1991 ANNUAL REPORT c: .-..,o co "'Cc: ::J o LL .c: (.) coa.. Q) tn a:Q) Q) co> (J Annual Report 1991 t: .-o cu "C- t: :lo u.. .t: o lIo.. cu Q,) tn c:Q,) Cave Research Foundation ~ cu 1541 Peabody Avenue U Memphis, TN 38104-3831 2 Cave Research Foundation 1991 Annual Report The Cave Research Foundation (CRF) is a nonprofit corporation formed in 1957 under the laws of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Its purpose is to support scientific research related to caves and karst, to aid in the conseNation of cave karst wilderness features, and to assist in the interpretation of caves through education. EDITOR Karen B. Lindsley EDITORIAL STAFF R. Pete Lindsley Cover photo (Figure 1) : Glenn Malliet on a survey trip at the bottom of River Pit in Lilburn's Cave, California. (Photo by Bill Frantz) . Cave Research Foundation 1991 Annual Report. © 1992 by the Cave Research Foundation. Permission is granted to reproduce this material for scientific and educational use. For information contact Ron R. Bridgemon, CRF President, 4074 W. Redwing St., Tucson, AZ 85741. ISBN 0-939748-35-5 Published by CAVE BOOKS 756 Harvard Avenue St. Louis, MO 63130 USA Cave Research Foundation 1991 Annual Report 3 CAVE CONSERVATION The caves in which we carry out our scientific work and exploration are natural living laboratories. Without these laboratories, little of what is described in this Annual Report could be studied. The Cave Research Foundation is committed to the preservation of all underground resources. Caves are fragile in many ways. We take considerable care that we do not destroy that which we study because many of the cave features take hundreds of thousands of years to form. Also, many of the processes that formed the cave passages we travel are no longer active in these areas. People who unthinkingly take or break stalactites and other cave formations cause great and irreparable damage. Cave life, such as blind fish, live in precarious ecological balance in heir isolated underground environment. Disturbances, such as causing bats to fly during winter hibernation, can be as fatal to them as shooting them. Caves are wonderful places for research, recreation and adventure. But before you enter a cave, we urge you to first learn how to be a careful and conservation-minded caver by contacting the National Speleological Society, Cave Avenue, Huntsville, AL 35810, USA, for excellent advice and guidance for novice and experienced alike. Cave Research Foundation Directors 1991 RondalR.Brldgemon President Richard B. Zopf Roger E. McClure Secretary Treasurer James Borden Thomas Brucker R. Scott House R. Pete Lindsley Melburn R. Park Janet Sowers John C. Tinsley 4 Cave Research Foundation 1991 Annual Report HIGHLIGHTS OF 1991 This year saw the renewal of our national Memorandum of Understanding with the U. S. National Park Service. Added this year were statements emphasizing the Foundation's commitment to assist the Service in their implementation of the federal Cave Resources Protection Act. CRF personnel played an active part in Mammoth Cave National Park's 50-year celebration as well as the second annual Science Conference. The Foundation was please to award a total of $5 ,000 for the Karst Fellowship and two grants. Details concerning the recipient researchers and their projects are included herein. The Board of Directors commenced serious land owner negotiations for the purpose of acquiring property adjacent to Mammoth Cave National Park. The immediate goal of such a purchase is to have our own field facility. Long range goals include a national headquarters and a research center. CRF the and the NSS sponsored another expedition to China. The 7-memberteam spent over a month locating and surveying caves in Guizhou Province in cooperation with scientists from Guizhou Normal University. Most of the funding forthis trip was provided by Smithsonian Magazine . The area showed such promise that a major CRF expedition to the area is being organized for 1993. Rondal R. Bridgemon President, Cave Research Foundation Cave Research Foundation 1991 Annual Report 5 CONTENTS Highlights of 1991 ................ .. ................... ... ..... .. ..... ........... ... .. .... .. .......... .. ... ........... .. .. ... .... .......... .. ........................... 4 Cartography .. ... ... ...... ............... .. ..... ..... ... ........................................ .......... ...................... .......... .... ... ... .. ..................... 7 Cartography at Lilburn Cave, California ...... .. ..................................... .. ........... .......................... ..... .... .. .. ...... ......... 9 Lilburn Cave Diving Activities .. ..... ....... .... ... ... ..... .............. .. ........ ................ .. ... .... ..... .. ............... ............. ..... .......... 9 General Resources Inventory at Lava Beds National Monument .................. ............... .. ............... .... .... ..... ........ 10 Cave Mapping at Lava Beds National Monument ... ...................... ... .. .............................. .. ............... ..... ....... ... ... 12 Guadalupe Escarpment Programs ..... ........... .. ... ....... .. ................ ....... .... ................ ... ............. .. ....... .. ....... .. ... ... ... 12 Missouri Cave Inventory and Mapping .. ........ .. .... ......... ........ .. .... ........ .. .... .............. ... .... ...... ... .. ..... .. ...... .... .......... 13 Missouri Long Caves List ....................... ................ ... ... .. ... ....... .. .. ..... ..... .. ........... ............ ............. .. .... .. .. ...... .... ... 14 Fitton Cave Survey Project - 1991 ... .. ... ... .. ........ ... ................ ..... .. ............. .. ... ...... .. ...... ........ .. ...... ....................... 15 Survey, Exploration and Cartography of the Caves of Mammoth Cave National Park ... ......... .. .... ....... ......... ..... 17 The Sciences .... ... .... .... ... .. ...... .. .... .... .... .. ..... ..... ... ..... .... .. ........ .... ......... .. ... .. ........ .. .... .. .. ...... ... .. .... ............................. 23 Geoscience Geology and Mineralogy of Lava Tube Caves in Medicine Lake Volcano, California ............ .. ............. ..... .. 25 Dust Monitoring and Sedimentology of Selected Caves at Lava Beds National Monument .... ....... ............. 31 Flow Behavior of Big Spring, Redwood Canyon Karst Area, Kings Canyon National Park, California ......... .. ................. .. ... .. .. ... .. ..... ... .. .. ........ .. .... ... ........ .. .. ... .... ... ..... .. ....... .. .... .. ..... 31 Sedimentology of the Redwood Canyon Karst Area, Kings Canyon National Park, California ...... ...... ... ..... 32 Nitrocalcite in Kartchner Caverns, Kartchner Caverns State Park, Arizona .................... ...... .... .... ...... ......... 34 Mineralogy of Diente Cave, Guadalupe Mountains National Park ... ... ...... .. .. .................. ... ..... ... .. ....... .. ...... .. 35 Mineralogy and Geology of Fitton Cave , Arkansas : Preliminary Findings ..... .. .. ... .. ..... .... ............... .. ....... .... 36 Minimum Conditions for Cave Development ..... .... ............ .. ..... ......... .. ... .. .... ... ................ ...... .. ....... .... .......... 38 6 Cave Research Foundation 1991 Annual Report Ecology Evolution and Biogeographic History of Edwards Plateau Cave and Spring Salamanders (Eurycea and Typhlomolge) : A Molecular Approach ... .... .. ... ... .. ... ........... .................. ..... ... .... .. .. .. ... ..... .. 41 Baseline Biological Inventory of Caves near the Hardrock Mineral Prospecting Area, Oregon and Shannon Counties, Missouri ..... .. .................... .... ... .. ... ............ ........................................... 44 Effects of Recent and Future Climate Change on Terrestrial Cave Communities at Mammoth Cave ......................... .. .. ..... .. .. ... ... .. ..... .. .. .. ....................... .. ..... .. ................ ... ... .. ..... .. .. ........... 47 Energetic Advantage in Interference Competition in Neaphaenops t. tellkampfi ................................ .. .. .. ... .49 Assessing Groundwater Quality in Caves Using Indices of Biological Integrity ........ .............. ..................... 50 Archaeology CRF Archaeological Project ... .......... .................. .............................. ..................... .... ... .. .. ................ .. .. ........ 53 CRF Fellowship and Grant Support During 1991 .......... .. .. ...... .... .... ...... ...................................... .. .. .... ........... 55 INTERPRETATION AND EDUCATION PROGRAMS ................... .. ... ....... ........ .......... ...... .. .................... .. ............... 57 Interpretation Lava Beds Photo Monitoring Project ......................... ...... ..... ................... ... ....... .. ..... ..... .. ... .. .. ..... .. .... .... ....... 59 Reconnaissance Inventory of Lava Beds National Monument .. .. .. .. .. .. .... .... ............ .. .. .............................. ... 59 Ice Level Monitoring at Lava Beds National Monument .................... .... .. .. .. .......................... .. .. .. ................. 60 Results of Precise Relative Humidity Measurements at Kartchner Caverns and Lechuguilla Cave ..... .. ........................... .. ..... ............................... .................... .. ...................................... 60 Education Names and Places in Mammoth Cave .......... ...... .. .........