Lael Anderson ($500)
University of Alabama in Huntsville, Department of Biological Sciences
Mapping Cave Vulnerability and Priority Areas for Biospeleological Conservation
Subterranean ecosystems support a diverse array of uniquely adapted organisms, many with restricted geographic ranges, sometimes limited to single cave systems. Despite their importance, subterranean ecosystems remain threatened and undervalued. Vulnerability assessments assessing the risk to cave and groundwater ecosystems from anthropogenic stressors on the landscape scale fill a critical gap in the knowledge needed for subterranean conservation. However, such studies are lacking in the southeastern United Sites, including the TAG (TN-AL-GA) region, which is recognized as a global subterranean biodiversity hotspot. This study contributes an integrated GIS-based hybrid method of vulnerability analysis for caves, combining landscape, anthropogenic, hydrogeological, and species occurrence data. Analysis is split into three community types. The terrestrial community threat utilizes a model of risk of visitation, formed by three sub-models including population, access, and proximity. The bat community threat utilizes visitation and bat habitat risk models, covering landscape condition and usage type. The aquatic community threat is composed of risk of visitation, risk to surface water, and vulnerability and sensitivity of groundwater. The surface water sub-model assesses surface water risks associated with sediment, nutrients, pollutants, and hydrological alteration. Vulnerability and sensitivity of groundwater is evaluated with the DRASTIK hydrogeological system and the Groundwater Sensitivity Index, or SENS. Finally, for each community, we include the number of species endemic to the cave or grid cell as a sub-model contributing to the model's overall vulnerability rating.
Gracie Hendrickson-Brown ($2,000)
Department of Earth, Environmental & Atmospheric Sciences, Western Kentucky University
Prevalence and Source Tracking of Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) Substances in Karst Groundwater Systems
Emerging contaminants, such as perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), are persistent synthetic chemicals in the environment. They are known to cause threats to human health, including cancer, organ damage, and reproductive issues. Research questions for this project include: 1) What are the prevalence and occurrence of PFAS and associated water quality parameters in karst groundwater systems in different basins under varying landuse types, and 2) Is it possible to conduct s/ource tracking of PFAS from existing groundwater maps combined with federal and state databases based on water quality results. Water sampling will occur in/ three karst areas in and near Bowling Green, Kentucky. Basic analyses will be conducted in the field, and samples will be taken to WKU’s HydroAnalytical Lab for further analysis to determine results and findings. This will be the first study to provide a dataset on standard methods for PFAS collection from karst groundwater sites. The results will provide a baseline
Monica Galvez ($1,400)
Department of Earth, Environmental, and Atmospheric Sciences, Western Kentucky University
Investigating Contaminant Transport, Storage, and Remobilization Dynamics in Karst Groundwater Systems
Karst groundwater aquifers are crucial drinking water sources but are highly vulnerable to contamination due to rapid surface recharge and limited filtration. Pollutants from agricultural runoff and industrial discharge spread quickly through these systems, posing environmental and public health risks. Despite extensive research on contaminant transport, research gaps remain on the mechanisms governing contaminant storage and episodic remobilization due to sediment dynamics. This study aims to investigate the hydrologic properties, transport mechanisms, and geomorphologic conditions influencing the movement and storage of sediment-related contamination in karst groundwater systems.
Research will be conducted at Lost River Cave (LRC) and Hidden River Cave (HRC) in South-central Kentucky, sites known for their history of contamination and complex karst hydrology. Field data collection, tracer experiments, and sediment analysis will capture contaminant behavior under baseline and event-driven conditions. Fluorescent dyes, microspheres, and microbial tracers will simulate diverse transport dynamics, providing a comprehensive analysis of storage and movement within the karst systems.
The goal of this research is to enhance the understanding of pollution persistence and transport dynamics, contributing to improved predictive models and remediation strategies for karst environments. Findings will support groundwater management practices and inform regulatory frameworks to protect drinking water resources, with methodologies adaptable to other hydrogeologic settings.
Mónica Geraldes Vega ($2,000)
Department of Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences, Brown University
Analysis of U and Th Isotopes on Speleothem Calcite and Modern Cave Drip Waters from the Tropics to Develop a Karst Paleo-Infiltration Proxy
U-series/U-Th radiometric dating is a commonly used technique used to date carbonate cave deposits (speleothems). U-series isotopes have also been used in riverine and groundwater contexts to understand weathering rates, but a limited number of studies explore these isotope systems in the karst context. In the Philippines, high fluid flow rates appear to control the composition of δ234U due to consistently high influxes of precipitation in the tropics, with values that appear to become more depleted over time in a speleothem from the late Pleistocene. In this study we propose to investigate δ234U variability in this speleothem, whose stable isotopes and trace metal ratios record millennial timescale events of abrupt climate change. By constraining the behavior of δ234U during these periods, we will be able to contribute interpretations of paleo-infiltration rates through the karst alongside traditional proxies recording paleorainfall amount at this site. We will also conduct U-series isotope monitoring in the cave during seasons of high and low precipitation via analyses of cave drip water and modern calcite precipitation, which will allow us to interpret shifts in δ234U in the past. This work will ultimately provide the basis for interpreting δ234U variability over time as a proxy for fluid flow rates through the karst and its effectiveness in a specifically tropical karst context.
Stefano Lapadula ($1,600)
Department of environmental science and policy, University of Milan, Italy
Past and Current Conditions Driving the Distribution, the Ecology and the Biodiversity of Freshwater Cave-Dwelling Animals of Italy
This project is part of a wider research plan about broad scale habitat suitability and fine-scale microhabitat use of groundwater organisms. While cave organisms are generally seen as relicts, which distribution depends on palaeogeographic conditions, this plan is interested in the role of current ecology as well. The general aim is to assess broad scale habitat suitability for groundwater organisms of Italy, in order to contribute to the knowledge about palaeogeographic and present-day ecological drivers of their distribution. In this context the current project aims to improve data of occurrence of multiple taxa, from all the crustacean isopods of genus Monolistra, to the iconic salamander Proteus anguinus and two enigmatic mysid shrimps. Occurrences/absences of the study taxa will be used to develop an analytic method to assess species distribution and understand relationships between environmental variables and species occurrences. In particular, I will perform extensive and repeated field surveys in three different study areas to characterize the microhabitat use of all the taxa, and I will build Bayesian hierarchical models to estimate the relationships between environmental covariates, rhythmicity, detection probability and abundance. Lastly, habitat suitability of the genus Monolistra will be analyzed in relationship with precedingly-assessed genetic diversity of the different species.
Logan Leffler ($750)
Department of Earth and Environmental Geosciences
Bedrock Geology and Mineralization of Ore Bodies in Cave Valley Cave, Nevada
Cave Valley, Nevada is home to many natural caves, but only one is known to have produced economically significant ores. Cave Valley Cave (CVC) and adjacent, but inactive Cave Valley Mine (CVM) were mined for precious and non-precious metals. CVC contains unique mineral deposits and possible ore bodies, and it is my goal to develop a genetic model of cave and mineral genesis that explains the origins of the cave and its mineral resources. This model will include a timeline of geologic events, including metamorphism, faulting, ore formation, and speleogenesis. I will map the geology of CVC, CVM, and their surroundings. I will collect and analyze bedrock and mineral samples using thin sections, x-ray diffraction, and x-ray fluorescence. In developing a model, I will provide a deeper understanding of the economical mineral deposits, their formation, and their relationships to cave development. The results will be applicable to other caves in the area and provide context for the area’s mining history.
Ljubomir Risteski ($1,000)
Western Kentucky University
Deciphering the Structural Fabric of the Mammoth Cave System: Investigating the Influence of Mammoth Cave System’s Structural Framework on Cave Morphology and Hydrology
The Mammoth Cave System of southcentral Kentucky is situated in a well developed karst region of the Pennyroyal Plateau. The lithology of this area is such that the karst aquifer is very well developed within a major interval of carbonate rocks that are capped by an insoluble sandstone, which exert a gentle dip to the northwest and towards the main base level control of the area, the Green River. The study area is also situated in close proximity to the Rough Creek Graben, though major structures associated with his regional feature are rarely see in the cave. Nevertheless, in recent years, structural features such as faults and major joints have been discovered with apparent morphological influences on the passages, but have been described in little detail with their origin unknown. This project’s ultimate goal is to understand the regional structural features as they influence the development of caverns and groundwater conduits in the Mammoth Cave region. This includes the Mammoth Cave System and several surrounding lesser caves. This study will undertake a multi-disciplinary and mixed-method approach to better understand the influence of these structural features in the Mammoth Cave System and surrounding region with the ultimate goal to produce a structural map linking structural features (joints, faults, fracture swarms) with cave passage trends, cave levels, and surface karst features (springs, sinkholes, etc.).
Jacob Schaefer ($500)
University of Alabama in Huntsville, Department of Biological Sciences
Evaluating Genetic Diversity and Potential Cryptic Diversity Within the Georgia Blind Salamander (Eurycea Wallacei) and the Dougherty Plain Cave Crayfish (Cambarus Cryptodytes)
Understanding and preserving genetic diversity within populations and species is vital in ensuring their persistence, especially considering pervasive threats, such as global climate change and habitat loss. This is especially true for groundwater fauna, where species’ ranges are often limited, making them particularly vulnerable to extinction. Population genetic studies of subterranean species often reveal cryptic species complexes, which further elevates the vulnerability of members of these complexes, due to their now even greater restricted ranges and smaller population sizes. in the Upper Floridan Aquifer, the Georgia Blind Salamander (Eurycea wallacei) and Dougherty Plain Cave Crayfish (Cambarus cryptodytes) are both threatened and co-occur at many sites distributed in clusters of the Marianna Lowlands/Dougherty Plain of Florida and Georgia. These species offer a unique opportunity to explore cryptic diversity and the factors that shape distributions of groundwater species. In this study, I will combine mitochondrial DNA, population genetic, and nuclear genomic (RADseq) approaches to assess levels of genetic diversity as well as the potential for cryptic species diversity in both taxa. In addition, I will explore several factors that likely operate to shape the distributions of these co-occurring species over local and regional scales. The proposal research will address several important knowledge gaps and provide valuable information to develop successful adaptive conservation and management strategies for not only these species, but groundwater fauna in general.
Moses Souta ($500)
University of Zimbabwe
Conceptualising Karst Groundwater Flow Dynamics Using a Multi-Disciplinary Approach in a Semi-Arid Region
Karst aquifers primarily sustain a substantial proportion of water supply in semi-arid regions of Africa. These aquifers possess distinct unique intrinsic characteristics that make them highly productive but also particularly vulnerable to contamination and requiring specific methods of assessment. Contaminants with minimal attenuation can readily reach groundwater within dynamic karst systems and can be rapidly transported to nearby connected aquifers, posing significant threats to water quality. It is generally not clear how preferential groundwater pathways mobilise contaminants in agricultural-based karst systems in semi-arid regions. Furthermore, the development of conceptual models to initially understand groundwater flow characteristics of karst aquifers often results in uncertainty, which possibly propagates to the predictions derived from the subsequent model. Adaption and integration of various tools could possibly reduce oversimplification of groundwater flow dynamics in inadequately monitored karst systems during the conceptual model building process in this region. This proposed study mainly integrates multi-stable isotopic tracers, high resolution groundwater level observations and geochemistry to conceptualise contaminant sources and related flow paths in a karst system in Zimbabwe. Results from this research intend to assist in the better understanding of groundwater movement and water quality leading to informed management of groundwater resources in Zimbabwe in the context of a changing climate.
Lark E. Sybrant ($2,000)
Arkansas Tech University
Determining Ozark Big-eared Bat Diet Variation through Guano Metabarcoding
The Ozark big-eared bat (Corynorhinus townsendii ingrens) is endangered in Arkansas and found in a handful of counties in the Ozark-St. Francis National Forest. An important habitat feature that is often overlooked is prey availability. Due to their cryptic nighttime feeding behavior, bat foraging observations are a challenge. Since this bat species is a suspected moth specialist, changes in prey availability could results in population declines. Other studies have indirectly sampled diet but have failed to explore genetic metabarcoding to capture all prey variation. Metabarcoding is a non-invasive sampling technique that involves the extraction and amplification of target DNA from all species simultaneously. This technique is the gold standard of modern molecular dietary analysis and allows us to identify prey to the species level. I propose employing this approach to create a comprehensive list of the prey species that Ozark big-eared bats consume. Metabarcoding will allow us to inventory all prey species in our samples along with their potential dietary breadth across seasons and regions. By sampling multiple pellets, we will be able to evaluate which prey are most common (present in most samples) and thus likely most important to their diet. We can then use this dietary baseline as a tool to assist in prioritizing forest management and make broad recommendations to benefit Ozark big-eared bats at the landscape level.
Ripley Taylor ($750)
Department of Earth and Environmental Geosciences, Ohio University
Modeling Flow Dynamics and Pressure Loss in a Closed Conduit Cave System: Model Cave, Baker Creek Cave System, Nevada
Understanding water movement and flow in cave development is essential for hydrological modeling and conservation. This study aims to simulate flood flow and pressure loss within a closed-conduit passage in Model Cave, NV, USA using multiple hydrological modelling techniques and assumptions. Model Cave is located in Great Basin National Park (GBNP) and is filled by annual snowmelt-fed floods. Fluorescence dye tracing will be used to determine bulk flow velocities through dye concentration adsorbed on activated charcoal. Three hydraulic models based on the Hazen -Williams, Darcy-Weisbach, and Manning equations, will be used to estimate energy loss, water velocities, and sediment transport capacities, using passage (conduit) dimensions measured in the cave. By comparing the three models, I aim to identify the most effective approach for determining flow hydraulics and energy losses. By determining the best approach to modeling flow dynamics, I aim to develop transferable modeling methodologies to predict hydrological effects in other closed-conduit caves. This research will enhance our understanding of cave hydrology and stream processes in GBNP and other closed-conduit caves.
Caden Williams ($2,000)
Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences, University of California Davis
Biological Weathering of Basaltic Lava Caves
Cooled lava provides a sterile habitat with plentiful nutrients for life to colonize, but these nutrients are initially difficult to access for most organisms. Weathering processes facilitate access to nutrients through geochemical, physical, and biological agents. Microbes are among the first colonizers of bare lava rock, initiating ecological succession and ecosystem development. These microbial communities often form biofilms and secrete organic acids that enhance mineral leaching and nutrient bioavailability, but the role of microbes in weathering is difficult to disentangle from abiotic processes. To better understand microbial contributions to weathering, we examine biofilm communities in lava caves with minimal abiotic influences. We will sample 14 caves from lava flows of different ages, allowing us to assess how microbial communities and their metabolic activities change over successional timescales. In each cave, we identify three distinct microbial communities by color. Each sample includes microbial biofilm, the rock immediately below the biofilm, and the underlying unweathered rock. We will combine microbiological community surveys with geochemical analysis, via laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS), to analyze how host rock geochemistry varies spatially in relation to the surface biofilm. This work seeks to provide a better understanding of microbial succession and its influence on biologically mediated rock weathering in basaltic lava cave ecosystems.
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