Varied Forests
woodland, a number of unique communities of
plants – hemlocks and other northern plants growing
in cool moist ravines, wetlands, and open barrens
with prairie vegetation – contribute much to
the variety in plant life and harbor many of the
park’s rare species. Currently, botanists are updating
the park plant list. So far, 872 species of flowering
plants have been confirmed, and the list is still
growing. Of these species, 21 are currently listed as
endangered, threatened or of special concern.
Active management, including prescribed burning,
may be needed in order to protect some habitats in
the park.
A Diversity of Life
Teeming Rivers
park, supports an unusual diversity of fish, including
five species that have not been found anywhere
else in the world, and three species of cavefish.
Another group of aquatic animals, freshwater
mussels, survive in the sand and gravel of the
Green River. Over 50 species of mussels, including
three on the endangered species list, live in the
park. Aquatic animals in the river play an important
role in providing nourishment for other animals –
in the cave, in the river, and on the land.
On first glance, in walking into Mammoth Cave, the
dark and quiet passageways may appear nearly
devoid of life. But first impressions can be deceiving,
and surprisingly, biologists have discovered
over 200 species of animals in Mammoth Cave!
Animals in the cave include everything from surface
animals that have accidentally stumbled or tumbled
into the cave – like raccoons and bullfrogs – to 42
species of troglobites, animals adapted exclusively
to life in the darkness. One of Mammoth Cave’s
claims to fame, besides its length and wealth of
human history, is its biological variety. The diversity
of cave animals in the Mammoth Cave area rivals
the richness of any caveland region in the world. To
a biologist, a cave is a wildlife sanctuary – a retreat
for animals so specialized in structure and habit
that they cannot endure conditions on the surface.
To understand the survival techniques of cave
animals, we need to first take a closer look at three
environmental factors governing Mammoth Cave.
First of all, the cave world does not change as
rapidly as our sunlit world; however, change does
occur. The cave has its own cycles and rhythms of
life. The temperature of the cave varies due to air
movement near the entrances, the location (on
ridges or in valleys), and the temperature of water
entering the cave. In a sense, the cave has its own
weather system. Wind is created by temperature
differences between the entrance and interior
passageways. This causes a "chimney effect,"
resulting in a wind chill factor underground. The
chimney effect can also produce "rain" inside the
cave by altering the dewpoint. The final contributor
to cave weather is the barometric pressure. Barometric
changes affect air movement, humidity levels
and dew points. Subtle weather changes in the cave
make it possible for a perceptive caver to discern
outside weather conditions, even though he or she
may be hundreds of feet below the surface.
Secondly, Mammoth Cave is intricately tied to the
outside world. The cave is different from our
world, but the survival of cave life depends on the
surface. Plants, through photosynthesis and
through their own decay, release carbon dioxide
that combines with water in the air and in the soil,
to form weak carbonic acid that carves the cave. In
Mammoth Cave National Park’s 52,700 acres
of biological diversity in Kentucky. The surface contains animals typical of an eastern
hardwood forest. Larger animals include white-tailed deer, fox, raccoon, opossum,
woodchuck, beaver, rabbit and squirrel. Smaller animals, such as bats, mice and chipmunks,
also abound. Many reptiles and amphibians find protection in the park too.
Birds such as mourning doves, whippoorwills, owls, hawks, woodpeckers, and warblers
fly through Mammoth Cave’s forests. Wild turkeys reintroduced in 1983 are now
regularly seen by visitors.
