Microclimate Effects on Number and Distribution of Fungi in the Włodarz Underground Complex in the Owl Mountains (Góry Sowie), Poland

Abstract

In July 2013 we studied the occurrence of fungi in an underground complex named Włodarz, located inside the massif of Włodarz, within the Owl Mountains, Lower Silesia, Poland. The study is the first mycological evaluation of the rocks in the Włodarz underground complex and the air inside and outside of it. To examine the air, the Air Ideal 3P sampler and PDA medium were used. Microbiological evaluation of the rocks inside the adit was performed using two methods, swab sampling and rinse sampling. The results were analyzed by ANOVA, and means were compared using Fisher's least significant difference (LSD) test at a # 0.05. Eleven taxa of filamentous fungi were isolated from the air sampled outside the Włodarz adit, and fifteen from the air inside. Between 65.5 and 1003 colony-forming units of fungi per m 3 of air were isolated from the air sampled in the adit and about 1115 CFU from the air sampled outside of it; the differences are statistically significant. The majority of the airborne fungi were isolated from outside the adit and from the ventilation shaft containing a waterfall, probably due to air movement. From the rock walls of the shafts seven taxa of fungi were isolated, whereas from the rock debris on the adit's floor, only six taxa. The densities of fungi obtained from the research locations are statistically significant, and the most dense fungus isolated from the air outside and inside the adit was Cladosporium cladosporioides, followed by C. herbarum at one locations in the adit. Taxa of the Aspergillus niger group were most common on the rock debris and wall rocks except for one location where Penicillium chrysogenum was most common on the rock debris and one location where Cladosporium cladosporioides was most common from the rocks walls.

Speleomycology of air and rock surfaces in Driny Cave (Lesser Carpathians, Slovakia)

“…Moreover, air samplers, such as the Air Ideal 3P sampler, are small in size, so they are useful for application in difficult conditions such as underground sites (Ogórek and Lejman, 2015). Ogórek et al (2014aOgórek et al ( , 2014bOgórek et al ( , 2014c and Pusz et al (2014Pusz et al ( , 2015, who studied fungi from air in underground sites, reported that higher levels of fungi were isolated from outside sites than from inside, as found in our study. Ecosystems such as underground sites, when compared to the external environment, are very unfavorable for survival and development of fungi due to the relatively stable low temperatures and very restricted availability of organic matter (Poulson and White, 1969;Barton and Northup, 2007).…”

“…As shown previously (Ogórek et al, 2014a(Ogórek et al, , 2014b(Ogórek et al, , 2014c, bioaerosols from the external environment most strongly influence the percentage composition of fungi in caves and other underground sites. Tourist activities are also very important, because they may have a serious impact on the hypogean system (Taylor et al, 2013).…”

“…The area most susceptible to external conditions is the twilight zone, which is located at the entrance or exit and the vicinity of ventilation shafts (Poulson and White, 1969;Koilraj and Marimuthu, 1998). The most fungi typically are isolated from this zone (Ogórek et al, 2014a(Ogórek et al, , 2014b(Ogórek et al, , 2014c. In the middle zone relative darkness prevails, with fluctuating temperature.…”

Airborne bacteria and fungi in a coal mine in Poland

“…For example, in a Niedźwiedzia Cave in the Sudety moutain, which is often visited by tourists, Ogórek et al (2014a) reported the concentration of spores between 123 and 214 CFU/m 3 , while the most commonly isolated fungi were Cladosporium herbarium and Rhizopus stolonifer. Similar results were obtained by Ogórek et al (2014b) examining the air in an artificial underground complex named Włodarz, located inside the massif of Włodarz, within the Owl Mountains, Lower Silesia, Poland. Between 65.5 and 1003 colony-forming units of fungi per m 3 of air were isolated from the air sampled in the adit, and the most common fungus isolated from the air outside and inside the adit was Cladosporium cladosporioides, followed by C. herbarum at one location in the adit.…”

Speleomycological research in underground Osówka complex in Sowie Mountains (Lower Silesia, Poland)

“…are common in many parts of the world, as they are cosmopolitan organisms. Their spores can be found in air, soil and water (Domsch et al, 1980;Ogórek et al, 2012). These fungi are active at low temperatures and in high air humidity (Kwon et al, 2001).…”