Fungal Communities on Rock Surfaces in Demanovska Ice Cave and Demanovska Cave of Liberty (Slovakia)

This paper is the first geomycological report regarding the fungal communities on rock surfaces in the Demanovska Ice Cave and the Demanovska Cave of Liberty, Slovakia. The samples were collected in June 2014 from five locations from inside both the caves by using sterile swabs wetted with physiological saline (0.85% NaCl). The density of epilithic fungi isolated from the Demanovska Ice Cave ranged from 238.7 to 575.1 CFU (colony-forming units) per m(2) of the rock surface, and from the Demanovska Cave of Liberty ranged from 88.6 to 347 CFU. Seventeen different free-living culturable fungi (15 filamentous fungi, one yeast, and one yeast-like fungus) were isolated from the rock surfaces of both caves. Generally, Cladosporium cladosporioides and Aspergillus flavus were the most frequently cultured species from the Demanovska Ice Cave and the Demanovska Cave of Liberty, respectively. Free-living fungi found on the rock surfaces of both caves can lead to their slow biodegradation.