Delving into the Depths By Krupa Patel During the spring of 2002, the Resource Management branch will begin a three-year wild cave inventory and management project in the park. The project will consist of several different components including surveying and mapping, physical inventory, cave invertebrate and microbial surveys, human use monitoring, and bat surveys. The initial cave mapping and surveying will give us insight into the structural framework of each cave. The next step will be to conduct a comprehensive physical inventory to determine the types of resources present in each cave. From the cave inventory, we will gain a knowledge of where sensitive formations are located, what kinds of hazards are present, whether or not there are cultural artifacts (such as pictographs, historical graffiti, etc.), and the types of geological and hydrological features that shape the cave. Based on information from the physical inventory, we will establish Limits of Acceptable Change (LAC) monitoring points in the wild caves in the park. LAC monitoring consists of photo documentation points that will be duplicated each year to give us a visual representation of human use impacts on the cave resources over a long period of time. There will also be a strong biological component to the cave inventory. Cave invertebrates will be collected and identified by entomologists who will work in conjunction with Resource Management staff. Microbes will also be collected in sediment samples and sent to a lab for identification. Bat surveys will be conducted using mist-netting procedures and AnaBat software. AnaBat software is designed to identify free-flying bats by analyzing their echolocation calls and comparing them to a pre-recorded library of bat vocalizations. Based on the information and understanding we gain from the cave inventories, we will create a comprehensive, science-based management plan for the wild caves in the park. Midden Table of Contents