he importance of hydrogeological, geological and climatic features in the karst landscape for the protection of water resources and biodiversity. In: Biodiversity and Conservation of karst ecosystems.

The contribution aims to illustrate the importance of the main climatic, geological and hydrogeological features of the karst landscape, in relation to both floral and faunal biodiversity and to human activities (i.e. grazing management). The geomorphological features of the karst landscape derive from the interaction between climatic factors (e.g. meteorological agents), geological setting, and rock mass properties (mainly solubility). Water represents a key element in this landscape and the absence/scarcity of surface water bodies influences land use and human activities as well as the floral and faunal biodiversity. The high porosity and solubility of the calcareous rocks bring about a rapid and consistent infiltration of water into the ground with the development of cavities within which there is a rapid turnover of groundwater. The high vulnerability of this groundwater and the strategic importance of karst springs (often used for public water supply) demand a sound knowledge of the karst aquifer system in order to protect and preserve water resources. After a regional overview of the geographic, microclimatic, geological and hydrogeological context of the extended area, a test site for the BioDiNet project is presented with particular attention to water resource protection (the Rižana spring catchment, Koper, Slovenia) in relation to grazing activities. Finally the relation between the Karst and biodiversity is discussed and an example of the influence of geomorphological and hydrogeological factors on cave fauna biodiversity is provided