| Title | Stygofauna Abundance and Distribution in the Fissures and Caves of the Nard`o (Southern Italy) Fractured Aquifer Subject to Reclaimed Water Injections |
| Abstract | The demographic growth in developing countries and the increasing pressure of anthropological activities in industrialized states around the world, are leading to a gradual contamination of the natural habitats of our planet. Although the extent of these effects is unclear, the results can already seen in the quality of natural resources, which are intensely stressed by climate changes (greenhouse effect, nutrients load, water consumption, etc.) and by
direct contamination of toxic wastes. This could progressively destroy the variety of faunal species and, indeed, recent warming has caused changes in species distribution and abundance. This paper presents an investigation into the possible effects of climate change and anthropological pressures on the ground water fauna present at the Nard`o site (Salento peninsula, Southern Italy). Three ecological categories were examined: stygoxenes, stygophiles and stygobionts. The latter are anophthalmic, without pigment, measure up to 10-12 mm, and live in water which moves throughout fissures and karstic caves of carbonate aquifers. These stygofauna are very sensitive to changes, due to environmental stresses, such as water temperature, dissolved oxygen, water salinity, pH and chemical constituents, in their hypogeous habitat. The stygofauna categories are active organisms which contribute to the biodegradation of organic compounds in wastewater artificially (or naturally) injected in the fractured subsoil.Weak information has been available until now about Salento stygofauna ability to resist water pollution caused by human activities. At the Nard`o site 12000 m3/d of 2y effluent from municipal treatment plants have been injected since 1991 in a natural sinkhole. Here, the abundance of the stygofauna,
recovered in three wells (Colucci, Brusca and Spundurata cave) at progressive distances from sinkhole, and their distribution have been correlated with ground water constituents. Ground-water quality was monitored on each occasion that stygofauna were collected, during the spring-autumn seasons. |
| Source | Geomicrobiology journal 23, pp. 267–278 |
| Journal | Geomicrobiology journal |
| Editor | Taylor & Francis [etc.], Philadelphia [etc.], Regno Unito |
| Year | 2006 |
| Type | Articolo in rivista |
| Authors | Costantino Masciopinto, Filomena Semeraro, and Rosanna La Mantia Salvatore Inguscio and Emanuela Rossi |
| Text | 234826 2006 Stygofauna Abundance and Distribution in the Fissures and Caves of the Nard`o Southern Italy Fractured Aquifer Subject to Reclaimed Water Injections Costantino Masciopinto, Filomena Semeraro, and Rosanna La Mantia Salvatore Inguscio and Emanuela Rossi National Research Council, Water Research Institute, Via F. De Blasio 5, Bari, Italy Hypogeous Laboratory of Biospeleology of the Salento Sandro Ruffo, Santa Maria di Cerrate, Lecce, Italy The demographic growth in developing countries and the increasing pressure of anthropological activities in industrialized states around the world, are leading to a gradual contamination of the natural habitats of our planet. Although the extent of these effects is unclear, the results can already seen in the quality of natural resources, which are intensely stressed by climate changes greenhouse effect, nutrients load, water consumption, etc. and by direct contamination of toxic wastes. This could progressively destroy the variety of faunal species and, indeed, recent warming has caused changes in species distribution and abundance. This paper presents an investigation into the possible effects of climate change and anthropological pressures on the ground water fauna present at the Nard`o site Salento peninsula, Southern Italy . Three ecological categories were examined stygoxenes, stygophiles and stygobionts. The latter are anophthalmic, without pigment, measure up to 10 12 mm, and live in water which moves throughout fissures and karstic caves of carbonate aquifers. These stygofauna are very sensitive to changes, due to environmental stresses, such as water temperature, dissolved oxygen, water salinity, pH and chemical constituents, in their hypogeous habitat. The stygofauna categories are active organisms which contribute to the biodegradation of organic compounds in wastewater artificially or naturally injected in the fractured subsoil.Weak information has been available until now about Salento stygofauna ability to resist water pollution caused by human activities. At the Nard`o site 12000 m3/d of 2y effluent from municipal treatment plants have been injected since 1991 in a natural sinkhole. Here, the abundance of the stygofauna, recovered in three wells Colucci, Brusca and Spundurata cave at progressive distances from sinkhole, and their distribution have been correlated with ground water constituents. Ground water quality was monitored on each occasion that stygofauna were collected, during the spring autumn seasons. 23 Articolo in rivista Taylor Francis etc. 0149 0451 Geomicrobiology journal Geomicrobiology journal Geomicrobiol. j. Geomicrobiology journal. LA MANTIA ROSANNA SEMERARO FILOMENA costantino.masciopinto MASCIOPINTO COSTANTINO |
