Objectives and competences
• To give an overwiev of typology and characteristics of subterranean habitats
• To give an overwiev of typology and characteristics of subterranean organisms
• To present the prominent position of Slovenia for the diversity of the subterranean taxa
Content (Syllabus outline)
• Introduction into speleobiology
• Caves, fissures, artificial tunnels, shallow subterranean environments, soils
• Springs, interstitial environment, hipothelminoreic environment, deep lake and deep sea regions, marine caves
• Troglomorphoses: body and appendages size, anophthalmy, apterism, physogastry, pseudophysogastry
• Troglobionts, troglophiles, trogloxenes; freatobionts; stygobionts
• Review of organisms in the subterranean environments: Procaryota, Fungi, Plants, Animals
• Porifera, Protozoa, Cnidaria, Turbellaria, Nemertea, Nematoda, Mollusca, Polychaeta, Oligochaeta, Hirudinea, Chelicerata, Crustacea, Myriapoda, Insecta, Vertebrata
• Geographical distribution of the hypogean organisms
• Physiology and ethology of the subterranean organisms
• Evolution of the subterranean organisms
• Slovenia as the state with the highest diversity of the subterranean organisms in the World
• Review of the most prominent subterranean animals
• Impact of tourism on subterranean fauna
• Protection and conservation of subterranean fauna
Learning and teaching methods
• Lectures
• Laboratory work
• Field work
• Seminar
Intended learning outcomes - knowledge and understanding
Students know about the history of speleobiology and modern trends of scientific investigations. They are able to explain the ecological characteristics of subterranean habitats and biotic characteristics of subterranean organisms. Students are familiar with elementary sampling methods in subterranean habitats and its application. They are able to recognize troglomorphic traits and troglomorphic organisms and classify them into ecological categories according to their adaptations. Students are trained for scientific biological research in subterranean cavities.
Intended learning outcomes - transferable/key skills and other attributes
Transferable/Key Skills and other attributes:
Recognition of troglomorphoses and troglomorphotic organisms Capability of biological investigations in cavities
Readings
• Culver, D. C., Pipan, T., 2019. The biology of caves and other subterranean habitats, second edition. Oxford Univ. Press, Oxford, New York.
• White, W. B., Culver, D. C., Pipan, T. (Eds.), 2019. Encyclopedia of caves. Elsevier/Academic Press, Amsterdam/Boston.
• Moldovan, O. T., Kováč, L., Halse, S. (Eds.) (2018). Cave ecology. Springer International Publishing. 545 str.
• Culver, D. C., Christman, M. C., Sket, B., Trontelj, P., 2004. Sampling adequacy in an extreme environment: species richness patterns in Slovenian caves. Biodiversity and Conservation, 13: 1209- 1229.
• Gunn, J., 2004. Encyclopedia of caves and karst science. Taylor & Francis Books Inc., New York/London.
• Juberthie, C. & Decu, V. (Eds.), 1992-1996. Encyclopaedia biospeologica I-III. Societé de biospéologie, Moulis, Bukarest.
• Sket, B., Paragamian, K., Trontelj, P., 2004. A census of the obligate subterranean fauna of the Balkan peninsula. V: Griffiths, H. I., Kryštufek, B. (Eds.): Balkan Biodiversity. Pattern and Process in Europe's Biodiversity Hotspot. Kluwer Academic Publishers: 309-322.
Additional information on implementation and assessment Seminar essay 20
Written examination 80
