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You are here: Home / Research / Funded Projects / Classification and Mapping of Cave and Karst Resources / Gallery: Cave and Karst Maps / Study Overview Maps and Foundational Datasets

Study Overview Maps and Foundational Datasets

Overview maps for the Classification and Mapping of Cave and Karst Resources within the Appalachian region.

Total number of caves within a 20 kilometer grid cell. Each cell represents a range of caves found within that area.

This map depicts the carbonate bedrock exposure within the study area.

The karst map provides the basic template for analyzing the distribution of cave species. Almost without exception, all caves occur within the karst areas. There were a few records of cave-dwelling species from outside karst areas (mostly springs) but the data was trimmed to fit within the karst areas, with a 1 km buffer to allow for errors in georeferencing). This map displays the aquatic records within karst areas in the Appalachian region.

The karst map provides the basic template for analyzing the distribution of cave species. Almost without exception, all caves occur within the karst areas. There were a few records of cave-dwelling species from outside karst areas (mostly springs) but the data was trimmed to fit within the karst areas, with a 1 km buffer to allow for errors in georeferencing). This map displays the aquatic records within karst areas in the Appalachian region.

Each cell represents the percent of karst within a 20 x 20 kilometer grid cell, a measure of habitat quantity. This attribute can be used to predict presence/absence of particular ecological groups in caves.

Caves with the most aquatic and terrestrial species. The number of species is highly dependent on sampling intensity, including the number of sampling trips.

Cumulative lengths of contacts between karst and non-karst, measuring both patchiness of available habitat and perhaps dispersal corridors if cave passages are differentially developed along these contacts. This information can be used to predict presence/absence of particular ecological groups in caves.

Total number of stygobiont and troglobiont endemic species within a cave.

Many aquatic and terrestrial species are geographically rare, often found in a single cave. This map dis[;ays the geographic distribution of endemics scattered throughout the Appalachian LCC region.

Number of endemic species at the county level throughout the Appalachian LCC region.

Three basic regions are identified by NatureServe; Interior Low Plateaus,Central Appalachians, and Cumberland Southern Blue Ridge. These ares are displayed along with karst resources within the Appalachian LCC region.

Distribution of aquatic species richness by 20 kilometers grids throughout the Appalachian LCC region. At this scale, the hotspots of aquatic species richness are in southern Indiana (the Mitchell Plain) and central Kentucky (Mammoth Cave).

Distribution of aquatic species at the county scale throughout the Appalachian LCC region.

Distribution of terrestrial species richness in 20 kilometer grids throughout the Appalachian LCC region.

Distribution of terrestrial species richness at the county scale throughout the Appalachian LCC region.

Average annual stream baseflow index at 1 kilometer resolution throughout the Appalachian LCC region.

Forest biomass at the 1 kilometer scale throughout the Appalachian LCC region.

Mean annual precipitation (mm/year) at a 1 kilometer resolution throughout the Appalachian LCC region.

Precipitation seasonality using coefficient of variation at 1 kilometer resolution throughout the Appalachian LCC region.

Mean annual temperature at 1 kilometer resolution throughout the Appalachian LCC region.

Density of sinkholes per square kilometer throughout the Appalachian LCC region.

High values for soil available water capacity at 1 kilometer resolution throughout the Appalachian LCC region.

High values for soil permeability at 1 kilometer resolution throughout the Appalachian LCC region.

High end of range of soil thickness at 1 kilometer resolution throughout the Appalachian LCC region.

Sinkhole density (number per square kilometer) and soil organic matter (percent by weight) throughout the Appalachian LCC region.