Karst landscapes are formed in areas underlain by soluble rocks and are characterized by caves, sinkholes and “sinking” streams, and large springs. Many of the world’s most productive aquifers are found in karst terrains and rare, specially adapted animals live in caves. Karst groundwater and caves are easily contaminated by rapid percolation of surface runoff into the aquifer, so man’s activities on the surface can have a devastating affect on the underground environment. Therefore, it critically important that public awareness be raised about karst and cave protection.

In 1998 and 1999, the Karst Waters Institute (KWI) published lists of the ten most endangered karst communities; a project that evolved from discussions at a scientific conference held in February 1997 on the conservation and protection of karst biota. Nominations of endangered karst communities were solicited by the Karst Waters Institute and a committee evaluated them based on the following criteria:

• Significance of the species and communities in the threatened area
• Significance of the threat
• A clear benefit from publicity of the problem.

Several of the sites selected as endangered in past years reappear on this year’s list primarily because the threats to these sites have not only persisted but in some cases have escalated. As this project evolves in sophistication and gains publicity, it is the hope of KWI and all of the project’s participants that enhanced protection efforts for these karst communities will result in greater protection and appreciation of these communities in particular and karst ecosystems in general.

Cape Range Peninsula is located along the western coast of Australia, about 1100 km north of Perth. Rich fauna can be found within each of its freshwater, terrestrial and anchialine systems. Within the peninsula exists an extremely diverse karst system containing many endemic species. The system is especially vulnerable to pollution, degradations in water quality and relative changes in water levels, and is threatened by a variety of land uses including urban development, tourism, inadequate waste management, over extraction of water, limestone mining and petroleum exploration. The Australian Cave and Karst Management Association Inc. and the Australian Speleological Federation Inc., along with the Australian scientific community and some government agencies, are all interested in protecting Cape Range Peninsula. Only the implementation of proper regional and local land management, based on sound research, will serve to protect the natural and economic resources of the area.

The Contact Caves and Karst of Greenbrier County are located along the eastern contact of the Greenbrier Formation of West Virginia . This series of important cave systems include Organ Cave, McClungs Cave, Ludington Cave, The Hole, and several others. Some caves have experienced a major die-off of salamanders probably resulting from agricultural runoff from dense populations of livestock and poultry in the region. This has also contributed to the deterioration of water quality and increased sedimentation in the underlying karst systems. Additional threats include development along U.S. Rt 219 as well as plans to upgrade the highway to four-lanes.

Located in El Lajial pahoehoe lava field on the southern tip of El Hierro Island (Canary Islands, Spain) is Cueva de don Justo, a lava tube containing 7 km of galleries. It is the richest lava tube system on the island and contains a well developed troglobitic fauna. All species found in Cueva de don Justo are endemic to the island and seven are exclusively found in the caves. The system is threatened by tourism, garbage dumping, vandalism, and the invasion of alien species such as cockroaches. Because the system is on private land, there are no local organizations focusing their efforts on protecting it. The Cabildo de El Hierro (local island government) placed a gate at the entrance several years ago. However, the gate was quickly destroyed and never rebuilt

Located in South Central Texas, Edwards Aquifer is one of the most productive aquifers in the world serving as the only water source for over 1 million people in San Antonio, as well as for farmers and ranchers in Central Texas. It was the first aquifer in the U.S. to be designated as a sole-source aquifer under the Safe Drinking Act of 1974. The aquifer underlies 3600 square miles in eight counties and is 180 miles long ranging in width from 5 to 30 miles. Forty unique aquatic species, eight of which are listed as endangered, reside within Edwards Aquifer including the Texas Blind Salamander (one of the first species to be placed on the U.S. Federal Endangered Species List and endemic to the Edwards Aquifer). All eight listed species are threatened by reduced spring flows caused by increased pumping, elimination of habitat and degradation of water quality caused by urban expansion. Excessive water pumping during times of drought increase the likelihood that saline water will encroach into the aquifer thereby threatening the species viability and possibly causing changes in species diversity. The state of Texas has formed the Edwards Aquifer Authority to manage the aquifer. The Authority could implement contingency plans cutting local water consumption during a severe drought when aquifer water levels are in danger of becoming too low. However, such a decision is unlikely because the majority of the board with executive control over the Authority is composed of electors from the heaviest water-use areas. Local groups concerned with the well being of the aquifer include: Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club, Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority, and biologists at Southwest Texas State University and the University of Texas at Austin.

The Kalimantan Karst Forests, in Indonesia are located within the biogeographic region of Sunda (Sumatra, Borneo and Java) are considered among the most megadiverse areas of the world. One of the most important conservation priorities of Indonesia is an extensive limestone formation in South East Asia located within the Sangkulirang Mangkalihat Peninsula in East Kalimantan province and is recognized both as an IUCN Center of Plant and Coral Diversity as well as a WWF Global 200 Ecoregion. Many rare and endemic species live in these caves as well as many bats and swiftlets which are essential for economic as well as ecological reasons. Kalimantan’s forests are being destroyed rapidly subjecting the area to be nearly, if not completely, decimated sometime within the next decade. Large-scale fires, deforestation, plantation development and limestone mining are all threatening the karst forests of Indonesia. Several organizations are interested in protecting this area including the Global Environment Fund, The Nature Conservancy Indonesia, CARE, WWF Indonesia, KEHATI, The Gibbon Foundation and PKA. More funding is needed in order for these organizations to be successful at protecting the biodiversity of the area.

The Mt. Cripps karst area is located in NW Tasmania, Australia. It is karst with glacial till cover as well as virgin tall tree rainforest cover, much of which remains unexplored by speleologists. It contains over 240 caves and karst features. Mt. Cripps is threatened by limestone extraction by a mining company. The Australian Specleological Federation, Southern Tasmanian Caverneers and the Australian Cave and Karst Management Association are interested in protecting this area. Opposition to the mining, or at minimum, guidelines for mining need to be established in order to protect this area.

The Neretva River Basin of the Central Dinaric Mountains contains the largest karst river in the Dinaric Mountains. The biggest threat to the Neretva is the use of water for hydroelectric plants. It is also threatened by deforestation and desertification leading to significant amounts of soil erosion. This is one of the richest biodiversity regions in the Balkans and includes many endemic, rare, threatened and relict species. There are several organizations concerned about this karst system including the Department of Ecology and Environment of the Ministry of Space Planning and Environment of the Federation of Bosnia and Hercegovina, the Institute of Protection of Historical and Natural Values of the Federation of Bosnia and Hercegovina, as well as the Society for Protection and Improvement of Environment of Bosnia and Hercegovina

Ogulin Karst, Croatia is located in the northern Dinaric karst area and is part of the Black Sea drainage. The lowest point of known underground channels is 83.5 m deep in the Djula-Medvedica cave system. The high biodiversity of this karst ecosystem is likely due to rich organic input, permanent groundwater habitats, high diversity of surface streams and the changing of water flow directions in the area. It is one of the richest underground biodiversity sites in the world with more than 20 cave-limited species, including several endemics. The karst ecosystem is threatened from sewage and waste dumping, water extraction for the Gojak Hydroelectric Power Plant which causes the old parts of the river beds to maintain water only during extremely high water levels, the construction of highways and gasoline pipelines. The Croatian Biospeleological Society, the Speleological section of the Mountaineering Clubs “Zeljeznicar” and “Velebit” and the local Ecological Society of Ogulin are all interested in the protection of this system.

Snail Shell Cave located just southwest of Murfreesboro, Tennessee is the longest continuous cave in the central basin of Tennessee with 13 miles of passages. It contains two underground streams and a large sinkhole surface opening with dimensions of 100 feet by 200 feet. It is considered to be one of the most biologically significant caves in the southern U.S. with at least three endemic species including a cave beetle, cave snail and an undescribed species of blind aquatic snail. Other significant species that reside within Snail Shell Cave include the Gray Bat (listed on the Federal Endangered List); the Southern Cavefish (less than 100 occurrences within the state of Tennessee); and the extremely rare and critically imperiled Big Mouth Cave Salamander (less than 5 occurrences within the state of Tennessee). Ever growing populations within the area of Murfreesboro greatly threaten the cave. Additional threats come from vandals and from the frequent carelessness of recreational cavers who are perhaps unaware of the presence of rare species within the cave. Erosion, primarily from ATVs and trucks driven through the forest, is also occurring around the sinkhole thereby affecting the quality of water the cave. Several local groups are interested in the well being of the Snail Shell Cave including the Nature Conservancy, Tennessee Chapter; Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, Division of Natural Heritage; Tennessee wildlife Resources Agency; Murfreesboro Grotto; Lincoln Memorial University; and Southeastern Cave Conservancy, Inc.

Kosciusko Island of the Tongass National Forest is located in Southeast Alaska in the Alexander Archipelago, west of Prince of Wales Island in the Ketchikan area. A team in 1998 documented nearly 50 new caves, many with relatively horizontal passages - an unusual feature among Southeast Alaskan caves. The biology of Kosciusko karst is essentially unknown. Studies throughout the Tongass, however, suggest that Kosciusko Island will be critical for its karst biology and will shelter numerous unique and possibly new species of troglobitic and troglophilic invertebrates. Neighboring islands have revealed at least seven new species of invertebrates. These karst formations may also contribute to the viability of coho salmon; studies indicate a positive relationship between alkalinity of streams flowing from karst landscapes and the enhanced density of coho salmon parr. Continued logging and road building act as the most significant threats to Kosciusko Island. The associated soil loss results in sedimentation thus degrading the quality of the ground water. Many of the caves on the island have already been severely damaged from sedimentation and others have been used intentionally as repositories for logging and road debris. The Tongass National Forest has established Standards and Guidelines for the management of karstlands, and we hope this listing will encourage strong implementation of karst protection practices. The Glacier Grotto, Tongass Cave Project, Southeast Alaska Conservation Council as well as the National Speleological Society, Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics, the Nature Conservancy, and the Earth Justice Legal Defense Fund (formerly the Sierra Club Legal Defense Fund) are interested in preserving the karstlands throughout the Tongass National Forest.

KWI actively solicits participation in its “Top Ten” list, both in the management of selected karst ecosystems and in the identification of ecosystems to be in the next “ list”. If you are interested in assisting with this project, or would like additional information on any of the above sites, please contact Dr. David C. Culver at the Department of Biology, American University, 4400 Massachusetts Avenue, Washington, D.C. 20016, or at karst@american.edu.