Microclimate monitoring of Pozalagua cave (Vizcaya, Spain): Application to Management and protection of show caves

Abstract

This paper reports the results of a continuous monitoring program carried out in Pozalagua show cave (Vizcaya, Spain) between April 2001 and June 2004. The study focused on understanding the variations in the microclimatic parameters inside the cave to assess the effect of visitors and to design a visitor regime to minimize impact and optimize its carrying capacity. The main parameters susceptible to variations due to a massive influx of visitors are the internal temperature of the cave and the concentration of CO2 in the cave air. Proposed management measures focus on reducing the humaninduced variations of both parameters.