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Sustainable Tourism and Conservation of Underground Ecosystems through Airflow and Particle Distribution Modeling

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  • Rosangela Addesso

    (Department of Chemistry and Biology “Adolfo Zambelli”, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II, 132, 84084 Fisciano, SA, Italy)

  • Stefano Pingaro

    (Department of Chemistry and Biology “Adolfo Zambelli”, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II, 132, 84084 Fisciano, SA, Italy)

  • Bruno Bisceglia

    (Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II, 132, 84084 Fisciano, SA, Italy)

  • Daniela Baldantoni

    (Department of Chemistry and Biology “Adolfo Zambelli”, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II, 132, 84084 Fisciano, SA, Italy)

Abstract

Underground ecosystems are often of interest for the tourism industry due to their important naturalistic and cultural heritage. Since these underground ecosystems are almost completely isolated, external agents (such as human presence) can easily disrupt their chemico-physical and biological processes, which can affect, sometimes irrevocably, their natural equilibrium, placing the preservation of such sites at risk. The most sensible managers of caves, catacombs, mines, and all the accessible cultural sites are searching for methods to control these dynamics and the modeling appears to be effective in preventing scenarios of the known impacts as well as suggesting strategies for their mitigation. In this study, by employing finite element analysis by the COMSOL Multiphysics software and reproducing, in a simplified way, a section of the tourist trail of the Pertosa-Auletta Cave (Italy), for the first time we provided a fact-finding survey of the airflow and the scattering and subsequent deposition of particles transported by tourists. Taking into account discontinuities in the pathway, the simulations rebuilt the possible natural airflow line, reproducing the particle movements induced by different tourist loads, whose high numbers increase the swirling movement of air masses, promoting a higher dispersion of particles, even in the remote cave areas. Performed simulations clearly indicated both the speed and direction followed by particles, as well as deposition sites, highlighting potential hotspots of damage, and demonstrating that the employed approach can be an excellent tool for planning the management of these extraordinary ecosystems, foretelling anthropogenic impacts, and supporting managers in decision-making processes.

Suggested Citation

  • Rosangela Addesso & Stefano Pingaro & Bruno Bisceglia & Daniela Baldantoni, 2022. "Sustainable Tourism and Conservation of Underground Ecosystems through Airflow and Particle Distribution Modeling," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(13), pages 1-10, June.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:13:p:7979-:d:852347
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Silviu Constantin & Ionuț Cornel Mirea & Alexandru Petculescu & Răzvan Adrian Arghir & Dragoș Ștefan Măntoiu & Marius Kenesz & Marius Robu & Oana Teodora Moldovan, 2021. "Monitoring Human Impact in Show Caves. A Study of Four Romanian Caves," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-26, February.
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