SHOWCAVE - A multidisciplinary research project to study, classify and mitigate the environmental impact in tourist caves (DBA.AD002.294)

Thematic area

Biology, agriculture and food sciences

Project area

Structure responsible for the research project

Institute of BioEconomy (IBE)

Project manager

PIERPAOLO DUCE
Phone number: +39-079-2841503
Email: pierpaolo.duce@ibe.cnr.it

Abstract

Tourist caves are usually managed by governmental or commercial organizatiosn. Numbers of visitors (up to 500,000/year/cave) and profits deriving from such activities have recently gained importance at global scale. SHOWCAVE consists in a multidisciplinary research team to provide an in-depth characterization of the major Italian show caves and the environmental impacts related to tourist exploitation. Five research units will act in the project, focusing on the biotic and abiotic components of the cave ecosystem. The team will make use of innovative techniques and original methods based on a wide set of indicators, including biological, geological, palaeontological, archaeological and physical ones. Keeping in consideration the existing International Guidelines for Cave Management, specific suggestions for the sustainable management of tourism will be provided both to the national and the international audience of cave managers. The work will serve as a test for the first application of a Life Cycle Assessment to the touristic service offered by show caves, to improve and promote sustainable processes and provide a sound basis for informed decisions on cave management.

Goals

The SHOWCAVE IBE team will make use of both theoretical and experimental approaches aiming at explaining the internal transient processes in the show caves, focusing in particular on the correlation of internal and external environmental and weather conditions, with specific attention to extremely small temperature variations, internal thermal and chemical air sedimentation, cave energy and entropy balance. Microclimatic monitoring systems will be used and the spatial and temporal trends of the air quality during tourist visits will be analysed. One of the main aims is the development of management strategies useful for maintaining the quality of cave atmosphere under a sustainable touristic exploitation. In addition, IBE team will perform the analysis of the environmental implications of the touristic service in show caves using the LCA methods, in collaboration with the managers of the selected show caves, and with the purpose of improving and promoting sustainable processes and providing a sound basis for informed decisions on cave management.

Start date of activity

29/04/2020

Keywords

Natural resources and sustainability, Environmental impact assessment, Tourist caves

Last update: 25/04/2024