Preface. Protected Karst Territories Lifelong learning

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Preface Protected Karst Territories Lifelong learning In 2015 Bulgaria and the National Institute of Geophysics, Geodesy and Geography of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (NIGGG-BAS) hosted for the

1 Preface Protected Karst Territories Lifelong learning In 2015 Bulgaria and the National Institute of Geophysics, Geodesy and Geography of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (NIGGG-BAS) hosted for the third time an International Scientific and Practical Forum about protected karst territories (Pro- KARSTerra 2015). The previous two forums discussed various scientific-methodological and practical issues, related to karst research namely: # Protected karst territories - conditions, problems, perspectives (18-21 October 2005, Shumen, 41 papers were delivered under the conference title Кarst under protection: Gift for the future generations; # Protected karst territories - monitoring and management (17-21 September 2012, Shumen, organized by the Experimental Laboratory of Karstology оf NIGGG-BAS. 56 papers were delivered (including 5 plenary ones) under the motto, Protected karst territories: Bridges to the future. The Forum ProKARSTerra`2015, organized again by the Experimental Laboratory of Karstology оf NIGGG-BAS, was dedicated to protected karst territories and education, training and promotion of karst a natural phenomenon of wide spread and very high, but still underrated educational potential. It can be effectively realized through integration of the modern educational strategy of Life-long education with the latest scientific advances in Karstology and Speleology. That ensures continued public interest, particularly among young people, who will be responsible for the future sustainable development of karst areas. The ProKARSTerra`2015 forum was held under the motto Protected karst territories: Lifelong learning, included several International events:

2 ii INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GEOHERITAGE # International competition Кarst under protection: Gift for the future generations (Third edition, April 30, 2015, bas.bg/competition). The competition included 4 main categories for participation. 142 works by 161 authors were offered, from 7 countries, namely: Bulgaria, Germany, Latvia, The Russian Federation (including Bashkortostan, Tatarstan, Yacutia/Sakha), Montenegro, the Czech Republic and Japan. An International Jury of 9 members (Japan, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic and Poland) rated the offered works according to 6 preliminary announced criteria and 67 works were awarded. # Traveling Summer School of Karst (UNESCO - Program for Participation ) (Northern Bulgaria, July 22-31, 2015, karst-travel). It was held in representative karst regions and 35 participants attended from 7 countries: Bulgaria 21, Albania 1, Germany 2, Latvia 2, Tatarstan, the Russian Federation 3, Montenegro 4, the Czech republic 2. In addition, 11 more pupils, teachers, university students and Ph.D. students with proven interest to karst were included. Lectures were in the form of thematic presentations and field demonstrations with research facilities in model karst geosystems. Interesting working meetings were held with representatives of the local communities. All participants received original diploma for participation. # International scientific and practical conference, Protected karst territories: Education and training (September 23-26, 2015, Sofia, 5) with Scientific trip Karst pearls of the West Rhodopes in Bulgaria (September, 27-30, 2015). This conference was the most important one, the summarizing event of the Forum ProKARSTerra`2015. It was in memory of the distinguished Polish geographer, world-wide recognized karstologist and great friend of Bulgaria, Professor Marian Pulina ( ). He had large contribution to training of a lot of karstologists and speleologists, including through International schools, which he initiated, such as winter Speleology school in Poland (1975), the International School of Nature protection in karst regions (1991), etc. Main topics of the conference were: Karst and integration between science and education Place and role of protected karst territories in education and training Karst in school and university education Training about karst in the system of speleological organizations Training about karst in management and control of karst territories Application of information and communication technologies in education and training about karst. Karst and UNESCO Promotion of the knowledge about karst. Two special topics were offered, namely: Karst in pre-school education challenges, opinions, practices; Integrated education of disabled people in karst environment. ii

3 ABC, et al.: ABC iii The conference schedule included also a round table, dedicated to two Bulgarian initiatives: International competition/olympiad in Karstology; International Year of Karst and Caves. The conference was attended by 55 scholars and specialists from 7 countries (Bulgaria, Germany, China, Latvia, Poland, Czech, and Japan). It is indicative, that a lot of the participants (17) were teachers and students, most of them participated in the International Art competition about Karst and/or in the Traveling School of Karst. At the Scientific Conference 40 papers were delivered, two of them plenary reports, namely: Education strategy ProKARSTerra-Edu and its initiatives (P. Stefanov, D. Stefanova - Bulgaria) and Marian Pulina founder of Polish-Bulgarian karst initiatives (A. Tyc - Poland, P. Stefanov - Bulgaria). The Scientific session was preceded by a special solemn session, where the results from the International competition Karst under protection: Gift for the future generationswere announced. The original rewards (art statuettes with material from a karst quarry in Bulgaria) were provided by the TITAN Zlatna Panega Cement Plant (Bulgaria). A special exhibition was set up with the awarded art works at the National Museum of Natural History in Sofia (23 September 11 October 2015). It was officially opened with the presence of the conference participants and many guests. The Art exhibition showed also the art composition The Phantom of Karst 2015, of gust artists from the Yamaguchi University, Japan. Within the Scientific session 7 meetings were held (2 of them field sessions, with 5 reports) and 1 poster session (6 papers). The field sessions were held during a field trip in the Panega and Karlukovo karst regions in Bulgaria (25 September, 2015). It is impressive, that 4 of the papers delivered at the scientific session were offered by students (8), who participated in the Traveling School of Karst in Bulgaria. They made exciting presentations, which showed the great educational and emotional result from the traveling school. Similar results were reported in 6 more reports from teachers, who participated. The closing plenary session-discussion, which included a Round table for International initiatives, voted an important resolution. It summarized the results from the Conference and the ProKARSTerra 2015 as a whole, and offered a number of ideas and good practices for more effective introduction of the karst topic in education and in the development of the life-long learning strategy. The main part of the conference papers (24, in Bulgarian and English), by 34 authors have been published in a special edition International Scientific-Practical Conference Protected karst territories: Education and training (Bulgaria, Sofia, September 23-26, iii

4 iv INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GEOHERITAGE 2015) - Proceedings. NIGGG-BAS, Sofia, pp ISBN (on electronic media). Some papers covering the topic of Karst and Education were offered for publishing in a special volume ProKARSTerra-Edu. Education and training about karst (in English). The book is under preparation in 2016 and will include the resolution taken by the Conference. Some researchers, who could not take part in the Conference, but have original work on this topic have also been invited to offer some papers. So the book will make a serious analytical review of the current state and problems of education and training about karst in the world. * * * This collection contains 6 of the Conference papers, presented in English. They refer to different aspects of integration of research and education in protected karst regions in Japan, Poland and Bulgaria. The Akiyoshi-Dai Quasi-National Park (declared as such in 1955) is the most popular karst area in Japan, which attracts a million of visitors each year. The most important landmark there is the show cave Akiyoshi-do, opened for visitors in In 1922 it is declared a natural monument of Japan. In 2005 the Akiyoshi-dai groundwater system was registered as a precious wetland by the Ramsar convention on wetlands. The Akiyoshi plateau and Akiyoshi-do cave have been selected (in 2007) into the list of the top 100 sites of special geological structures in Japan. The Akiyoshi-Dai Museum of Natural History, founded in 1959 is a center of special research and educational importance. Its activities, research results and problems are discussed in the paper of Masayuki Fujikawa. The author explains also some of the geological features of Akiyoshi-dai karst landscape. The educational practices on the Akiyoshi-Dai Karst Park are presented in the paper of Noboru Sato and Dimitrina Mikhova from the Yamaguchi University, Japan. In this country karst territories are a few and knowledge about their management is not wide-spread. But Japanese people have a strong feeling of protecting their home land, including karst lands and this is what saved the Karst Park Land of Akiyoshi from destruction (Sato & Mikhova). The authors offer an original structural model of the institutions, NPOs, commercial entities, individuals and their activities related to education on the territory of the Akiyoshi Karst Park. Their educational functions are described. Both papers describe some very interesting Japanese good practices for education in protected karst areas, based on the modern knowledge about karst. Ojców National Park in the Cracow-Czestochowa Upland (South Poland) is one of the typical protected karst territories in this country. Two of the papers describe the educational potential of this park. It is based on the high variety of karst landscapes in this region despite its small area. The paper of Jakub Wojkowski (University of Agriculture in Cracow) and Zbigniew Caputa (University of Silesia in Katowice) pre- iv

5 ABC, et al.: ABC v sents an analysis of the main factor for the specific micro- and meso-climate in the park, namely solar radiation and insulation conditions. They, in turn depend on the diversity and features of karst topography that cause large differences, such as climatic inversion and existence of a mosaic of plant groups (azonal biodiversity). The authors describe important examples of the impact of karst relief on the summary annual solar radiation: in average 16% lower in the bottom of the karst valley, compared to the top part of the plateau. At the same time North slopes receive about 18% less solar radiation than the southern slopes. The specific microclimatic impact on plant diversity in the park is discussed in the paper of Zbigniew Caputa. An interesting graphical model is presented (cross section of the gorge), representing the connection between solar radiation and ecosystems (Fig. 5). The paper deserves special attention for the educational aspects discussed in it. Diverse insulation conditions, temperature differences, etc. exert influence on the diversity of vegetation on a relatively small area. That is why this phenomenon constitutes an excellent educational training. (Caputa). Papers concerning protected karst regions in Bulgaria emphasize on potential risks there. Ivaylo Ivanov discusses the possible consequences of insufficient geological studies before construction on karst terrains. One of the biggest dangers he associates with the sudden collapse of karst caves ceilings. This situation is analyzed on the example of one of the famous karst caves in North Bulgaria (Karlukovo karst region), namely the Prohodna Cave, under the Karlukovo-Lukovit Road. Based on an original methodology the approximate time of collapse of the cave under natural conditions (without additional loads of construction and quarry work, increased traffic, as well as earthquakes) has been calculated (Table 3). By this methodology the time of eventual collapse of this particular cave ceiling is after 3500 years. The second paper (Karel Turek et al.) reflects the results of an experimental monitoring of Radon gas in Bulgarian caves, including show caves (26 caves in total, with 42 measurement points). This research was held by the Experimental Laboratory of Karstology оf NIGGG-BAS in cooperation with the Department of Radiation Dosimetry of the Nuclear Physics Institute AS CR, Prague, Czech Republic. Track etch detectors were placed inside plastic chambers for measurement of the Rn activity. Parallel microclimatic measurements were performed, including СО 2 concentrations. Clear seasonal variations were established in Ra concentrations as well as strong correlation between seasonal and annual progress of Ra and the climatic cave microclimatic indicators, especially СО 2. Rn and CO 2 can serve as tracers for cave microclimatic, air ventilation/circulation and hydrochemistry (CO 2 ) studies. Remarkably increased concentrations (corresponding annual effective dose >10 msv) were found at four caves intended for active tourist visits (Ledenika, Saeva dupka, Biserna and Bacho Kiro). Moderately increased values were observed at other 8 localities (Table 2). The measured Rn concentrations (within ~ Bq.m 3 ) were used to estimate the effective dose related to time spent inside caves. In some show caves time spent by the personnel inside should be reduced considerably (up to hours annually, at normal working time of 2000 hours per year), (Table 2). The study is supposed to be extended to other Bulgarian karst locations. v

6 vi INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GEOHERITAGE The six papers in this collection are contributions to scientific and applied research in protected karst areas (see also Forum 2012). They open new perspectives for integration of the results of these studies with education and lifelong learning. * * * This forum held promoted the efforts to understand better karst environments in Bulgaria which are slightly known and underrated by the World community. Bulgarian karst occupies wide territory of this country (1/4 th of its land) and is unique in its diversity. This makes it and ideal natural laboratory for research and training. We hope it will soon be much more attractive, including for young people. It is encouraging that the Bulgarian initiatives, developed along the educational strategy ProKARSTerra-Edu received strong support at the Conference in Sofia. One of them made the focus of all Forum events and deserves special attention. It was the proposal to work for declaring an International Year of Karst and Caves. If with joint efforts it becomes a widely accepted cause, we will surely contribute to make karst environments worthily appreciated in today s globalizing world. Petar Stefanov Experimental Laboratory of Karstology, NIGGG-BAS vi

ДОКЛАДИ PROCEEDINGS. Международна научно-практическа конференция. ЗАЩИТЕНИ КАРСТОВИ ТЕРИТОРИИ ОБРАЗОВАНИЕ И ОБУЧЕНИЕ (23-26 септември 2015 г.

ДОКЛАДИ PROCEEDINGS. Международна научно-практическа конференция. ЗАЩИТЕНИ КАРСТОВИ ТЕРИТОРИИ ОБРАЗОВАНИЕ И ОБУЧЕНИЕ (23-26 септември 2015 г. Международна научно-практическа конференция ЗАЩИТЕНИ КАРСТОВИ ТЕРИТОРИИ ОБРАЗОВАНИЕ И ОБУЧЕНИЕ (23-26 септември 2015 г., София) ДОКЛАДИ International scientific and practical conference PROTECTED KARST