Microbial ecology of tourist Paleolithic caves

Microorganisms colonize caves extensively, and in caves open for tourism they may cause alterations on wall surfaces. This is a major concern in caves displaying Paleolithic art, which is usually fragile and may be irremediably damaged by microbial alterations. Therefore, many caves were closed for preservation purposes, e.g. Lascaux (France), Altamira (Spain), while others were never opened to the public to avoid microbial contamination, e.g. Chauvet Cave (France), etc. The recent development of high-throughput sequencing technologies allowed several descriptions of cave microbial diversity and prompted the writing of this review, which focuses on the cave microbiome for the three domains of life (Bacteria, Archaea, microeukaryotes), the impact of tourism-related anthropization on microorganisms in Paleolithic caves, and the development of microbial alterations on the walls of these caves. This review shows that the microbial phyla prevalent in pristine caves are similar to those evidenced in water, soil, plant and metazoan microbiomes, but specificities at lower taxonomic levels remain to be clarified. Most of the data relates to Bacteria and Fungi, while other microeukaryotes and Archaea are poorly documented. Tourism may cause shifts in the microbiota of Paleolithic caves, but larger-scale investigation are required as these shifts may differ from one cave to the next. Finally, different types of alterations can occur in caves, especially in Paleolithic caves. Many microorganisms potentially involved have been identified, but diversity analyses of these alterations have not always included a comparison with neighboring unaltered zones as controls, making such associations uncertain. It is expected that omics technologies will also allow a better understanding of the functional diversities of the cave microbiome. This will be needed to decipher microbiome dynamics in response to touristic frequentation, to guide cave management, and to identify the most appropriate reclamation approaches to mitigate microbial alterations in tourist Paleolithic caves.

Automated summary

Microorganisms extensively colonize caves and may cause damage to cave walls, particularly in caves displaying Paleolithic art. Research has shown that microbial phyla in pristine caves are similar to those in other ecosystems, but more specific studies are needed at lower taxonomic levels to clarify differences. Tourism can impact the microbiota of Paleolithic caves, with larger-scale investigations necessary to understand the extent of these shifts.