Microbial Communities with Lagbasan Cave Speleothems

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

An inventory of speleothems and the bacterial community associated with the different types of speleothems was carried out in Lagbasan Cave.METHODSSeven sampling stations inside the cave based on unique geologic formations were established where three soil samples, two rock samples, one water sample and one calcite powder sample were collected. Cultivation technique was used to isolate and characterize bacteria morphologically, culturally and biochemically based on the BIO ID Kit. Stalagmites, stalactites, cave corals, splattermittes, dog tooth, flowstones, draperies, straws, helictites, and needletites formations were found inside the cave. Among all the formations found inside Lagbasan Cave, splattermites, stalactites and stalagmites were the dominant formations.

RESULTS

From the seven samples, a total of eleven bacterial species were isolated. The three soil samples have bacterial species that may belong to Moraxella spp, Alcaligenes spp and Streptobacillus spp.The two rock samples which are part of the stalagmites have bacteria possibly belonging to Streptobacillus ssp, Bacillus spp, and Moraxella spp. The water sample from drippings of stalactites may have bacteria from Pseudomonas and Enterobacter spp. The calcite powder may contain bacteria from Steptobacillus and Enterobacter spp. Bacterial load of three soil samples was also calculated. Soil sample 1 has an average bacterial population of 5.835x105, soil sample 2 has an average of 4.45x105 and soil sample 3has an average of 2.81x105.

DISCUSSIONS

The values imply the average bacterial population of the three soil sample. The majority of the bacterial species were gram-negative, motile, can ferment glucose, catalase positive, and are facultative anaerobes.