Inštitut za raziskovanje krasa ZRC SAZU

05/08/2026

Karst Research Institute at BEeS 2026!
Our researchers representing the Karst Research Institute ZRC SAZU—the leading partner of LifeWatch Slovenia—recently participated in the LifeWatch ERIC Biodiversity and Ecosystem eScience Conference (BEeS 2026) in Plovdiv, Bulgaria (https://www.lifewatch.eu/bees-2026/).
Here is how our team highlighted subterranean and karst research on the international stage:
• Dr. Magdalena Năpăruş-Aljančič and colleagues presented their work on climate change vulnerability in global subterranean biodiversity hotspots in the Biodiversity and ecosystem responses to climate change session https://www.lifewatch.eu/bees-2026-programme/ -909959c9-9f1d-476b-816d-537c91d7ba1a-event-23c6b6bc-bcb2-48dd-80a3-7a33926f3610
• 💧 Dr. Magdalena Năpăruş-Aljančič and Žan Kafol and colleagues led a LifeWatch ERIC Masterclass introducing FloodWatch, an interactive web app for monitoring hydrological dynamics in Slovenia’s karst wetlands - https://www.lifewatch.eu/bees-2026-programme/ -909959c9-9f1d-476b-816d-537c91d7ba1a-event-21c13817-6ef9-4ea9-94ad-d808bfbe6755
• 🦎 Together with Gregor Aljančič (Tular Cave Laboratory), they also presented preliminary predictive distribution models for the olm (Proteus anguinus) in the Habitat Mapping session.
BEeS 2026 gathered biodiversity researchers and data modellers from 28 countries, offering an active platform for knowledge exchange and international collaboration.
👉 Read the full news story on LifeWatch Slovenia:
https://lifewatch.si/lifewatch-slovenia-showcases-biodiversity-innovation-at-bees-2026/

20/07/2026

V časopisu Delo je bil objavljen zanimiv članek z naslovom Kaj nas jame učijo o vesolju. Dr. Andreea Oarga-Mulec pri raziskovanju ekstremnih okolij sodeluje tudi z dr. Janezom Mulcem z Inštituta za raziskovanje krasa ZRC SAZU.

15/07/2026

Ves teden (15. do 19. junij) v organizaciji Inštituta za raziskovanje krasa ZRC SAZU v Postojni poteka Mednarodna krasoslovna šola »Klasični kras«, tokrat že 33. in v znamenju mota »Poti ogljika v krasu«. Pred začetkom je bil naš gost krasoslovec prof.dr. Franci Gabrovšek z inštituta, poleg njegovega kolega dr. Mitje Prelovška (tudi z inštituta) odgovoren za organizacijo in izpeljavo tokratnega, zdaj že kar tradicionalnega večdnevnega simpozija in hkrati šole. Enkrat na leto le-ta omogoča snidenje raziskovalcev kraškega podzemlja iz vsega sveta.

Ves teden od danes do petka (15.-19.6.) v organizaciji Inštituta za raziskovanje krasa ZRC SAZU v Postojni poteka Mednarodna krasoslovna šola »Klasični kras«, tokrat že 33. in v znamenju mota »Poti ogljika v krasu«. Pred začetkom je bil naš gost krasoslovec prof.dr. Franci Gabrovšek z in....

19/06/2026

🌏International Day of Caves and Karst 🌎

Reminder – Call for Abstracts!

Join us in Postojna, Slovenia, for the international scientific conference: "Explore, Understand and Protect: Towards Sustainable Management of Caves and Karst", 10–13 September 2026

The conference is part of the first celebration of the UNESCO International Day of Caves and Karst (IDCK) and will bring together researchers, cave and karst experts, educators, managers, and conservation professionals from around the world.
Keynote speakers include:
• John Gunn (UK),
• Zoran Stevanović (Serbia),
• Ilias Valiakos (Greece),
• Marlene Liddle (Haida Gwaii, Canada),
• Franci Gabrovšek (Slovenia)

Abstract submission deadline extended to July 10!

Registration remains open until 1 September 2026.

More information: https://izrkp.zrc-sazu.si/en/dogodki/international-day-of-caves-and-karst-idck

The programme includes scientific sessions, excursions to some of Slovenia’s most important karst sites, and participation in the first official celebration of the UNESCO International Day of Caves and Karst in Postojna Cave on 12 September 2026.

IMPORTANT: Accommodation availability in Postojna is becoming limited. Participants are encouraged to register and book accommodation as early as possible. If you need assistance finding accommodation, please contact the local travel agency Kompas Postojna: https://www.kompas-postojna.si/index.html

We look forward to welcoming you to Postojna!
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🌏Mednarodni dan jam in krasa 🌎

Opomnik – poziv k oddaji povzetkov!

Pridružite se nam v Postojni na mednarodni znanstveni konferenci: »Raziskujmo, razumimo in varujmo: k trajnostnemu upravljanju jam in krasa«, 10.–13. september 2026

Konferenca poteka v okviru prvega praznovanja UNESCO Mednarodnega dneva jam in krasa (IDCK) ter bo združila raziskovalce, strokovnjake za jame in kras, pedagoge, upravljavce in naravovarstvenike z vsega sveta.

Vabljeni predavatelji so:
• John Gunn (Združeno kraljestvo),
• Zoran Stevanović (Srbija),
• Ilias Valiakos (Grčija),
• Marlene Liddle (Haida Gwaii, Kanada),
• Franci Gabrovšek (Slovenija)

Rok za oddajo povzetkov je podaljšan do 10. julija 2026.

Prijave so odprte do 1. septembra 2026.

Več informacij: https://izrkp.zrc-sazu.si/en/dogodki/international-day-of-caves-and-karst-idck

Program vključuje znanstvena srečanja, ekskurzije na nekatera najpomembnejša kraška območja Slovenije ter sodelovanje na prvi uradni obeležitvi UNESCO Mednarodnega dneva jam in krasa, ki bo 12. septembra 2026 v Postojnski jami.

Veselimo se srečanja z vami v Postojni!

First celebration of the UNESCO International Day of Caves and Karst in Postojna Under the honorary patronage of the President of the Republic of Slovenia, Dr Nataša Pirc Musar, and under the patronage of UNESCO, with the support and cooperation of the Slovenian National Commission for UNESCO, Post...

17/06/2026

🇸🇮 Mednarodni dan jam in krasa
RAZISKUJMO. RAZUMIMO. VARUJMO.
Prva obeležitev v Postojni, mestu krasa

UNESCO je 13. september razglasil za Mednarodni dan jam in krasa – dan, posvečen raziskovanju, razumevanju in varovanju jam, krasa ter njihovega pomena za naravo, znanost in kulturno dediščino.

Prvo uradno praznovanje bo potekalo v Postojni, enemu od svetovno najpomembnejših središč raziskovanja krasa. V Postojni se nahajata tako Inštitut za raziskovanje krasa ZRC SAZU, vodilna raziskovalna ustanova na področju krasoslovja, kot tudi sedež Mednarodne speleološke zveze (UIS), ki je dala pobudo za razglasitev tega mednarodnega dne.

Prostor med Julijskimi Alpami in Snežnikom je gosto prepreden z jamami najrazličnejših dimenzij in oblik, ki na svojstven način že tisočletja zaznamujejo način življenja na apnenčastih tleh. Številne, tudi novo odkrite jame, vsako leto nudijo sveža spoznanja, marsikatera pa se nahaja v bližini Postojne. Ta, s Postojnsko jamo, že več kot 200 let navdušuje raziskovalce in obiskovalce z vsega sveta. Nedaleč so tudi Škocjanske jame, ki so od leta 1986 vpisane na UNESCO-ov Seznam svetovne dediščine.

Med 10. in 13. septembrom 2026 bo Postojna gostila znanstvenike, raziskovalce, jamarje, strokovnjake in ljubitelje narave z vsega sveta na prvem praznovanju Mednarodnega dne jam in krasa.

V prihodnjih mesecih bomo predstavljali zanimive zgodbe, raziskovalna odkritja in pomen krasa za naš vsakdan.

Vabljeni, da nam sledite in praznujete z nami.

Uradna stran dogodka: https://izrkp.zrc-sazu.si/sl/dogodki/mednarodni-dan-jam-in-krasa-idck

🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹
🇬🇧 International Day of Caves and Karst
EXPLORE. UNDERSTAND. PROTECT.
The First Celebration in Postojna, the Town of Karst

UNESCO has proclaimed 13 September as the International Day of Caves and Karst, a day dedicated to exploring, understanding and protecting caves and karst landscapes, and to raising awareness of their importance for water resources, nature, science, and cultural heritage.

The first official celebration will take place in Postojna, one of the world's leading centres of karst research. Postojna is home to the Karst Research Institute of the Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts (ZRC SAZU), Slovenia’s leading research institution in karst studies, as well as the headquarters of the International Union of Speleology (UIS), which initiated the proposal for this international day.

The area between the Julian Alps and Mount Snežnik is densely interwoven with caves of all sizes and shapes. For thousands of years, these caves have profoundly influenced life on limestone terrain. Many caves, including newly discovered ones, continue to provide valuable scientific insights every year, and a significant number of them are located near Postojna. Together with the world-famous Postojna Cave, the town has fascinated researchers and visitors from around the globe for more than 200 years. Nearby are also the Škocjan Caves, which have been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1986.

From 10 to 13 September 2026, Postojna will welcome scientists, researchers, cavers, experts and nature enthusiasts from around the world to celebrate the first International Day of Caves and Karst.

In the coming months, we will share fascinating stories, scientific discoveries and insights into the importance of karst for our everyday lives.

We invite you to follow us and celebrate with us.

Official Event Website: https://izrkp.zrc-sazu.si/en/dogodki/international-day-of-caves-and-karst-idck

Inštitut za raziskovanje krasa ZRC SAZU
UNESCO
UIS - Union Internationale de Spéléologie
Jamarska zveza Slovenije
Občina Postojna
Občina Pivka
Park Škocjanske jame, Slovenija
Postojnska jama Cave-Grotte-Höhle
Notranjski muzej Postojna/Notranjska Museum Postojna

08/06/2026

V reviji Geomorphology smo predstavili raziskavo razvoja jamskega sistema Mravljetovo brezno v Gošarjevih rupah pri Rovtah. Raziskava kaže, da je dedolomitizacija pomembno vplivala na nastanek jamskih rovov, medtem ko jamski sedimenti in sige razkrivajo več sto tisoč let dolgo zgodovino razvoja kraške pokrajine. Rezultati poudarjajo pomen jam kot dragocenih arhivov tektonske, podnebne in geomorfološke evolucije slovenskega predalpskega oziroma izoliranega krasa.
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Our new paper in Geomorphology explores the evolution of the Mravljetovo brezno v Gošarjevih rupah cave system near Rovte, central Slovenia. The study demonstrates that dedolomitization played a key role in cave development, while cave sediments and speleothems preserve a record of landscape evolution spanning several hundred thousand years. The results highlight the importance of caves as valuable archives of tectonic, climatic, and geomorphic change of the Slovene prealpine (isolated) karst.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2026.110399

02/06/2026

Terensko delo, mednarodno sodelovanje in paleomagnetne raziskave v Dinarskem krasu

Med 25. in 29. majem sta bila dr. Nadja Zupan Hajna, sodelavka na hrvaškem projektu Quaternary Environmental Evolution Archived in Croatian Cave Deposits (QUEECAD), in mladi raziskovalec Matej Jelovčan (ARIS MR-61263) na terenskem delu na Hrvaškem. Vodja projekta je dr. Maša Surić z Oddelka za geografijo Univerze v Zadru. Skupaj s hrvaškimi in češkimi kolegi so vzorčili jamske sedimente za paleomagnetne analize, ki bodo prispevale k boljšemu razumevanju razvoja Dinarskega krasa. Vzorčenje je potekalo v Baraćevih špiljah v bližini Plitviških jezer ter v Cerovačkih jamah pri Gračacu. V okviru projekta se je odvila tudi mednarodna delavnica Paleomagnetism – Methodology and its Application in Karst Environments, ki je potekala v Speleonu – Centru podzemne dediščine in privabila udeležence z različnih področij. Na delavnici sta poleg dr. Nadje Zupan Hajna predavala tudi dolgoletna sodelavca IZRK dr. Pavel Bosák in dr. Šimon Kdýr z Geološkega inštituta Češke akademije znanosti. Terensko delo je vključevalo tudi ogled posameznih kraških polj ter drugih značilnih oblik Dinarskega krasa za potrebe doktorskega študija in usposabljanja mladega raziskovalca.

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Fieldwork, international cooperation, and palaeomagnetic research in the Dinaric Karst.

During 25–29 May, Dr Nadja Zupan Hajna, a collaborator in the Croatian project Quaternary Environmental Evolution Archived in Croatian Cave Deposits (QUEECAD), and young researcher Matej Jelovčan (ARIS MR-61263) conducted fieldwork in Croatia. The project is led by Dr Maša Surić from the Department of Geography, University of Zadar. Together with Croatian and Czech colleagues, they collected cave sediment samples for palaeomagnetic analyses, which will contribute to a better understanding of the evolution of the Dinaric Karst. Sampling was carried out in the Barać Caves near Plitvice Lakes and in the Cerovac Caves near Gračac. As part of the project, the international workshop Palaeomagnetism – Methodology and its Application in Karst Environments was held at Speleon – the Underground Heritage Centre, bringing together participants from a variety of scientific disciplines. In addition to Dr Nadja Zupan Hajna, the workshop featured lectures by long-standing collaborators of the Karst Research Institute, Dr Pavel Bosák and Dr Šimon Kdýr from the Institute of Geology of the Czech Academy of Sciences. The fieldwork also included visits to several karst poljes and other characteristic landforms of the Dinaric Karst as part of the doctoral training and professional development of the young researcher.

22/05/2026