Post by L Roebuck on Oct 11, 2007 10:20:44 GMT -5
Cave ecosystems
The Infinite Sphere Blog Posted by Jennifer
When most people think about caves, they usually think of dark, lifeless, rocky chasms with only the occasional flutter of bat wings to interrupt the silence. It’s easy to think of caves as completely void of life… but caves are actually home to a range of interesting and unique animals. Cave and karst ecosystems are also among the most threatened in the United States as a result of habitat loss, water pollution, and changes in water levels.
So what kinds of animals live inside caves? The most obvious animals are bats. Many bat species use caves for shelter during the day, leave the cave every night to hunt for food, and even hibernate all winter in some select caves. During the daytime hours, cave dwelling bats spend a great deal of time deep inside the cave, and leave substantial quantities of their nutrient rich droppings (or guano). This guano is often the foundation for the more complex food chain inside the cave.
Full Text
The Infinite Sphere Blog Posted by Jennifer
When most people think about caves, they usually think of dark, lifeless, rocky chasms with only the occasional flutter of bat wings to interrupt the silence. It’s easy to think of caves as completely void of life… but caves are actually home to a range of interesting and unique animals. Cave and karst ecosystems are also among the most threatened in the United States as a result of habitat loss, water pollution, and changes in water levels.
So what kinds of animals live inside caves? The most obvious animals are bats. Many bat species use caves for shelter during the day, leave the cave every night to hunt for food, and even hibernate all winter in some select caves. During the daytime hours, cave dwelling bats spend a great deal of time deep inside the cave, and leave substantial quantities of their nutrient rich droppings (or guano). This guano is often the foundation for the more complex food chain inside the cave.
Full Text