Klamath Network Cave Community and Environmental Condition Monitoring Project
Chung-MacCoubrey A. Klamath Network Cave Community and Environmental Condition Monitoring Project. 2012. National Park Service
The unique biological communities and geology found in caves depend on special environmental conditions to exist. While they may appear stable, these environmental conditions, such as temperature, humidity, or carbon dioxide level, are very sensitive to the climate and atmosphere outside the cave. Changing conditions outside the cave affect biological communities and geology within the cave. Cave communities have unique biota, including a number of species that exist nowhere else in the world. For example, there are several invertebrate species known only from the main cave at Oregon Caves NMP. At Lava Beds NM, there are plants that only grow in the uniquely cool microclimates at cave entrances. Cave communities are highly vulnerable to human impacts, such as locally introduced organic matter and alterations of cave structure and climate. Even such seemingly minor stresses as lint from visitors' clothing can affect microbial populations. Klamath Inventory and Monitoring Network started the cave monitoring program in 2017 to provide vital insights into the status and continuing condition of these complex and special ecosystems. Objectives are to: Monitor the status and trends of cave climate Monitor the status and trends in water level in subterranean pools, and elevation and surface area of ice Monitor the status and trends of focal species and communities Monitor the status and trends in human visitation
- Type
- Project
- Authors
- Chung-MacCoubrey, Alice
- Publisher
- National Park Service
- Units
- KLMN , LABE , ORCA
- Keywords
- Bats, Climate, Ice, Invertebrates, Monitoring, Visitors, Vital Signs
Program
Products
- Standard Operating Procedure 1: Training. Version 2017Feb10. Integrated monitoring protocol for cave entrance communities and cave environments in the Klamath Network
- Standard Operating Procedure 2: Scheduling. Version 2017Feb10. Integrated monitoring protocol for cave entrance communities and cave environments in the Klamath Network
- Standard Operating Procedure 3: Site selection and marking. Version 2017Feb10. Integrated monitoring protocol for cave entrance communities and cave environments in the Klamath Network
- Standard Operating Procedure 4: Water. Version 2017Feb10. Integrated monitoring protocol for cave entrance communities and cave environments in the Klamath Network
- Standard Operating Procedure 5: Climate. Version 2017Feb10. Integrated monitoring protocol for cave entrance communities and cave environments in the Klamath Network
- Standard Operating Procedure 6: Ice. Version 2017Feb10. Integrated monitoring protocol for cave entrance communities and cave environments in the Klamath Network
- Standard Operating Procedure 7: Visitation. Version 2017Feb10. Integrated monitoring protocol for cave entrance communities and cave environments in the Klamath Network
- Standard Operating Procedure 8: Bats. Version 2017Feb10. Integrated monitoring protocol for cave entrance communities and cave environments in the Klamath Network
- Standard Operating Procedure 9: Cave entrance vegetation. Version 2017Feb10. Integrated monitoring protocol for cave entrance communities and cave environments in the Klamath Network
- Integrated monitoring protocol for cave entrance communities and cave environments in the Klamath Network: Narrative, Version 1.0
- Standard Operating Procedure 11: Invertebrates. Version 2017Feb10. Integrated monitoring protocol for cave entrance communities and cave environments in the Klamath Network
- Standard Operating Procedure 12: Cave database. Version 2017Feb10. Integrated monitoring protocol for cave entrance communities and cave environments in the Klamath Network
- Standard Operating Procedure 13: Data entry. Version 2017Feb10. Integrated monitoring protocol for cave entrance communities and cave environments in the Klamath Network
- Standard Operating Procedure 14: Photograph management. Version 2017Feb10. Integrated monitoring protocol for cave entrance communities and cave environments in the Klamath Network
- Standard Operating Procedure 15: Data transfer, storage, and archiving. Version 2017Feb10. Integrated monitoring protocol for cave entrance communities and cave environments in the Klamath Network
- Standard Operating Procedure 16: Protected data. Version 2017Feb10. Integrated monitoring protocol for cave entrance communities and cave environments in the Klamath Network
- Standard Operating Procedure 17: Data analysis and reporting. Version 2017Feb10. Integrated monitoring protocol for cave entrance communities and cave environments in the Klamath Network
- Standard Operating Procedure 10: Scat and visible organics. Version 2017Feb10. Integrated monitoring protocol for cave entrance communities and cave environments in the Klamath Network
- Standard Operating Procedure 18: Revising the Protocol. Version 2017Feb10. Integrated monitoring protocol for cave entrance communities and cave environments in the Klamath Network.
- Cave Monitoring: 2017–2018 Results from Lava Beds National Monument