SStudy of the pollutant transfer at the epikarstic interface by using aquatic fauna as bioindicator.


PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The proof of the need for project achievement. Its framing in the prioritary domains of the NPII. Objective analysis and expected advantages
      The project is framed in the prioritary domains of the NPII by the formulated objectives and expected advantages. Biodiversity and ecology of fauna in percolation water was scarcely studied until recently. The last 5 years brought new data about the biodiversity and the spatial structure of this fauna. One of the objectives will be the study of the interface represented by epikarst (interface between surface/soil and groundwater with all its habitats) and the use of this fauna as bioindicator for surface pollution. Epikarst and vadose zone have important water reserves which are discharged at lower levels, respectively in the deep groundwater, which is used as drinking water.
      The work hypotheses are based on ecological, hydrological and chemical investigations in the unsaturated zone of the karst. The question to be answered is how are the species distributed in relation to chemico-physical quality of the water and how can they be sed as bioindicators.

References about the common interest of partner countries for the proposed project and justification of the need for collaboration.
      As a very recent subject for research the interest of both countries is given by the complexity of the study and complementarity of knowledges of both teams, which have vast experience in karst research in general, and cave research in special. Although both are European countries there are important regional differences in geography and fauna between the two countries. This will allow diversification of research subjects, improving working methods and proposing new directions for research.

Present level of knowledge and experience in research on national and international levels in both partner countries in the proposed domain
      This domain was scarcely researched. The Slovenian team is the first to have worked on this topic in Slovenia and USA. The interest of the study of epikarst increased in the last decade because the increasing need of drinking water sources for home and agriculture and thus, the need of groundwater protection as a very important source of water all over the world. Subterranean ecosystems are very vulnerable to human impact and are strictly dependant and influenced by those from the surface. By the nature of the rock, limestone ecosystems aborb all the water from the surface inlcuding pollutants. These can remain for long periods underground because self-cleaning capacity of groundwater is extremely reduced.


BRANCELJ, A., PIPAN, T. Diversity of copepoda (Crustacea) in the unsaturated zone of karstic caves of Slovenia. V: GRIFFITHS, Huw I., KRYŠTUFEK, Boris, REED, Jane M. (eds). Balkan biodiversity: pattern and process in the European hotspot. Dordrecht; London: Kluwer Academic, 2004, 323-332. CAMACHO A.I, VALDECASAS A.G., RODRIGUES J. CUEZVA S., LARIO J., SANCHEZ-MORAL S. Habitat constraints in epikarstic waters of an Iberian Peninsula cave system. Ann Limnol. - Int. J. Lim. 2006 42 (2): 127-140.

GERIC, B., PIPAN, T., MULEC, J.. Diversity of culturable bacteria and meiofauna in the epikarst of Škocjanske jame Caves (Slovenia). Acta carsol., 2004, 33, 1, 301-309.

MOLDOVAN O.T., PIPAN T., IEPURE S., MIHEVC A., MULEC J. (2007) Biodiversity and ecology of fauna in percolating water in selected Slovenian and Romanian caves. Acta Carsologica, 36 (3): 493-501.

PIPAN, T., BRANCELJ, A. Distribution patterns of copepods (Crustacea: Copepoda) in percolation water of the Postojnska Jama Cave System (Slovenia). Zool. stud., 2004, 43, 2, 206-210.

PIPAN, T., CULVER, D.C. Estimating biodiversity in the epikarstic zone of a West Virginia Cave. J. caves karst stud., 2005, 67, 2, 103-109.

PIPAN, T., CULVER, D.C. Epikarst fauna from north American caves. V: GIBERT, Janine (ed.). World subterranean biodiversity: proceedings of an international symposium held on 8-10 December 2004 in Villeurbane, France. Villeurbanne: [CNRS], 2005, 136.

PIPAN, T., CHRISTMAN, M., CULVER, D.C. Dynamics of epikarst communities: microgeographic pattern and environmental determinants of epikarst copepods in Organ Cave, West Virginia. Am. midl. nat., 2006, 156, 1, 75-87.

PIPAN, T., BLEJEC, A., BRANCELJ, A. Multivariate analysis of copepod assemblages in epikarstic waters of some Slovenian caves. Hydrobiologia (Den Haag), 2006, 559, 213-223.

PIPAN, T., CULVER, D.C. Regional species richness in an obligate subterranean dwelling fauna - epikarst copepods. J. biogeogr., 2007, 34, 654-861.

PIPAN, T., CULVER, D.C. Copepod distribution as an indicator of epikarst system connectivity. Hydrogeology Journal. [Online ed.]. http://www.springerlink.com/content/1435-0157/.

PIPAN, T., CULVER, D.C. Epikarst communities: biodiversity hotspots and potential water tracers. Environmental geology. [Online ed.]. http://www.springerlink.com/content/1432-0495/.

Time developement of the project and estimated results, presented in stages. Activities description of each research team by emohasizing the contribution of each partner.
      Results of this collaboration will represent a fundamental contribution in understanding colonisation of subterranean animals in and from epikarst, pollutant transfer from the surface and the possibility of the use of species as bioindicators.
      Cataloguing and topography of fauna will be realised for 12 months (Stage I 2008 and Stage II 2009), by monitoring physico-chemical parameters and by sorting material in the laboratory. In the seconf half of the year 2009 (Stage II) data will be analysed and the results presented during a workshop. Further, the results and conclusions will be published in ISI journals. Both teams will do the monitoring in two caves for each country (2008-2009) and data examination and interpretation will be performed together and published in common papers (2009).

The stage of collaboration.
      The collaboration is a continuation of the works started in 2006 in common and the proposal was accepted by the Ministeries in both countries.
Ways and possibilities for results announcement: publications, reports, patents, know-how, prototypes, others.       Collaborations will be reported annualy, there will be also common publications in ISI journals, the work methodology will improve and a workshop will be organised.