Cave Temperature and Management Implications in Lehman Caves, Great Basin National Park, USA

Šebela, Stanka; Baker, Gretchen M.; Luke, Barbara

doi:10.1007/s12371-019-00367-0

Cited by 16 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…In the National Park System, several show caves are easily accessible with artificially lit cave features, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors annually. More recently, issues relating to lampenflora growth have become a major concern for cave management [15,17]. Artificial lighting was first installed in Lehman Caves in GRBA in 1941, with a new incandescent lighting system installed in 1977.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Artificial lighting was first installed in Lehman Caves in GRBA in 1941, with a new incandescent lighting system installed in 1977. In 2006, incandescent bulbs were changed to light emitting diodes (LED) systems to reduce the amount of heat generated from each light [17]. Biodiversity in Lehman Caves has received considerable attention, documenting distinct communities throughout the cave, and preliminary insight into lampenflora communities [17][18][19].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Lampenflora in a Show Cave in the Great Basin Is Distinct from Communities on Naturally Lit Rock Surfaces in Nearby Wild Caves

et al. 2021

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In show caves, artificial lighting is intended to illuminate striking cave formations for visitors. However, artificial lighting also promotes the growth of novel and diverse biofilm communities, termed lampenflora, that obtain their energy from these artificial light sources. Lampenflora, which generally consist of cyanobacteria, algae, diatoms, and bryophytes, discolor formations and introduce novel ecological interactions in cave ecosystems. The source of lampenflora community members and patterns of diversity have generally been understudied mainly due to technological limitations. In this study, we investigate whether members of lampenflora communities in an iconic show cave—Lehman Caves—in Great Basin National Park (GRBA) in the western United States also occur in nearby unlit and rarely visited caves. Using a high-throughput environmental DNA metabarcoding approach targeting three loci—the ITS2 (fungi), a fragment of the 16S (bacteria), and a fragment of 23S (photosynthetic bacteria and eukaryotes)—we characterized diversity of lampenflora communities occurring near artificial light sources in Lehman Caves and rock surfaces near the entrances of seven nearby “wild” caves. Most caves supported diverse and distinct microbial-dominated communities, with little overlap in community members among caves. The lampenflora communities in the show cave were distinct, and generally less diverse, from those occurring in nearby unlit caves. Our results suggest an unidentified source for a significant proportion of lampenflora community members in Lehman Caves, with the majority of community members not found in nearby wild caves. Whether the unique members of the lampenflora communities in Lehman Caves are related to distinct abiotic conditions, increased human visitation, or other factors remains unknown. These results provide a valuable framework for future research exploring lampenflora community assemblies in show caves, in addition to a broad perspective into the range of microbial and lampenflora community members in GRBA. By more fully characterizing these communities, we can better monitor the establishment of lampenflora and design effective strategies for their management and removal.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lampenflora in a Show Cave in the Great Basin Is Distinct from Communities on Naturally Lit Rock Surfaces in Nearby Wild Caves

et al. 2021

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“…Such an effect is clearly understudied. Therefore, some attempts have been made to propose more environmentally friendly cave management (see, e.g., Lobo 2015 or Šebela et al 2019 ). Currently, the attention of cave researchers is primarily focused on the impact of anthropogenic CO 2 on the cave environment (Trinh et al 2018 ; Guirado et al 2019 ; Surić et al 2021 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of water exhaled out by visitors in show caves: a case study from the Moravian Karst (Czech Republic)

Lang,

Faimon,

Pracný

et al. 2024

Environ Sci Pollut Res

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The anthropogenic impact of the water and CO2 exhaled by visitors was studied in the show caves of the Moravian Karst (Czech Republic), especially in the Balcarka and Výpustek Caves. Two alternative models based on (1) the known/presumed composition of the breathed air and physical activity of visitors and (2) the detailed monitoring microclimatic data were proposed. The CO2 fluxes of 2.4 × 10−4 and (2.0–3.9) × 10−4 mol person−1 s−1 and the water vapor fluxes of (3.2–8.9) × 10−3 and (0.6–1.2) × 10−2 g person−1 s−1 were found for a slightly increased physical load. The total attendance and cave tour duration were the main driving factors. For the available data on attendance and accessibility periods, the total mass of water vapor exhaled by visitors in all show caves in the Moravian Karst was estimated between 9.6 × 106 and 4.3 × 108 g with significant seasonality. According to the geochemical model, this mass of water is capable of dissolving 1280 to 59,038 g of calcite, assuming a mean winter and summer CO2 concentration in the cave air of 1000 and 3000 ppmv. The larger extent of water condensation can lead to the so-called condensation corrosion, whereas the lower extent of condensation probably causes a recrystallization of calcite on the surface of speleothems and rocks.

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“…The usage of caves for touristic purposes, together with climate change effects, are the major threats to subterranean diversity 7 – 10 . To date, the so-called show caves count 1440 sites in 148 countries ( www.showcaves.com ), and the massive and constant presence of outsiders causes fluctuation of temperature and humidity 11 , 12 , and impact on geochemical properties 13 . Indeed, through their skin, shoes, clothes, and litter left behind, visitors can spread propagules into the cave, thus altering the natural microbial community 14 , 15 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cultivable fungal diversity in two karstic caves in Italy: under-investigated habitats as source of putative novel taxa

Poli,

Zanellati,

Piano

et al. 2024

Sci Rep

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Microbial diversity of caves is largely understudied and its possible applications are still unknown. Autochthonous fungi, in particular, may have the potential to biomineralize metals and may be used as promising agents for bioremediation of polluted sites; thus, unearthing the fungal diversity in hypogean ecosystems is nowadays of utmost importance. To start addressing this knowledge gap, the cultivable mycobiota of two neighbouring caves—one natural and one exploited for touristic purposes—were characterised and compared by studying fungi isolated from sediments collected at increasing distances from the entrance. Overall, 250 fungal isolates ascribable to 69 taxa (mainly Ascomycota) were found, a high percentage of which was reported in caves for the first time. The sediments of the touristic cave displayed a richer and more diversified community in comparison with the natural one, possibly due to visitors carrying propagules or organic material. Considering that these environments are still poorly explored, chances to detect new fungal lineages are not negligible.

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Cave Temperature and Management Implications in Lehman Caves, Great Basin National Park, USA

Cited by 16 publications

References 44 publications

Lampenflora in a Show Cave in the Great Basin Is Distinct from Communities on Naturally Lit Rock Surfaces in Nearby Wild Caves

Lampenflora in a Show Cave in the Great Basin Is Distinct from Communities on Naturally Lit Rock Surfaces in Nearby Wild Caves

Impact of water exhaled out by visitors in show caves: a case study from the Moravian Karst (Czech Republic)

Cultivable fungal diversity in two karstic caves in Italy: under-investigated habitats as source of putative novel taxa

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