Planet Earth – Caves Based on the BBC Planet Earth DVD 1. What is the single biggest limiting factor for life in caves? 2. List two adaptations the cave glow worm has for capturing prey in a cave. 3. What is the single biggest challenge for living organisms in caves? 4. What is limestone made of? How is it possible that limestone can be found in areas of dry land? 5. Water has the ability to dissolve and carve itself into limestone. What environmental process is this? Deer Cave, Borneo 6. Borneo is an island that is partly controlled by Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei. It is located at 1°N, 114°E. Mark it on your map on the last page. 7. Deer Cave cannot support photosynthesis, as not enough sunlight is present. In spite of this, it still has a complex food chain. What is the energy foundation of this food chain? 8. What would be the correct ecological classification for the cockroaches? a. Producers b. Primary consumers c. Secondary consumers d. Scavengers / Decomposers 9. Would the bats be considered a keystone species for this ecosystem? Explain. 10. What behavioral adaptation do the wrinkle-lipped bats possess that helps them evade the rufous-bellied eagles, peregrine falcons, and bat hawks? 11. Which bats do the falcons seem to target the most? Gomatong, Borneo 12. What physical adaptation do cave swiftlets have to navigate through the dark caves to their nests? a. How do they build nests without any materials in the cave to use? 13. What is the name for the calcite formations that hang from the ceilings? 14. What is the name for the calcite formations that grow from the floor? Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico 15. This is a large peninsula that reaches into the Gulf of Mexico from the southern part of Mexico. It can be found at 18º North, 89º West. Mark it on your map on the last page. 16. As this part of Mexico has no lakes or rivers, what did the Maya use as a source of fresh water? 17. What is the relationship between the cenotes and the lush forests at the surface? 18. The mixing saltwater and freshwater form layers because the saltwater is ( more / less ) dense. 19. Saltwater does not dissolve limestone like freshwater. How then, are sea caves formed? 20. How are the Big Eyes similar to bats? 21. Neither the bats nor the cave snakes are able to actually see in the cave. Explain what special sensory adaptation each has to allow it to navigate through the darkness. 22. What are troglobites? 23. For each of the troglobites shown, describe what unique adaptations they have evolved specifically for the cave environment. a. Cave angel fish – b. Texas cave salamander – 24. Evolution can result in the development of new adaptations, as well as the loss of vestigial structures that are no longer useful. What vestigial structures have been lost by the troglobites? Villa Luz Cave, Mexico 25. Why is the water flowing out of this cave colored white? 26. What is the poisonous gas that bubbles up from below the cave? 27. “Snottites” are colonies of bacteria. These bacteria are often classified as extremophiles. Why is this an appropriate term? Lechuguilla Cave, New Mexico, United States 28. The exact location of Lechuguilla is not published. Only scientists and mappers are allowed in the cave, in order to maintain its pristine condition. It is part of the Carlsbad Caverns National Park, located in New Mexico. The park can be found at 32°N, 104°W. 29. Many of the crystal formations in Lechuguilla are made from a mineral called gypsum. What rock is the source of this mineral? 30. Lechuguilla is an unusual cave because its limestone was not carved away by water. What was responsible for creating its caverns and crystals? Map: When you are finished, you should have a total of 3 ecosystems labeled on this map. .