CALCITE MOONMILK FROM CAVES IN THE MORAVIAN KARST: MICROBIOLOGICAL AND GEOLOGICAL ASPECTS
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| Year of publication | 2008 |
| Type | Conference abstract |
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| Citation | |
| Description | Calcite moonmilk from five caves in the Moravian Karst was examined for the presence of culturable microorganisms (bacteria and fungi) and mineral composition. Sampling sites were in Sloupsko-šošůvské Caves, Císařská Cave, Suchožlebská zazděná Cave, Kateřinská Cave and Horní v Chobotu Cave. Seventy bacterial strains were isolated from the samples. Most of the strains were gramnegative non-fermenting rods. The majority of them were classified as fluorescent pseudomonads. Ten different cultures of sporulating fungi belonging to eight genera and one culture of non-sporulating fungus were isolated from four samples of moonmilk. The identified species and genera were Beuveria bassiana, Isaria farinosa, Cladosporium subtilissimum, Geomyces pannorum var. pannorum, Mortierella alpina, Oidiodendron truncatum, Engyodontium rectidentatum and Mucor sp. Moonmilk was composed of calcite and a variable content of water (H2O) (from 34 to 85.8 %). The amount of crystalline water (+H2O) oscillates between 0.88 and 3.13 %. Its stucture is micritic, sparitic and fibrous. Moonmilk occurs in relatively wide range of atmospheric cave conditions. |
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