A taxonomic survey of lamp flora (algae and cyanobacteria) in electrically lit passages within Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky

Epilithic and aerophilic diatoms in the artificial environment of Kungsträdgården metro station, Stockholm, Sweden

“…However, the Lampenflora in Kungsträdgården is represented by 12 diatom species, and this is a higher species richness than in most other studies of Lampenfloras (e.g. Poulíčková and Hašler, 2007;Smith and Olson, 2007;Mulec et al, 2008;Abdullin, 2011). Conceivably, this can be explained by the urban environment, from which the Kungsträdgården samples were taken.…”

The show cave of Diros vs. wild caves of Peloponnese, Greece - distribution patterns of Cyanobacteria

“…The PCA showed that the water gallery sampling sites (D5, D6, D7, D8, D12) seem to be associated with elevated CO 2 values, while PAR is the prevailing environmental factor affecting Iphinoe spelaeobios have been observed in the dry passages of 'Vlychada' Cave. The former species -also present in almost all terrestrial sampling sites of cave 'Kastria' -is well known for the ability to mobilize calcium ions from calcareous substrata (Smith and Olson, 2007;Albertano, 2012), whereas the recent finding of the latter in similar karst habitats of Greek caves (Lamprinou et al, 2012b) suggests a comparable mode of growth. Additionaly, Scytonema julianum is well-adapted to the low irradiance of hypogean sites although it is also tolerant of higher irradiance (Albertano et al, 2000).…”

“…The lower species number found compared to that of the wild caves might be attributed to the artificial light conditions and its non-continuous operation as a stress factor. In previous studies of show caves, where artificial light influences ambient humidity till the saturation point, Cyanobacteria species number is lower and green algae and mosses dominate (Smith and Olson, 2007;Roldán and Hernández-Mariné, 2009). …”

“…Apart from the obvious discoloration of limestone in karst caves, the negative effect of such floristic growths around installed lighting systems includes the gradual alteration of substratum characteristics (Krumbein, 1987;Kováčik, 2000). These alterations are caused by the production of organic acids, which can corrode limestone and negatively affect the aesthetic impact of cave speleothems (Aley, 2004;Smith and Olson, 2007). As a result, modern research has focused on the substratum bio-deterioration by the 'Lampenflora' and on cleaning treatments and restoration projects of hypogean monuments (Caumartin, 1977;Griffin et al, 1991;Iliopoulou-Georgoudaki et al, 1993;Gurnee, 1994;Pantazidou, 1996;Dor and Dor 1999;Grobbelaar, 2000;Byoung-woo, 2002;Olson, 2002;Faimon et al, 2003;Merdenisianos, 2005;Roldán et al, 2006;Albertano et al, 2007;Mulec and Kosi, 2009;Akatova et al, 2009).…”

UV-C as an efficient means to combat biofilm formation in show caves: evidence from the La Glacière Cave (France) and laboratory experiments

“…Due to the increased number of visits, carbon dioxide levels in cave atmospheres have risen (Faimon et al 2006). The changes in illumination along with increased carbon dioxide has induced algal proliferation that has led to the development of structured complex multispecies biofilms (Faimon et al 2006;Mulec and Kosi 2009;Popović et al, 2015;Smith and Olson 2007;Piano et al 2015;Borderie et al 2016). This situation is of great concern to cave owners and managers who find themselves faced with a dual problem: the esthetic impact of biofilms (Adhikary et al 2015;Ciferri 1999;Cutler et al 2013) and the biodeterioration they induce to geological formations and historical cave paintings (Albertano 2012;Nugari et al 2009).…”