Volume 5, Issue 2 Fall 2012 “Beneath the Forest" is a biannual newsletter published by the Forest Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Edited by Johanna L. Kovarik, Minerals and Geology Management Centralized National Operations Inside this Issue…and more Page Cave Management vs. Karst Management on the Washington and Jefferson National Forests 3 Impacts of Cave Closures on National Forests 8 The Indiana Bat Adaptive Management Project on the Ozark and St. Francis National Forests 9 Partnership Between Mark Twain National Forest and Ozark Operations of the Cave Research Foundation 12 The Longest Cave in Louisiana: Wolf/ Wolfbear Cave Remapped 16 Beneath the Forest 1 Editor’s Notes: CAVE AND KARST ALENDAR OF VENTS The focus of Beneath the Forest this fall is Region 8, C E our southern region. I would chiefly like to thank ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Michael Crump, the regional hydrologist, for working to gather articles and photos from his region for this issue. I would also like to thank all the contributors to this issue Forest Service Caves INFRA Training Module as well as Melody Holm for assistance, support, and edit- Friday November 9th, 2012 ing. Thanks go to Sonja Beavers in the national Office of 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM ET and Communication for assistance with creating the external version of this newsletter. 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM ET For more information, see page 15 The original issue was published internally in November of 2012. Our next issue will be the spring issue in May of 2013, featuring Region 4. Articles for the Spring 2013 —————————————————— issue are due a on April 1st, 2013, in order for the issue to be out in May 2013. Please encourage resource managers, 13th Multidisciplinary Conference on Sinkholes cavers, karst scientists, and other speleological enthusiasts who do work on your forest to submit articles for the next May 6th– 10th, 2013 exciting issue! Carlsbad, New Mexico http://www.nckri.org/events/conference.html Cover art: Gravel bed of sinking stream that disappears into a cave at the base of dolomite pinnacles (in shadow) in blind canyon in Raven Cliff Karst Area, Mt Rogers NRA, Wythe County, VA. Image: T. Collins ———————————————————— Contributors and Entities represented in this issue: National Cave Rescue Operations and Management Seminar Tom Collins Washington and Jefferson National Forests July 6th –13th 2013 Schoharie, New York Gretchen Hunt-Moore www.caves.org/commission/ncrc/national Kisatchie National Forest —————————————————— David H. Jurney, PhD Ozark-St Francis National Forests International Congress of Speleology Cynthia Sandeno July 21st-28th, 2013 Monongahela National Forest Brno, Czech Republic Kelly Whitsett http://www.speleo2013.com Mark Twain National Forest Beneath the Forest 2 Trout Pond, a sinkhole pond, in Trout Pond Recreation Area, Lee Ranger District, Hardy County WV. Stream-fed pond fills when sediment plugs drain hole in bottom of sinkhole. Image: T. Collins Cave Management vs. About 100 known caves are scattered across the Karst Management Forest’s karst lands. In terms of area, the surface area underlain by underground cave passages is a relatively small, but significant, part of the forest’s Tom Collins karst resources which are distributed over a much Forest Geologist larger area. George Washington and Jefferson National Forests These resources also include: Cave management is an important part, but 1. Many types of karst features, such as sinkholes, only one part, of karst management on the George disappearing (sinking) streams, springs, karst Washington and Jefferson National Forests in Virginia ponds, etc.; and West Virginia. The 1.8 million acre forest stretching over 300 miles has tens of thousands of acres 2. karst groundwater and surface water; and of karst in three physiographic provinces: Valley and Ridge, Appalachian Plateau, and Blue Ridge. The karst 3. karst ecosystems forming distinctive landscapes on is in northeast-trending linear patches of limestone and every Ranger District. dolomite. (Cave Management continues on page 4) Beneath the Forest 3 (Cave Management continued from page 3) The forest’s karst management includes managing the karst resources as well as karst geologic hazards. Cave management is facilitated by the Federal Cave Resources Protection Act (FCRPA) of 1988 and laws which protect threatened and endangered species, cultural resources, or other resources found in caves. In contrast, management of the much larger karst lands or resources may have less legal framework for management, and so, can present more challenges. Augusta Springs along Wetland Trail on North River Rang- er District, Augusta County, VA. Caves - The forest’s cave management includes many Image: T. Collins aspects, such as archaeological, historic, biological, geological, recreation, etc. Some caves were mined for Other karst features – In addition to caves, the saltpeter during the Civil War. A high percentage of the forest’s karst management recognizes a variety of karst known caves contain aquatic systems, such as features. For example, during preparation of a timber underground streams with rare aquatic invertebrates, sale in 1996, the Mount Rogers National Recreation such as isopods, beetles, and spiders. One emphasis is Area asked the forest geologist to examine “abandoned on managing habitat for threatened and endangered mine workings” in the proposed timber sale area. species. The Forest Plan has extensive direction for The geologist found the “workings” to be an Indiana Bat Hibernacula Protection Areas. Forest exceptional collection of karst features, including resource specialists have expertise in and accomplished sinkholes, caves, sinking stream, blind canyon, and a many bat gate closures on caves (and abandoned karst window to a subterranean stream. All these mines). The White Nose Syndrome (WNS) closure for features occur in a compact, one-half square mile area, all caves and abandoned mines remains in effect. The making an ideal place to study and interpret a variety of Forest has six caves designated as significant caves karst features. The forest worked with the Virginia under the FCRPA. Department of Conservation and Recreation and the National Speleological Society to conduct a variety of The Forest worked in partnership with the Virginia inventories and investigation of this karst land. In 2004 Karst Program, Division of Natural Heritage, the Jefferson Forest Plan Revision designated this area Department of Conservation and Recreation to as a Special Geologic Area: Raven Cliff Karst Area. delineate cave conservation sites for designated For more information, see “Environmental Manage- significant caves and for other caves hosting natural ment of a Karst Resource Area in the George Washing- heritage resources (occurrences of rare plants, animals, ton and Jefferson National Forests” by Smith, E.K. and or natural communities). Typically these cave other, 1997, in Proceedings – Karst-Water Environment conservation sites are areas larger than the footprint of Symposium, Oct 30-31, 1997, Roanoke, VA. the underlying cave passages, and encompass watershed areas contributing to the site. (Cave Management continues on page 5) Beneath the Forest 4 Maple Flat sinkhole ponds in thick alluvial fan deposits overlying carbonate bedrock on Pedlar Ranger District, Augusta County, VA. Image: T. Collins (Cave Management continued rom page 4) accentuated on the forest which is located upslope from the main Rich Valleys and Poor Valleys. This geologic The forest manages karst springs, such as Augusta difference influenced land ownership patterns. For ex- Springs on the North River Ranger District. ample, the Rich Valleys were retained in private own- Historically, Augusta Springs was a major resort and ership, while “the lands nobody wanted” became part spa, and even bottled water. Today, the district of the National Forest. Unlike the broad carbonate val- manages the area as the Augusta Springs Wetland leys, the forest’s carbonate bedrock is sparser and oc- Trail. Karst inventory on the forest includes Cave and curs in more narrow, linear bands in the foothills, tribu- Karst Resources of the Jefferson National Forest, West- tary valleys, side slopes, and even ridge tops. One re- Central and Southwestern Virginia, 1992, by Kastning, sult is that the approximately 100 known caves on the E.H. and Kastning, K.M. forest are about 2% of the known caves in Virginia. Geology is the foundation of the karst ecosystem. The Karst ecosystem – In western Virginia there are two limestone and dolomite are parent materials for soil types of valleys: shale valleys and limestone rich in calcium and other minerals and with a higher pH (carbonate) valleys, typified by place names such as that serves to nourish plants. This substrate of soils and Rich Valley and Poor Valley. The Rich Valleys with rock supports distinctive vegetation as documented in fertile farmlands and dairies are underlain by limestone. “Plan Communities of Limestone, Dolomite, and other The Poor Valleys with less fertile pastures and Calcareous Substrates in the George Washington and woodlands are underlain by shale. This contrast is Jefferson National Forest” by Gary P. Fleming, 1999, (Cave Management continues on page 6) Beneath the Forest 5 (Cave Management continued from page 5) From left: W. Lipps, T. Collins, and D. Whitmore examine Trout Pond drains whenever the sediment-plug in the drain fresh sinkhole activity on Locher tract recreation area. hole in