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A Biological Survey of a Subterranean Stream: Sullivan Cave, Lawrence County, Indiana

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A Biological Survey of a Subterranean Stream: Sullivan Cave, Lawrence County, Indiana ABSTRACT A BIOLOGICAL SURVEY OF A SUBTERRANEAN STREAM: SULLIVAN CAVE, LAWRENCE COUNTY, INDIANA by David Lawrence Weingartner Sullivan Cave, one of the largest caves in southern Indiana, con- tains a recently-discovered subterranean stream. From August, 1961, to May, 1962, a survey was made to determine the organisms present in the stream passages, and to determine some of the physical and chemical conditions under which these organisms lived. The cave lies under a ridge with poorly-deve10ped surface drain- age; most of the water seeps through the soil, penetrates fractures in the limestone bedrock, and combines to form the subterranean stream. The stream flow varied from 3.5 to 1000 gallons per second during the course of the study. The following four stations for chemical determinations and biological collections were established: 1) a riffle and pool of the main cave stream, 2) a semi-isolated pool of the flood passage, 3) a rivulet of seepage water entering a fissure in the limestone, and 4) a surface stream overlying the cave. Standard methods were used in the physical and chemical analyses. The water temperature of the cave stream varied from 53 to 56 degrees Fahrenheit during the period of the investigation. Dissolved oxygen varied from a low of 7.4 p.p.m. in the flood passage pool to a high of 11.8 p.p.m. in the seepage water. Methyl Orange alkalinity varied from 43 p.p.m. in the seepage water to 186 p.p.m. in the main cave stream. No phenolphthalein alkalinity was observed. x I) . Pv‘ a} .I. 1 ;‘ on. u a“ I.v U . .- .1 .LV .1.’ .rc 0, David Lawrence Weingartner Terrestrial, planktonic, benthic, and larger aquatic organisms were collected. The terrestrial fauna was found to be similar to that of other caves of the area. The Protozoa were mostly ciliates; no Sarcodina were found. The plankton was composed mostly of c0pepods and rotifers, and lacked Cladocera. Many aquatic insects were found which have not been reported from other caves. The isopods, amphipods, planaria, and crayfish of Sullivan Cave were typical cave Species. A few fish were found, and the sculpin, Cottus bairdi, seems to have be- come established in the cave stream. Ten phyla, 16 classes, and 64 families were represented. Of these, one group was keyed to phylum, one to class, 12 to family, 44 to genus, and 28 to Species; A total of 86 taxons was collected and identified. An analysis of the drift biota of the cave stream was made during the dry period of late summer, 1961. An average of only .7 ml. of drift material was found to be carried in the 300,000-gallon daily dis- charge of the stream. Quantitative studies of the seepage water entering a fracture in the limestone and of the water of flood passage pools demonstrated the paucity of aquatic cave life. The fauna of the seepage water lacked planktonic forms. Seasonal changes on the surface were found to impose an annual cycle on the cave stream. Stream discharge, water chemistry, drift material, and aquatic organisms were factors affected by surface con- ditions. Food for the aquatic cave organisms was derived from four sources —- plankton and drift material from overlying surface waters, - .. a}! gust. , . ghepasfiwux , . : .fi .1 f David Lawrence Weingartner members of the terrestrial cave fauna, organic material brought in by bats and humans, and epigean animals migrating upstream into the cave. Humans, who have been visiting the cave stream since 1957, have greatly affected the cave environment and its fauna. The residue from carbide lamps has a deleterious effect upon aquatic organisms, while the large amount of food materials brought into the cave by people has I been beneficial to the cave community. A BIOLOGICAL SURVEY OF A SUBTERRANEAN STREAM: SULLIVAN CAVE, LAWRENCE COUNTY, INDIANA By David Lawrence Weingartner A THESIS Submitted to Michigan State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE Department of Zoology 1962 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The author wishes to eXpress his sincere thanks to Dr. Peter I. Tack, Dr. Philip J. Clark, and Dr. T. Wayne Porter for their supervision and criticism of this study. Grateful acknowledgment is also due the following: Dr. H. C. Yeatman, of the University of the South, for identification of c0pepods; Mr. D. C. Cook, of Wayne State University, for identification of water mites; Dr. E. Ferguson, of Lincoln University, for identification of ostracods; Dr. K. A. Christiansen, of Grinnell College, for identifica- tion of Collembola; Dr. L. L. Curry of Central Michigan University, for identification of Diptera; and Dr. C. H. Krekeler, of Valparaiso University, for identification of the anOphthalmid beetle. Gratitude is also expressed to Mrs. B. R. Henderson, secretary in the office of the Department of Zoology, who aided in many ways, and Dr. E. C. Williams, of Wabash College, who inSpired the author's in- terest in caves. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS . .-. ii LIST OF TABLES . vi LIST OF FIGURES . .l. vii INTRODUCTION . 1 PART I DESCRIPTION OF THE CAVE . 2 Location and Climate . 3 Surface Features and Drainage . 3 The Upper Dry Cave . 3 The Subterranean Stream Passages . ' 4 Stream Morphology and Substrate . 5 PART II PROCEDURES . 12 Difficulties . l3 Collecting MEthods . 13 Methods for Physico-Chemical Determinations . 14 PART III PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL FEATURES . 15 Temperature . l6 Dissolved Oxygen . l6 Alkalinity . 21 PART IV BIOLOGICAL FEATURES . 27 Terrestrial Animals . 28 Caddie-Flies . 28 Cave Beetles . 28 Frogs . 30 iii Contents : Page Bats . 30 Collembola . 30 Aquatic Organisms . 30 Fish . 30 Crayfish . 33 Aquatic Insects . 34 Plecoptera . 34 Ephemeroptera . 34 Megaloptera . .'. 34 Trichoptera . 35 Diptera . 35 ColeoPtera . 36 Benthic and Planktonic Organisms . 36 Crustacea . 36 Rotifers . 37 Nematodes and Annelids . 37 Hydracarina . 38 Planaria . 38 Protozoa . 38 Algae . 39 Quantitative ASpects . 39 Drift Material of Cave Stream . 39 Quantitative' Aspects of the Flood Passage Pools . 42 Quantitative Aspects of the Seepage Water . 44 Seasonal Changes . 45 Stream Discharge . 45 Water Chemistry . 46 Drift Material . 47 Aquatic Organisms . 47 Food Sources . 48 Drift Material . 48 Plankton . 48 Source of the Cave Plankton . 48 Feeding and Reproduction of the Cave Plankton . 49 Fate of Cave Plankton . 49 Terrestrial Cave Fauna . 50 Humans and Bats . 50 Epigean Animals . 50 The Influence of Human Visitors . 51 SUMMARY . 52 iv Contents Page SPECIES LIST . 54 LITERATURE CITED . 62 LIST OF TABLES Table Page Comparison of Dissolved Oxygen from Three Locations in the Cave Stream, from August 17 to September 25, 1961 18 Comparison of Dissolved Oxygen from Four Locations, from November, 1961, to May, 1962 . 20 Comparison of Total Alkalinity from Three Locations in the Cave Stream, from August 17 to September 25, 1961 22 Comparison of Total Alkalinity from Four Locations, from November, 1961, to May, 1962 . 25 Food Content of Sculpin Stomachs 32 Drift Net Results of Five 24-hour Samples Taken August 29-September 22, 1961 . 40 Quantitative Analysis of Benthic Organisms of Flood Passage Pool . 43 Quantitative Analysis of Plankton of Flood Passage Pool 43 Quantitative Analysis of Seepage Water . 44 vi LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page Diagrammatic Cross-section of Sullivan Cave . Three-dimensional Map of Surface Topography and Sullivan Cave . Photograph of Point Where Water of Surface Stream Seeps into the Ground . Photograph of Point Where Seepage Water Enters the Cave Through a Fissure in the Limestone Photograph of Typical Portion of the Cave Stream 10 Photograph of Cave Stream Waterfall with Drift Net in Position . 10 Photograph of the Flood Passage . 11 Photograph of Water Issuing from the Cave . 11 Comparison of Dissolved Oxygen from Three Locations in the Cave Stream, from August 17 to September 25, 1961 . 17 lCL Comparison of Dissolved Oxygen from Four Locations, from November, 1961, to May, 1962 . 19 1]” Comparison of Total Alkalinity from Three Locations in the Cave Stream, from August 17 to September 25, 1961 . 23 :12. Comparison of Total Alkalinity from Four Locations, from November, 1961, to May, 1962 . 24 143. Distribution of Regional Anophthalmid Cave Beetles of the genus Pseudanophthalmus 29 144. Pr0portions of Various Components of the Drift 42 vii INTRODUCTION Hundreds of caves occur in southern Indiana. Besides being merely points of interest, these caves play an important role in the drainage of the region. A great portion of the run-off water descends through sinkholes and is carried away by subterranean streams. This vast underground system is not sterile, but contains functional communities of organisms. Previous investigations usually involved only a portion of the total cave population. The terrestrial members of cave communities have been intensively studied in Indiana. Banta's (1907) investigation of Mayfield's Cave was a classic study. The aquatic cave fauna is less Well known. Kofoid (1899) studied the plankton of Mammoth Cave, Kentucky, and Scott (1909) investigated the plankton of Shawnee (Donaldson's) Cave. These two are the only previous studies of North American cave plankton. The present study is an attempt to investigate the total biolog- ical community of the subterranean stream passages of Sullivan Cave. This cave is one of the largest in Indiana, but had not previously been investigated. The study began in August, 1961, and continued until May, 1962. PART I DESCRIPTION OF THE CAVE 3 LOCATION AND CLIMATE Sullivan Cave is located two miles'west of Springville, Lawrence County, Indiana (Sec. 20, 21, 28, and 29, T-6-N, R-Z-W). The mean annual temperature of the area is 54.60 F. The average yearly precipitation is 45.5 inches. SURFACE FEATURES AND DRAINAGE The cave underlies a ridge forested with beech, maple, and oak, although a part of the land has been cleared of timber and serves as pasture.
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