On Friday, October 4, 2024, a workshop was held for professionals from the nature conservation sector, researchers, and other interested participants on the topic of monitoring carbon dioxide concentrations in speleological structures. The workshop was organized by the Department of Geography at the Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, and the Public Institution Grabovača Cave Park. The workshop is part of the joint Slovenian-Croatian project CARDIKARST, aimed at monitoring the dynamics and distribution of carbon dioxide in karst areas.
The workshop covered various topics, including identifying key features that need to be monitored, selecting data collection methodologies, monitoring dynamics, and choosing locations both outside and within speleological sites to obtain representative data for scientific analysis, proper management, and ensuring the provision of quality ecosystem services.
The Public Institution Barać Caves is a collaborator on this project. In the Upper and Lower Barać Caves, as well as at the Baraćevac spring, a series of instruments have been installed to collect data on microclimatic conditions and other important parameters. The goal is to identify changes in sensitive karst ecosystem habitats that may signal threats and ensure effective measures for the protection of geodiversity and biodiversity. This includes assessing the current state, identifying potential threats, evaluating the effectiveness of existing management measures, and implementing new ones. The results of the monitoring and management decisions should be transparently communicated with relevant stakeholders, as well as the public, who must understand why the protection of natural values is an existential need.
The fieldwork portion of the workshop took place in the Samograd Cave, where instruments for monitoring microclimatic conditions are also located.
Sources:
https://cardikarst.geog.pmf.hr/?p=622
https://web.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100087060277370
Photos by the Public Institution Barać Caves
