Post by L Roebuck on Feb 17, 2007 8:43:35 GMT -5
Biologist studies mystery of Ozark caves
His large frame bent over a pool of water, David Kampwerth studies the tiny cave animals swimming just below the water's surface.
"See that?" he asked, his flashlight illuminating the dark, underground puddle. He pointed his finger at an isopod, an invertebrate, less than a centimeter long. "If you don't sit (still) for 10 or 15 minutes, you'll miss all the animals," he added.
The cave near Calico Rock is one of the many places Kampwerth works. As a karst biologist for the Arkansas Field Office of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, he surveys Arkansas caves for landowners and looks for rare or endangered species of animals.
"Karst" describes much of the topography of the Ozarks — underground formations of limestone and dolomite characterized by sinkholes, springs and caves, according to biologists.
Full Article
His large frame bent over a pool of water, David Kampwerth studies the tiny cave animals swimming just below the water's surface.
"See that?" he asked, his flashlight illuminating the dark, underground puddle. He pointed his finger at an isopod, an invertebrate, less than a centimeter long. "If you don't sit (still) for 10 or 15 minutes, you'll miss all the animals," he added.
The cave near Calico Rock is one of the many places Kampwerth works. As a karst biologist for the Arkansas Field Office of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, he surveys Arkansas caves for landowners and looks for rare or endangered species of animals.
"Karst" describes much of the topography of the Ozarks — underground formations of limestone and dolomite characterized by sinkholes, springs and caves, according to biologists.
Full Article