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Abstract: This study is the first mycological evaluation of bat guano and the air around it in Harmaneckáand Driny Caves in Slovakia. These caves are the most important underground localities of bats in Slovakia. Samples were collected in July 2014 and cultivated for fungi. HarmaneckáCave had seven species of filamentous fungi and one yeast-like fungus isolated from bat guano, compared to six species of filamentous fungi in guano from Driny Cave. Air samples from HarmaneckáCave had twelve species of fungi, compared to nine species from Driny Cave. Fungal density was higher in guano from Driny Cave (4720.1 CFU/g guano) than from HarmaneckáCave (3498.3 CFU/g). The pattern was reversed with fungi from the air. Fungal density in air from HarmaneckáCave (211.3 CFU/m3) was higher than that from Driny Cave (175.7 CFU/m3). Penicillium granulatum was the most frequently isolated fungal species, except in the guano of Driny Cave, where Mucor hiemalis was most common. Bat guano is a very good substrate for the development and survival of fungi in the caves, and it can be a reservoir of fungi harmful for bats. However, air samples from both caves contained more species of fungi than the bat guano, because the majority of fungi are transferred to underground ecosystems with air bioaerosols from the external environment.
INTRODUCTION
Cave ecosystems and other underground habitats are characterized by low temperatures and low availability of nutrients (Ogórek et al., 2013). Bat guano is rich in carbon, nitrogen, and vital minerals, so it is used in agriculture for fertilization of plants (Shetty et al., 2013). Bat guano, plant debris, animal carcasses, and other organic debris are the most important substrates for fungi inside caves (NievesRivera et al., 2009).
Fungal conidia or spores are commonly found in caves and other underground environments. These elements enter mainly with air currents from the external environment (Pusz et al., 2014; Ogórek et al., 2014a, 2014b, 2014c). They can also be carried into caves by water, by animals such as bats and arthropods, or by humans visiting underground spaces (Mulec, 2008; Chelius et al., 2009; Vanderwolf et al., 2013; Griffin et al., 2014). The cave mycobiota are very important for underground ecology, because the fungi present are decomposers or parasites and probably constitute the major food source...