Yellow-colored mats in Jeju Island lava tubes
- Jong-Shik Kim Dae-Shin Kim Keun Chul Lee Yong-Hwan Kim Ung-San Ahn Mi-Kyung Lee Jung-Sook Lee
- 한국응용과학기술학회 (구.한국유화학회)
- 한국응용과학기술학회지
- 한국응용과학기술학회지 제36권 제4호
- 등재여부 : KCI등재
- 2019.12
- 1338 - 1348 (11 pages)
The Geomunoreum Lava Tube System, declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has a unique natural ecosystem. The information available about this ecosystem, which contains lava caves with secondary carbonate speleothems, is sparse. Hence, extensive research is warranted for establishing a conservation standard. We commenced microbial research on the system and have been studying the microorganisms coating the lava tube wall to acquire fundamental information for understanding the lava cave ecology of Jeju Island. Samples were collected from yellow-colored walls in six caves that are part of the system-the Bengdwi, Utsanjeon, Bukoreum, Manjang, Gimnyeong, and Yongcheon caves. This study focused on yellow walls as it is the most easily distinguished color. According to previous studies, the color of cave walls is attributed to microorganisms or their components. To determine whether the yellow mats from the Jeju lava tube walls are caused by microorganisms, we examined samples at the microscopic scale, by staining mats and analyzing bacterial isolates from glitter particles. As a result, we found that the yellow walls of lava tubes are comprised of microbial mats.
1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
3. Results and Discussion
4. Conclusion