U.S.-Slovenia Workshop on Karst Aquatic Systems

这次关于生物多样性喀斯特系统的研讨会汇集了一组来自美国和斯洛文尼亚的研究人员和学生，他们具有从水文地质学和地球化学到地下生态系统等学科的专业知识。美国大学的David Culver和斯洛文尼亚科学院位于波斯托伊纳的喀斯特研究所的Tanja Pipan担任组织者。他们的目标是促进新的研究合作，并为喀斯特系统的研究提出联合建议，喀斯特系统是一个占地球系统20%的景观。讲习班议程包括与水生系统的地上和地下组成部分有关的主题。讨论应受益于美国小组在水生生态系统和喀斯特研究方面的专业知识，并辅之以斯洛文尼亚在生物多样性方面的优势以及他们对迪纳里克山脉喀斯特地貌的了解。研究结果将有助于确定新的、互利的研究课题，同时扩大基金会国家和国际长期生态研究计划下美欧区域活动的机会。此外，这次会议可能会为喀斯特地区的建设和可靠水资源的开发提供基本的见解，这些问题限制了含水层对地下水污染的脆弱性。这个跨学科的喀斯特研讨会实现了促进科学知识的计划目标，使美国和欧洲的专家能够在共同感兴趣和有能力的领域结合互补的人才和共享研究资源。更广泛的影响包括将参与的美国研究生引入国际领先的喀斯特研究人员网络。

This workshop on biologically diverse karst systems brings together a group of researchers and students from the United States and Slovenia with expertise in disciplines ranging from hydrogeology and geochemistry to subterranean ecosystems. David Culver of American University and Tanja Pipan of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences' Karst Research Institute in Postojna serve as the organizers. Their goal is to foster new research collaborations and develop joint proposals for research on karst systems, a landscape that compromises as much as twenty percent of the earth's system. The workshop agenda covers subjects related to both above- and below-ground components of aquatic systems. Discussions should benefit from the expertise of the U.S. group in aquatic ecosystems and karst studies, complemented by Slovenian strengths in biodiversity as well as their knowledge of karst landforms in the Dinaric Mountains. Results will help define new, mutually beneficial research topics while extending opportunities for U.S.-European regional activities under the Foundation's national and international Long-term Ecological Research Program. Furthermore, the meeting may provide fundamental insights into problems associated with construction in karst areas and the development of dependable water resources that limit aquifer vulnerability to groundwater contamination. This interdisciplinary karst workshop fulfills the program objective of advancing scientific knowledge by enabling experts in the United States and Europe to combine complementary talents and share research resources in areas of strong mutual interest and competence. Broader impacts include the early career introduction of participating U.S. graduate students to a network of leading international karst researchers.