Underground Ecosystem Conservation Through High-resolution Air Monitoring

Abstract

In cave ecosystems tourists represent moving sources of discontinuous disturbances, able to induce transient system responses whose knowledge is crucial in defining appropriate conservation measures. Here we propose an approach to evaluate the amplitude and scales of cave alterations based on high-resolution air monitoring, through the use of purposely developed low-cost monitoring stations and a consistent analytical framework for information retrieval based on time series analysis. In particular, monitoring stations adopt a modular structure based on physical computing platforms acquiring data through several sensors, with means of preventing humidity damages and guaranteeing their continuous operation. Data are then analyzed using wavelet periodograms and cross-periodograms to extract the scales of tourism-induced alterations. The approach has been exemplified in the Pertosa-Auletta Cave, one of the most important underground environments in Southern Italy, highlighting the development of monitoring stations and the information obtainable with the proposed analytical workflow. Here, 2 monitoring stations acquiring data for 1 year at 1′ sampling time on temperature, relative humidity, CO2, VOCs, and particulate matter were deployed in trails subjected to different levels of tourism. In terms of Pertosa-Auletta Cave air dynamics, the approach allowed estimating the temporal and spatial scales of tourism-induced alterations in the order of minutes and meters, respectively, with parameter-dependent variations. On more general terms, the approach proved reliable and effective, with its modularity and low-cost fostering its straightforward adoption in other underground ecosystems, where it can support the development of tailored management strategies.

Sustainable Tourism and Conservation of Underground Ecosystems through Airflow and Particle Distribution Modeling

“…The first one consisted of a 2D cylinder, simulating a linear conduct of the cavity (blue line in Figure 1b); the second one was more articulated, in an attempt to rebuild a larger circular room, with tunnels for tourist entrance and exit (red line in Figure 1b). Some of the values of the physical parameters characterizing the moving air mass simulations (Table S1) were derived from the real data recorded by two monitoring stations, installed in the cave to control key atmospheric factors, in particular, the temperature (286.15 K) and the pressure (101,325 Pa) [27]. The dimensional characteristics of the shapes are in scale with the real ones (Table S1).…”

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“…The phase difference can be transferred to the difference of [-π, π], and its value indicates the lag characteristics of the two sequences (Aguiar-Conraria and Joana Soares, 2011; Addesso et al, 2022). The phase difference formula is as follows:…”

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