, RIDA®COUNT plates for enumeration of yeast and moulds revealed a similar microbial load between unwashed caving boots and human fingerprints on a metal fence. Similarly, total bacterial counts were comparable between these two surfaces, 5,890 CFU/100 cm2 for unwashed boots and 4,340 CFU/100 cm2 for fingerprints on metal fence. Bacterial counts on walking surfaces in show caves can exceed 10,000 CFU/100 cm2 (Postojna Cave). These examples show that quantification of microbial indicator groups revealed increased microbial load and possible biohazard in the underground. This procedure may be widely adopted as a part of a regular monitoring programme in caves

Free-living Amoebae in Carbonate Precipitating Microhabitats of Karst Caves and a New Vahlkampfiid Amoeba, Allovahlkampfia spelaea gen. nov., sp. nov.

This is the first report on the diversity of small free-living amoebae (FLA) in carbonate precipitating habitats in karst caves. Of 11 samples from nine different habitats in four Slovenian karst caves ten samples were positive for FLA, four strains were successfully isolated and transferred to clonal monoxenic cultures, including Acanthamoeba castellanii genotype T4, Echinamoeba silvestris, Hartmannella vermiformis, and a new vahlkampfiid amoeba Allovahlkampfia spelaea gen. nov., sp. nov. The latter was isolated from a stromatolitic stalagmite, a typical biogenic speleothem. Echinamoeba silvestris was identified from an aerophytic algal community and Acanthamoeba and Hartmannella were isolated from a cave pool with floating calcite rafts. The grazing of FLA on bacteria may help in creating conditions that enhance carbonate precipitation

Screening for Culturable Microorganisms from Cave Environments (Slovenia)

V vzorcih iz treh različnih jam smo proučevali mikroorganizme, ki jih lahko gojimo v laboratorijskih razmerah. V jami Pečina v Borštu smo prisotnost mikroorganizmov proučevali v preperelem apnencu, jamskem srebru in v jamski ponvici, kjer se na površini velikokrat pojavljajo kalcitne ploščice; v Martinski jami v preperelem apnencu, v Snežni jami na Raduhi pa kalcitno jamsko mleko. Podatki o številu mikroorganizmov so bili v nekaterih primerih dopolnjeni πe z identifikacijo širše skupine ali rodu. Rezultati kažejo, da so poleg še nekaterih drugih bakterijskih in glivnih taksonov fluorescentne pseudomonade prevladujoči mikroorganizmi.Various microenvironments in three different caves were screened for the presence of indigenous culturable microorganisms: extremely weathered limestone in Pečina v Borštu and Martinska jama, cave silver and calcite rafts on the surface of subterranean ponds in Pečina v Borštu and calcite moonmilk speleotheme in Snežna jama of Raduha mountain. The counts of viable cells collected are supplemented with laboratory data necessary to establish genus or wider taxonomic group level identity of isolates. Besides other bacterial and fungal groups flourescent pseudomonads are prevailing among isolates