Groundwater-dwelling harpacticoids in the karst aquifers of the Apuseni Mountains (Northwestern Romania): diversity, distribution and endemism

Authors:

Dragoș Coadă, Carmen Bădăluță, Răzvan Dumbravă, Karina Paula Battes, Sanda Iepure

DOI: 10.70655/KSD.2025.01

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Karst aquifers are large reservoirs of biodiversity for a variety of living forms, especially invertebrates that display adaptive strategies to cope with limited resources and total darkness (Malard et al., 2009). Furthermore, the high frequency of endemic and rare species results in a high species turnover between different karst regions, aquifers, and habitats (Galassi et al., 2013).

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Culture-dependent and independent approach for investigating bat guano microbiome

Authors:

Lavinia-Vasilica Manolachi, Georgiana-Alexandra Grigore, Emilia-Andreea Tănase, Ilda Barbu, Roua-Gabriela Popescu, George Cătălin Marinescu, Ionuț Pecete, Virgil Drăgușin, Luminița Măruțescu, Mariana Carmen Chifiriuc, Sergiu Emil Georgescu

DOI: 10.70655/KSD.2025.02

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Human-bat interactions, with both positive (understanding the microbial ecology of extreme environments and discovering novel sources of bioactive compounds) and negative (zoonotic infections reservoir) consequences, highlight the necessity to investigate the microbiome of guano deposits, especially under climate change scenarios. This study investigated the microbiome of bat guano deposits from Isverna Cave, Romania, by bridging culture-based, DNA-based and flow cytometry. Our culture-dependent approaches revealed a predominance of Gram-positive bacteria, but also the presence of Gram-negative bacteria of clinical interest (Serratia fonticola, Hafnia alvei, Moellerella wisconsensis, and Escherichia coli). A modified DNA extraction method, based on the DNeasy PowerSoil Pro protocol, exhibited superior performance, yielding high-quality DNA suitable for downstream applications. Flow cytometry analysis revealed a greater microbial load as compared to cultivation, higher in the hibernation colony versus the maternity colony. This multi-methodological approach provides a framework for further research into the complexity of the bat guano microbiome.

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From morphology to phylogeny: Adaptive traits of Eucyclops subterraneus scythicus in the sulfidic waters of Movile Cave

Authors:

Maria Mirabela Pop, Augustin Catalin Mot, Tiziana Di Lorenzo, Andrei Ștefan, Rozalia Magda Motoc, Sanda Iepure

DOI: 10.70655/KSD.2025.03

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Aquatic ecosystems characterized by naturally elevated concentrations of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) occur worldwide, in both marine and freshwater environments, where H2S is generated through geochemical or biological processes (Engel, 2007; Greenway et al., 2014; Tobler et al., 2016). In marine environments, such ecosystems can be found in hydrothermal vents and cold seeps, whereas sulfide-rich continental waters are typically found in aquifers, where H2S emerges via sulfurous springs and seeps (Marin & Nicolescu, 1993; Sarbu et al., 1994, 1996; Engel, 2007; Greenway et al., 2014; Tobler et al., 2016).

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Shedding light on cold caves aquatic fauna: Ghețarul de la Vârtop Cave (Northwest Romania)

Authors:

Orest Sambor, Aurel Perșoiu, Alin Tudorache, Constantin Marin, Ana Isabel Camacho, Bianca Șarcani, Karina Battes, Dragoș Coadă, Sanda Iepure

DOI: 10.70655/KSD.2025.04

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Ice caves are a distinctive type of subterranean ecosystem, featuring negative temperatures all year round, found between 20°N and 80°N and from sea level to over 3000 meters (Perșoiu, 2018). Such caves exhibit a mosaic of habitats with environmental conditions subject to cave morphology, reflected in dissimilarities of cave fauna distribution and occurrence along the longitudinal dimension, from the entrance to the deep zones (Latella & Brighenti, 2014; Iepure, 2018; Moldovan, 2018; Petrovová et al., 2024).

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Reconstructing western Türkiye’s hydroclimate since the Late Last Glacial using Börtlüce Cave (Kula, Manisa) stalagmites

Authors:

Mesut Kolbüken, Chuan-Chou Shen, Chun-Yuan Huang, Ezgi Ünal-İmer, Mehmet Oruç Baykara

DOI: 10.70655/KSD.2025.05

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This study presents preliminary results regarding hydroclimate dynamics in western Türkiye since the late Last Glacial using high-resolution oxygen (δ¹⁸O) and carbon (δ¹³C) isotope records from Börtlüce Cave. Our analysis indicates that calcite deposition occurred under near-isotopic equilibrium, ensuring the records reflect climatic signals. The isotope profiles seem to capture major climate events, such as the Bølling–Allerød interstadial and the Younger Dryas stadial, suggesting a strong linkage to high-latitude climate systems, likely driven by Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation variability. The records indicate wet conditions during the Early Holocene, attributed to a southward shift in the westerlies. This was followed by a progressive trend toward aridity from the Middle Holocene (~6 ka onward), consistent with other regional proxy records.

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Crustal deformations in Postojna Cave: a natural underground monitoring laboratory

Authors:

Uroš Novak, Stanka Šebelaa

DOI: 10.70655/KSD.2025.06

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Postojna Cave, part of the SLO KARST Near Fault Observatory, serves as a unique underground laboratory for studying active crustal deformation in the NW Dinarides. Since 2004, extensometer, hydrological, and microclimatic monitoring has been complemented by seismic data (from 2010) and speleoseismic traces extending observations into geological time. Together, these multi-parameter datasets reveal the interplay of tectonic, hydrological, and environmental processes, improving understanding of seismic hazard, karst aquifer dynamics, and long-term crustal evolution in SW Slovenia.

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New information from a less known Late Pleistocene–Holocene vertebrate site – Taxonomic and taphonomic investigations from Stoieni Cave (Mehedinți Mountains, Romania)

Authors:

Mihai Caminschi, Matei-Cristian Chirica, Virgil Drăgușin, Ionuț-Cornel Mirea, Ștefan Vasile

DOI: 10.70655/KSD.2025.07

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The karst sedimentary deposits exhibit significant potential for valuable palaeontological research, due to their unique configuration and stable microenvironmental conditions as compared to open-air sites. This paper presents new results from Stoieni Cave, a less known Late Pleistocene–Holocene vertebrate site from Southern Carpathians. A comprehensive taxonomic analysis of the macrofaunal vertebrate fossil remains defined the faunal assemblage from Stoieni Cave as containing ursids, canids, felids, mustelids, bovids, and suids. Moreover, our taphonomic observations indicate a thanatocoenosis highly affected by carnivoran and rodent activity at the site.

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The SISAL_monv1 database of cave-site rainfall, drip-water and modern carbonate isotopes

Authors:

Zoltán Kern, István Gábor Hatvani, Péter Tanos, Yining Zang, Nikita Kaushal, Franziska Lechleitner, András Hidas, Pauline Treble

DOI: 10.70655/KSD.2025.08

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PAGES’ SISAL (Speleothem Isotope Synthesis and AnaLysis) working group (WG) created a set of databases hosting speleothem δ18O and δ13C records (Comas-Bru et al. 2017; Kaushal et al. 2024), and synthesized them to target overarching climate questions such as investigating long-term drivers of the global monsoon and for data-model comparisons (Comas-Bru et al. 2019).

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Hydrogeochemical parameters of karst and thermo-mineral waters in the Motru-Cerna karst area (SW Romania) and their relationship with multi-decadal climate variability

Authors:

Huan Fang Dang, Mihai Caminschi, Virgil Drăgușin, Roxana Elena Ionete, Andreea Maria Iordache, Ionuț Cornel Mirea1, Claudia Șandru, Marius Vlaicu, Ramona Zgavarogea

DOI: 10.70655/KSD.2025.09

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This study attempts to link meteorological and hydrological data recorded over the past decades, with geochemical karst processes in the Motru–Cerna karst area (SW Romania). Parameters show good correlation, with the exception of river flow rates and spring discharge where only a moderate correlation was found. Based on our results, it is obvious that the karst aquifers are drying out due to increasing drought conditions and show reduced flow rates, which is supported by the decreasing Standardised Precipitation-Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) values. Additionally, the relationship between Mg/Ca ratios of karst and thermo-mineral waters, and the values of the SPEI are investigated. We found a good correlation between Mg/Ca and SPEI, supporting the use of Mg/Ca from speleothems as a hydrological proxy.

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Preliminary insights on two closely related species of the genus Carpathonesticus (Araneae, Nesticidae)

Authors:

Dănuț-Ștefan Puiu, Augustin Nae, Marius Vlaicu

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Carpathonesticus Lehtinen & Saaristo, 1980 is the most species-rich genus of cave-dwelling spiders in Romania, with an adaptive radiation in the Romanian Carpathians, that currently includes 21 described species. Carpathonesticus biroi (Kulczyński, 1895) and Carpathonesticus plesai (Dumitrescu, 1980) are two closely related cave-dwelling species, both endemic to the Apuseni Mountains, in northwestern Romania. Here, we aim to highlight the morphological differences that separate these two species, as well as intraspecific phenotypic variation observed within them, and to illustrate their geographical distribution discovered so far, together with that of neighboring species of Carpathonesticus.

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Limits and perspectives in the use of GIS in the Vârghiș Gorges (Perșani Mountains)

Authors:

Paulo Duñó-Iglesias, Marius Robu, Florent Rivals

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The Vârghiș Gorges have been of interest to archaeologists due to the large number of fossil caves with substantial sedimentary deposits and rock shelters (approximately 130). Archaeological research began as early as 1911 (Podek Ferenc), followed by Maria Mottl (1941–1942), Maria Dumitrescu and Traian Orghidan (1957–1958), Lucian Roșu (1969), and most recently by the speleologist István Dénes. After 2014, research was resumed by the team from Valahia University of Târgoviște. Located in the northern Perșani Mountains, the Vârghiș Gorges stretch over a length of approximately 2 km, developing a complex karst system with five distinct levels. During the past years, one of the main issues we have attempted to solve was the precise identification of cave levels created by the Vârghiș River and their current relation to the thalweg.

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Hoților Cave (Băile Herculane, Timiş County) - About the first intention to create an archaeological museum in the space of a cave in Romania in archival documents

Authors:

Raluca Toader, Vlăduț Georgescu, Mădălina Stănescu, Hunor Flavius Crișan

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Hoților Cave (Băile Herculane, Romania) is known to the public due to its high degree of accessibility, its location near the Băile Herculane resort, and its inclusion in the tourist circuit since the 19th century. Its archaeological research began at the same time as the beginning of archaeological research in the karst of Europe. Nevertheless, the most detailed scientific investigation was carried out under the coordination of C.S. Nicolăescu-Plopșor starting in 1954, and continued by archaeologists Petre Roman and Florea Mogoșanu. C.S. Nicolaescu-Plopșor carried out the main excavations in Hoților Cave and discovered habitation layers from the Bronze Age, the Upper Paleolithic, and the Middle Paleolithic. From our point of view, the most interesting discovery is the one attributed to the Middle Paleolithic.

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HydroSciences (Geotop–UQAM–ÉTS): An Excellent Canadian Research Group - Case Study: The IDPR Index as a Rapid Method to Identify Infiltration and Runoff Zones — What About Karst Areas?

Authors:

Mateo Lacheux, Viorel Horoi, Florent Barbecot, Christin Müller, Janie Masse-Dufresne

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This presentation provides a brief overview of the HydroSciences research group through a summary of selected projects. The current research theme — applying the IDPR (Network Development and Persistence Index) algorithm to rapidly identify infiltration areas in southern Quebec — is part of a broader and ongoing effort by the HydroSciences team to improve knowledge of groundwater resource availability and recharge zones in the region. Originally developed by BRGM - the French Geological Survey (Mardhel et al., 2021), the IDPR algorithm has been adapted and refined to integrate locally available data and account for the specific characteristics of the study area. Preliminary results are encouraging, revealing strong correlations between the IDPR index and Quaternary geology. An updated version of the algorithm will be presented in an upcoming publication (Lacheux et al., 2025, in preparation). After a brief introduction to the method, the presentation will focus on the distinctive features of infiltration in karst terrains, discussing both the potential

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Hydrochemical and flow characteristics of karst springs in the Sarmatian limestones of Southern Dobrogea (SE Romania): suitability and vulnerability assessment

Authors:

Ștefan Manolescu

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Springs in the rural areas of Southern Dobrogea, Romania, represent an essential source of drinking water, making their quality and sustainability critical for local communities. This study assesses the hydrochemical characteristics of 34 springs within the Deleni–Băneasa–Dobromir perimeter, hosted in Sarmatian limestones. In-situ field measurements (pH, electrical conductivity, oxido-reduction potential, discharge) and laboratory analysis (nitrate) were conducted. Results indicate slightly alkaline waters (pH 7.16–8.61) with moderate mineralization (EC 920–1504 μS/cm), characteristic of active carbonate dissolution. Spring discharge exhibited significant heterogeneity (5–214 L/min). A positive correlation (r = 0.65) between discharge and altitude confirms the system is an unconfined, phreatic aquifer with topographically-controlled flow. While nitrate concentrations are currently below the 50 mg/L legal drinking water threshold, positive ORP values (190–292 mV) indicate a pervasively oxic geochemical environment which inhibits denitrification. The combination of an unconfined aquifer, rapid karst flow pathways, and a lack of self-purification capacity renders these springs highly vulnerable to nitrate contamination from prevalent regional agriculture.

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