Description
Show caves are unique natural attractions and inadequate touristic traffic can trigger their degradation. Romania hosts spectacular caves holding the potential to become touristic attractions. However, there are no management protocols enforced to monitoring changes in show caves and none of them have such monitoring. This project aims at establishing a robust protocol of monitoring the impact of tourist traffic upon the living and non-living objects in show caves. The protocol includes monitoring of physical and chemical parameters of the caves as well as the biological ones in relation to the touristic traffic. A set of basic principles to be enforced by the management plans of show caves and a set of preventive measures and instructions to be followed by the personnel and stakeholders of the show caves will be established. The project will yield integrated vulnerability maps for all monitored caves as well as a best-practices manual to be used in newly developed ones. It will also yield technical solutions for lampenflora removal and mitigation. The research will be beneficial to show cave administrators and guides, to policy and decision makers in environmental protection and heritage management and to the larger public. Norwegian expertise in cave monitoring and data from two caves in Norway will also be used in a comparative study. The project creates a complementary network of laboratories that will be able to solve similar issues not only in show caves management but also in the management of sensitive heritage cave sites.
Summary of project results
The project proposed a series of basic research activities: (1) documentation, monitoring equipment purchase, installation and testing (6 months); (2) 2 year-long complex monitoring (abiotic and biological environmental parameters, radiological monitoring); (3) data processing and editing of vulnerability studies and best practices guide (4 months). The project focused on five Romanian caves and a Norwegian show cave. The results of the project are as follows: (1) cave monitoring allowed for the identification of main vulnerabilities coming from tourist presence, but also of main risks towards the health of tourists and staff; (2) individual studies on vulnerabilities and risks associated with the touristic use of the six monitored caves; (3) a guide for best practices regarding monitoring, the development and management of show caves and caves of historical and cultural importance; (4) solutions for the selection of best lighting systems were indicated, in order to limit de development of lampenflora, as well as solutions for its removal from caves already affected. The objective of this project was to test different monitoring schemes and to recommend to decision makers or protected areas administrators technical approaches and protocols to be implemented in different situations. The beneficiaries of this project are the cave managers and protected area administrators where these caves are found. One of their benefits was to freely obtain monitoring results, conclusions and recommendations concerning the state of the caves, knowing that some measures will soon become compulsory (radon) while for others there are already legal measures in place (microbiological load, CO2) and cave monitoring should be rapidly imposed through adequate legal measures. The participant institutions have had the opportunity to conduct research activities in their respective fields, but also stakeholders in show cave development and, by extension, tourists. Our Norwegian partner contributed with know-how, chemical and isotopic analysis in its own laboratories and short courses and research stages for young Romanian researchers. The Norwegian partner conducted a similar experiment but using a different technical approach in a Norwegian show cave. This allowed for the know-how transfer and exchange of ideas, benefiting all the partners. At the end of the project five papers were published in ISI indexed journals, as well as 3 book chapters, five other manuscripts being under review.
Summary of bilateral results
Sharing know-how at bilateral level; sharing and discussing results and ways of data processing; sharing expertise on various types of equipment. A common proposal was submitted to the NFR for an excellency center. The project has strenghten already existing bilateral relationship.