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Karst: Exceptional adaptability of animals and plants

Karst: Exceptional adaptability of animals and plants

Biodiversity and environmental protection in the Karst and Reka River Basin Biosphere Reserve

When we think of the karst, we quickly think of caves, stalactites, limestone, and the olm. However, many animal and plant species have adapted to these very different living conditions. Here, we find ferns, ivy, mosses, algae, crustaceans, bats, birds...

How is the word "KRAS" written? In Slovenian, you may have learned or will learn that the word can be written with either a capital or a lowercase letter. When written with a lowercase letter, it refers to a stony area with caves and other karst formations shaped by water on limestone terrain.

However, when written with a capital letter, "Kras" refers to a proper geographical name for the area between the Gulf of Trieste and the Vipava Valley, and between the Soča Valley and the Brkini Hills.
In the photograph, there is an aerial view of a hilly landscape with small villages and roads. The landscape is formed by terraced rocks that are partially covered with forest. The weather is sunny.

It was in the Karst region that researchers first seriously and professionally began to discover and study karst caves and other characteristic features. The internationally recognized term for a valley in karstology – "dolina" – most likely originates from the Škocjan Caves. The Škocjan Caves are the most important underground feature in the Karst and Slovenia and are among the most significant caves in the world.

In the photograph, there is a river rushing over small rocks. The river is flanked by rocky walls on each side of the bank. The rocks and walls are covered with green vegetation.
The scientific community acknowledges the exceptional significance of the Škocjan Caves and their surroundings, which is why the area has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

 

An unique area always means an unique habitat for plant and animal species that have managed to adapt to it. This region is home to rare and endangered species as well as endemics—species that are characteristic only of this particular area.

 

Campanula justiniana (Slovenian endemic)
At the entrances, plants that have adapted to extreme light conditions grow.

Among the flowering plants, the most characteristic are common ivy, wall lettuce, stellaria montana, and parietaria judaica. Among the ferns, we notice the  maidenhair spleenwort and hart's-tongue fern.

 

Na fotografiji je rastlina rjavega sršaja, ki raste iz razpoke sive skale. Na tleh, pod skalo je zamegljena, temno zelena trava.

maidenhair spleenwort

Na fotografiji je rastlina jelenov jezik, fotografiran od zgoraj. Rastlina raste na gozdnih tleh, delno prekritih z mahom. Fotografira je zajeta z bliskavico.

hart's-tongue fern

Na fotografiji je rastlina s tankim, razvejanim steblom in ima rumene cvetove. Trije cvetovi so odprti, ostali pa so še v popku. Ozadje je rjavo in zamegljeno.

wall lettuce

Na fotografiji je rastlina navadna krišina, fotografirana od blizu. V ozadju je še več enakih rastlin.

parietaria judaica

Na fotografiji je rastlina z belim cvetom. V ozadju je nekaj zelenih listov te rastline in še en bel cvet.

stellaria montana

In the photograph, there is an ivy plant on the trunk of a beech tree. The ivy is dark green and purple in color. In the background, there is a blurred forest in the late autumn season.

common ivy

Rock pigeons and alpine swifts can be seen under the ceilings of the cave entrances. In winter, the alpine wallcreeper also inhabits the steep walls. 

It might initially seem that few birds live here, but due to the variety of habitats, you can encounter everything from moisture-loving species, such as the wren, to entirely warmth-loving species, like the bunting, shrike, and lark.

In the caves and treetops, you can spot dormouse. Foxes and badgers have their dens on the slopes of the Reka Gorge and the Sušica Stream.

Of course, we must not forget the bats. Among them, the long-fingered bat. At one time, there were as many as 1,000 individuals of this species living here.

In the underground, in crevices, in caves, in sand or gravel, there is also space for life.

The conditions here are different from those on the surface. This environment is characterized by a stable and average temperature, humid air, and, of course, constant darkness.

In the photograph, there is a bat hanging upside down from the ceiling of a cave. The bat is in a sleeping position and is beige and brown in color. In the background, there is a dark, blurred cave.

Constant darkness means that there are no green plants, and consequently, very little food for animals, all of which comes from the surface. Certain bacteria, fungi, and very specialized animals have adapted to such conditions. Excluding bats, which feed outside and only rest in caves, all terrestrial cave animals are tiny, rarely exceeding a centimeter in size. Beetles, spiders, and pseudoscorpions are the most dominant among them. In underground waters, various crustaceans, isopods, copepods, amphipods, and the olm, can be found.

In the photograph, there is a formation made of multiple layers of brown stone slabs with white mineral deposits. The surface is shiny and wet, and the dark background emphasizes the depth and underground space.
Limestone and water have created a magical world both on the surface and underground, which serves as a unique habitat for various animal and plant species.