This oral presentation showed the peculiar characteristics of Castanar cave, one of the main geological sites of the Global UNESCO Geopark “Ibores Villuercas Jaras” and the impact that this cave has had in the dissemination of Earth Science. The results of the geological, environmental and microbiological studies have been published in a book for the general public, and have been used to prepare explanatory panels of the geology of the surrounding area and to create the contents of the visitor center, which plays an important role for environmental education in the area. In this way, communication of the research performed in the cave raises awareness among visitors of the need to protect it for its singularity, not only in aesthetics terms, and also becomes an important tool in the transmission of scientific values to society.
F.27 Contribution to preserving/protecting natural and cultural heritage
COBISS.SI-ID: 43374893One of the main characteristics of the ceramics from the settlement at Most na Soči is the fabric with a high amount of carbonate sand temper. This has first been observed macroscopically and confirmed by the results of microscopic analyses. More specifically, it has been confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analyses, which have been applied to examine eight samples taken from shards of the characteristic medium-grained, fine-grained and graphite ware fabrics. Apart from these, we also selected and analysed several unprocessed shards of black-on-red painted pithoi and brushed jars. The results are encouraging. Having said that, only a small portion of the recovered pottery has been sampled and systematic sampling coupled with a higher number of samples, both of the ceramic artefacts and the potential clay pits, is needed to be able to draw more relevant conclusion.
F.27 Contribution to preserving/protecting natural and cultural heritage
COBISS.SI-ID: 43545901The provenance and selection of raw material are key features for the understanding of the social structure of prehistoric societies. The reconstruction of raw material supply strategies yields information on the socio-economic framework and mobility patterns, as well as technical, symbolic, and cultural orientations. The petrological analyses showed a very uniform petrological composition of each typological group, which means that every single typological type is made of similar raw materials. Querns are made exclusively from quartz conglomerates and rarely sandstones. Other typological types are made from local fine-grained flysch material (flysch sandstones and marls). Exceptions are stone-balls which are made from magmatic raw material. Analyses also indicate that for cooking facilities non-local raw material was used while for all other devices local raw material was used. The most commonly used raw material for stone artefacts (63%) in the Most na Soči site are Upper Paleozoic quartz conglomerate and sandstone. The nearest source of Carboniferous-Permian clastics is ? 20 km from Most na Soči. The high amount of non-local raw material at the Most na Soči site best corresponds to an adaptive strategy characterized by a high degree of residential mobility and long-distance trade economy. While querns are quite big and heavy facilities, it was more likely trading with already manufactured products than just transporting the raw material and in situ manufacturing. The raw material for other typological types is of a local source. The Upper Cretaceous flysch outcropping in distances 0–10 km around the Most na Soči site or they can be found in nearby Quaternary till deposits and in the Soča River gravel. All other stone artefacts, except querns point out on the local source of raw material, in situ manufacturing, and local economy.
F.27 Contribution to preserving/protecting natural and cultural heritage
COBISS.SI-ID: 43553581Paleontological and sedimentological analyses performed as part of complementary structural geological, hydrogeological, karstological and geotechnical surveys for the Implementation Project of the second track of the railway line between Divača and Koper included facies analysis of the cores of four additional wells drilled on the tunnel route. The research contributed to the reconstruction of the structure and stratigraphy along the planned course of the tunnels, on which we, as a partner of the Geological Survey of Slovenia, will carry out geological surveillance in the coming years.
F.27 Contribution to preserving/protecting natural and cultural heritage
COBISS.SI-ID: 43631405Soil properties are influenced by the lithological parent rock and pedogenetic processes that lead to the gradual loss of basic cations and soil acidification. We investigated three different types of forest soils in central Slovenia: district brown soils on Carboniferous and Permian quartz-mica sandstones (Ljubljana), washed soils on conglomerates of the Sava Terraces (Smlednik area) and washed soils on limestones (Dobrepolje and Ivančna gorica). The geochemical composition of the soil reflects differences in the bedrock. Soils on quartz sandstones contain a lot of SiO2 and K2O and least of all other oxides. In contrast, limestone soils contain the least SiO2 and the most other oxides of all soils investigated. Soils in conglomerates are similar to sandy soils in terms of average SiO2 and Al2O3 contents, but with smaller ranges of the observed values. Soils on quartz sandstones are the most modest habitat in terms of acidity (pH), cation exchange capacity and the content of basic cations on the sorptive part of the soil, followed by washed soils on conglomerates. Washed soils on limestones show the most favorable properties despite the washed out elution horizon. Numerous plants of the herbaceous layer in forest of Blechno-Fagetum and Vaccinio myrtilli-Pinetum sylvestris indicate an acidic substrate and poorer soil quality, which have developed on quartz sandstones and carbonate-silicate conglomerates. The forests of both communities are of inferior quality, as the trees do not thrive due to the poor soil quality. The soils are also more sensitive to erosion. Better soil quality on limestone with greater nutrient availability and lower acidity is reflected in the growth of the Lamio orvalae-Fagetum, which is one of the highest quality beech forests in Slovenia. Forests of Hacquetio-Fagetum also appear, which are in principle of inferior quality, but still have economic importance.
F.27 Contribution to preserving/protecting natural and cultural heritage
COBISS.SI-ID: 9237881