Life Below Ground

Caves are a mystery to most people, and the inside of caves can feel as strange and fantastic as the landscape in a science fiction movie. When you step inside a cave you are entering into the Earth and the fascinating world of subterranean (below ground) biodiversity brings a host of questions. Did people live in these Fern Cave, Lava Beds NM caves a long time ago? What other animals have come before you? Caves are amazingly rich in hidden biodiversity, but are often overlooked because they are underground. In the Klamath Region we are fortunate to have two national monuments where you can experience the wonders of caves. Oregon Caves is rich in karst caves and Lava Beds contains lava tubes and ice caves. Karst caves are formed when water above ground seeps underground into limestone rock through cracks or crevices. The acidity of the water slowly eats away at the rocks forming passageways. Over time these passageways enlarge creating small caverns and eventually large caves.

Townsend's Big-eared Bat As you explore these unique caves, you might ask yourself, what could possibly live in this cool, dark environment? But if you look closely, you will see a whole world that calls these caves home. Recent findings of grizzly bones and a jaguar skeleton at Oregon Caves tell us that these animals, at one time, lived in the area. One of the most well known species that use caves are bats. Studies at the National Monuments have shown that up to 14 different bat species roost in the caves at night and give birth to and nurture their young. And what habitat would be complete without the insects? Numerous species of insects have been found at Oregon Caves, some endemic to the region, including beetles, water mites, and flies. Caves are important structures that teach us about geology, anthropology, and biology.

An Outreach and Education Project made possible by the National Park Service, Klamath Network Inventory and Monitoring and Southern Oregon University