Nature protection on Karst

The unique interaction of geological, hydrological, geochemical and biological factors and processes on karst results in the evolution of exceptional surface and subterranean forms, the specific drainage of groundwater and the existence of unique subterranean habitats. The natural features of karst areas represent an exceptional natural heritage and pose numerous social and moral challenges to those who manage and plan life on karst.
Both karstology and nature conservation are interdisciplinary sciences that intertwine the approaches and methods of various natural sciences, social and humanistic sciences. A karstologist must understand the karst, its evolution, natural characteristics, great nature conservation value, methods of protection and development challenges faced by society.
The course objectives are:
• to recognise and understand the diversity of the processes and recognize negative factors that can threaten the karst and living on karst landscapes,
• to learn about the characteristics of karst as a natural heritage and its vulnerability andpossible threats to karst around the world and in the region from which it comes,
• to learn the solutions with nature conservation on mind with karst management in the face of a multitude of social challenges

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• The emergence of nature protection as a result of the destruction of nature
 The beginnings of nature protection in the world and the creation and importance of parks in our country
 Content and organization of the nature protection
 The relationship between man and nature
 Elements of protection, typology of natural values and their characteristics

• International conventions and regulations on nature protection:

 Organizations at global and EU level
 Ministerial meetings
 Conventions and other agreements
 EU regulations
 Conferences
 Internationally protected areas

• Centers of gravity and relationships between nature protection and environmental protection
• Working areas of nature protection
• Objectives of nature protection
• Legal system of nature protection
• Nature protection in karst areas in practice
 Interventions in spatial planning, impacts and mitigation of negative effects
 Synthesis of knowledge from different fields
 Monitoring and research
 Precautionary principle
 Management process - Monitoring, evaluation, adjustments, management plan
 Public awareness
 Establishment of nature protected areas
• Protection of karst in the region where the student comes from and developmental challenges on karst

 The structural, hydrological, biological and lithological characteristics of the karst of the selected region and the planned development plans and their impact on nature
 the most important karst objects, their characteristics and possible threats
 Protection of the karst and the proposal of the best solutions from the point of view of the protection of nature and the environment
 Management process - Monitoring, evaluation, adjustments, plan

On the basis of acquired fundamental knowledge and understanding of karst and nature protection instruments, the student acquires the ability to understand karst protection and karst. The student learns about nature conservation on karst as a synthetic science between man and nature. They become familiar with basic national and international protection instruments and appropriate literature. Students integrates the natural features of the karst and their threat to each other and learns the basics of the management plan for human activities. In doing so, he recognizes the development challenges offered by the protection of nature in the karst and solutions for long-term survival (of both nature and people) in the karst regions.

• Ford, D.C., Williams, P., 2007. Karst Hydrogeology and Geomorphology. John Wiley & Sons, Chichester. Catalogue E-version
• Palmer, A.N., 2007. Cave geology. Cave Books, 454 str., Dayton, Ohio. Catalogue
• White, W. B. (ur.), Culver, D. C. (ur.), 2012: Encyclopedia of caves. 2nd ed., Academic Press, Amsterdam. Catalogue E-version
• Paul Williams (2008). World Heritage Caves and Karst. Gland, Switzerland: IUCN. 57pp. E-version
• Culver D. C., Pipan T. 2009: The Biology of Caves and Other Subterranean Habitats. Oxford University Press, Oxford. Catalogue
• Gams, I., 2004. Kras v Sloveniji v prostoru in času, 515 str. ZRC Publishing, Ljubljana. Catalogue
• Gunn, J., 2004. Encyclopedia of caves and karst science. Fitzroy Dearborn, New York. Catalogue E-version
• Wcpa Working Group on Cave and Karst Protection, 1997 Guidelines for Cave and Karst Protection: IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas - Prepared by the WCPA Working Group on Cave and Karst Protection E-version
• Culver, D. C., B. Debevc, M. Knez, G. Kovačič, A. Kranjc, J. Mulec, T. Pipan, M. Prelovšek, N. Ravbar, A. Semeja, T. Slabe, S. Šebela, N. Zupan Hajna (2012): Krasoslovje v razvojnih izzivih na krasu 2, gradnja, turizem, ekologija, varovanje; Karstology and Development Challenges on Karst 2, construction, tourism, ecology, protection.- Založba ZRC, p. 199 Catalogue
• Gillieson, David, Gunn, John, Auler, Augusto, Bolger, Terry,2022 Guidelines for cave and karst protection : second edition E-version
• Nadja Zupan Hajna, Mitja Prelovšek, 2011 Pressure and protection of the Underground Karst. E-version

The oral examination is intended for assessing the knowledge acquired by students at lectures and their ability to understand, articulate and present the acquired knowledge. The examination consists of several thematic units:
• History and International conventions of nature conservation
• Objectives and working areas of nature protection of nature protection
• Integration of karstology and nature conservation
• Nature conservation and development challenges in the karst
One of the lecturers is in charge of an individual set.
The oral defence stands for 80% of the final mark.
A requisite for taking the examination is a written product (7-10 pages), in which the student discusses a specific narrower topic from the nature conservation on karst or a specific source that relates to his or her seminar paper and the contents of the doctoral thesis. The written part stands for 20% of the final mark.

Full professor in karstology
Bibliography:

1. KNEZ, Martin, SLABE, Tadej, TORAB, Magdy, FAYAD, Noura Hamdy. Karst rock relief of Qara and White desert (Western desert of Egypt) = Kraški skalni relief v Qari in Beli puščavi (Zahodna puščava v Egiptu). Acta carsologica. [Tiskana izd.]. 2023, [vol.] 52, [no.] 2/3, str. 197-217, ilustr., zvd. ISSN 0583-6050. https://ojs.zrc-sazu.si/carsologica/article/view/12796/11894, DOI: 10.3986/ac.v52i2-3.12796. [COBISS.SI-ID 178797315]
2. KNEZ, Martin, LIU, Hong, SLABE, Tadej. Clustered stone forest in Pu Dou Chun (Yunnan, China) = Gručasti kamniti gozd v Fižolji vasi (Pu Dou Chun, Junan, Kitajska). Acta carsologica. [Tiskana izd.]. 2022, vol. 51, no. 1, str. 47-63, ilustr. ISSN 0583-6050. https://ojs.zrc-sazu.si/carsologica/article/view/10688/10597, http://www.dlib.si/details/URN:NBN:SI:doc-Y41SNY09, DOI: 10.3986/ac.v51i1.10688. [COBISS.SI-ID 133496323]
3. SLABE, Tadej, KNEZ, Martin, DRAME, Leon. Development model of rock relief on thick horizontal and gently sloping rock strata exposed to rain = Razvojni model skalnega reliefa debelega vodoravnega in malo nagnjenega sklada kamnine, ki je izpostavljena dežju. Acta carsologica. [Tiskana izd.]. 2021, vol. 50, no. 2/3, str. 209-230, ilustr. ISSN 0583-6050. https://ojs.zrc-sazu.si/carsologica/article/view/9308/9659, http://www.dlib.si/details/URN:NBN:SI:doc-W7VPJ05Q, DOI: 10.3986/ac.v50i2-3.9308. [COBISS.SI-ID 90835971]
4. BLATNIK, Matej, CULVER, David C., GABROVŠEK, Franci, KNEZ, Martin, KOGOVŠEK, Blaž, KOGOVŠEK, Janja, LIU, Hong, MAYAUD, Cyril, MIHEVC, Andrej, MULEC, Janez, ALJANČIČ, Magdalena, OTONIČAR, Bojan, PETRIČ, Metka, PIPAN, Tanja, PRELOVŠEK, Mitja, RAVBAR, Nataša, SHAW, Trevor R., SLABE, Tadej, ŠEBELA, Stanka, ZUPAN HAJNA, Nadja, KNEZ, Martin (urednik), OTONIČAR, Bojan (urednik), PETRIČ, Metka (urednik), PIPAN, Tanja (urednik), SLABE, Tadej (urednik). Karstology in the classical karst. Cham: Springer, cop. 2020. XII, 222 str., ilustr., zvd., graf. prikazi. Advances in karst science. ISBN 978-3-030-26826-8. ISSN 2511-2066. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-26827-5. [COBISS.SI-ID 17912067]
5. KNEZ, Martin, SLABE, Tadej, GABROVŠEK, Franci, KOGOVŠEK, Janja, KRANJC, Andrej, MIHEVC, Andrej, MULEC, Janez, OTONIČAR, Bojan, PERNE, Matija, PETRIČ, Metka, PIPAN, Tanja, PRELOVŠEK, Mitja, RAVBAR, Nataša, ŠEBELA, Stanka, ZUPAN HAJNA, Nadja, BOSÁK, Pavel, PRUNER, Petr, LIU, Hong, KNEZ, Martin (urednik), SLABE, Tadej (urednik). Cave exploration in Slovenia : discovering over 350 new caves during motorway construction on classical karst. Cham [etc.]: Springer, cop. 2016. XIII, 324 str., ilustr. Cave and karst systems of the world. ISBN 978-3-319-21202-9. ISSN 2364-4591. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-21203-6. [COBISS.SI-ID 38828077]