| The
Adversities and Threats to Cave and Karst Systems
Use
of caves by humans can have significant detrimental effects
on caves. Biological resources that are threatened include
but are not limited to several species of endangered bats,
ferns, and lichens. Especially vulnerable are cave-adapted
invertebrates. So little is known about many of these species
that evaluation of population stability, adversities from
current and past human activities, and probabilities for species
survival cannot be assessed without further inventories and
monitoring.
Because
cave and karst systems are intimately tied to local and regional
hydrological systems, pollution or disruption of these natural
systems can harm water supplies and water quality. Direct
threats to cave and karst groundwater aquifers can be inappropriately
placed toxic waste repositories, landfills, oil and gas leaks
from hydrocarbon development, toxic and corrosive chemical
spills, routine runoff from highways and other developed (urban/suburban)
areas, and sinkhole dumps. Remediation can cost millions of
dollars. In addition, erosion from agricultural operations
such as excessive tillage and overgrazing or from deforestation
and fires can cause significant deterioration of water quality
from sediment loading.
|
