The lampenflora in show caves and its treatment: an emerging ecological problem

The artificial lighting of caves adapted for touristic visits, leads to the appearance and propagation of a complex community of phototrophic organisms known as "lampenflora". Formed mainly by algae and cyanobacteria, they produce the degradation of the colonized substrates and decrease th...

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Published inInternational journal of speleology Vol. 48; no. 3; pp. 249 - 277
Main Authors Estévez, Carlos Baquedano, Merino, Luis Moreno, Román, Almudena de la Losa, Valsero, Juan J Durán
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Bologna University of South Florida Board of Trustees, a public body corporate, having locations in Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Sarasota 01.09.2019
University of South Florida Libraries
Subjects
Algae
Biocides
biodeterioration
biofilms
Cave art
Caves
Colonization
Cyanobacteria
Effluents
Geology
Groundwater
groundwater pollution
lampenflora
Lighting
Literature reviews
National parks
Oxidants
Oxidizing agents
Pollutants
show caves
Substrates
Tourism
Tourist attractions
Lascaux Cave
Slovenia
United States > US
Spain
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Summary:The artificial lighting of caves adapted for touristic visits, leads to the appearance and propagation of a complex community of phototrophic organisms known as "lampenflora". Formed mainly by algae and cyanobacteria, they produce the degradation of the colonized substrates and decrease the show value of the caves. This phenomenon became famous worldwide in the 1960s due to the damage caused to the paintings in the Lascaux Cave (France). Since then it has become an issue of serious concern to both managers of show caves and to the international scientific community. Over time, the problem has been approached following two complementary strategies: preventing colonization by the invading organisms or eliminating them once they have become established through the use of chemical products, mainly biocides and strong oxidants. This kind of treatment generates pollutant effluents that can move the problem from the walls of the caves to the groundwater. This paper presents a critical literature review of the problem and the proposed solutions, and emphasizes the need for further study of the optimal doses of treatment chemicals and to develop quantitative methods to determine their effectiveness.
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ISSN:0392-6672
1827-806X
DOI:10.5038/1827-806X.48.3.2263