LyzCavePools

= = Cave Pools

The organisms that live in caves:
= = = = = = = = A cave in general is a cavity beneath the Earth’s surface that can be big enough for a human to go in but also out of reach from the sun. (8) Caves can be formed from: 
 * Erosion of waves
 * Lava,
 * Ice melting
 * Commonly by different chemicals mixing with air (solution caves)

The cave environment is a challenge to survive in. There is permanent darkness, high humidity (80-100%), little food, and different gas mixtures- air deadly to humans. But caves provide a very stable environment for the animals that adapt to these conditions. (10) 

What Lives in Caves?

Microbes:
Microbes that live in caves have evolved in many different ways. But they provide food for many of the organisms in caves. Theses microbes make different chemicals to survive, some that we could use for healing. There are bacteria that cling to the roots and some to the debris that flows in. -Cyanobacteria is a bacteria that is on the rocks and has chlorophyll (5) -Snot-like microbes helps carves caves, it absorbs oxygen and Hydrogen-sulfide.(2)

Plants:
The area just inside the cave opening where there still is sun is the entrance zone. (11) This where plant that like moist conditions can survive. Mosses, Ferns and Liverworts are the main plants that can survive in these conditions. Also the trees from above have roots that can break through the top of the cave and provide nutrients. (5). The plants on the outside of the cave are just as important, a Losing stream can carry organic debris to water in the caves (8) and air can bring in pollen and spores from the trees that animals can feed on. (10).

Animals/Insects:
There are three main types of animals that live in caves: trogloxenes, troglophiles, and troglobites.

Trogloxenes: These are animals/insects that live in caves but have to venture out to get food to survive. This can include the random animals that take shelter in a cave for a little while. These animals help provide different foods for the other cave dwellers, like guano (droppings), they can carry in plant debris, and once they die they provide a carcass. Cave Bats- Indiana, Gray, Brown Birds-Eastern Phoebe, Turkey Mice and Rats Frogs and Toads- Pickrel, Dwarf



Troglophiles: These are animals/insects that Can live in the cave for their whole life but also could do the same outside of the cave. (They can survive in both environments) (10) Cave Salamanders Spiders- Fishing, Cave Crickets- Camel Cave Beetles-Rove, Ground Troglobites: These are the animals/insects that are fully adapted to the full darkness of cave life. Most don’t need very much food to live on. They mostly have light to clear skin and long arms and legs. Since there is no light they are blind and have heightened senses. In reproduction they produce larger eggs so there is more chance of them surviving and they reproduce less so they don’t use too much energy. Most Troglobites are endangered. (12) (10) (3) Cave Fish- Ozark, Tetra, Devil’s Hole Cave Crayfish- Big Cheek, Phantom Cave Salamander- Berry, Brown, Grotto Cave Snail- Tumbling Creek, Cave Physa Amphipod/Copepods/Isopods Planarians-Pink, White Velvet Worm, Horsehair Plants Trogloxenes Troglophiles Troglobites
 * ** Organism ** || ** The Food it Eats ** ||
 * Vegetation/roots || Sun ||
 * Mosses, Ferns, and Liverworts || Sun ||
 * Bats || Fruits, Insects ||
 * Birds || Fruits, Insects ||
 * Mice/Rats || Fruits/Insects ||
 * Frogs/Toads || Insects (Amphipod/Copepod/Isopods) ||
 * Millipedes/Centipedes || Fungi and bacteria ||
 * Cave Salamanders || Insects (Amphipod/Copepod/Isopods) ||
 * Cave Beetles || Guano, detritus, and carcasses ||
 * Cave Crickets || Guano, detritus, and carcasses ||
 * Cave Fish || Copepods, isopods, amphipods, flatworms, cave snails, crayfish, ||
 * Cave snail || Guano, detritus, and carcasses ||
 * Cave Crayfish || Guano, detritus, and carcasses ||
 * Planarians/Flatworms || Invertebrates, detritus or decaying organic matter ||
 * Amphipod/Copepods/Isopods || Vegetation that flies in from the entry, Guano, detritus, and carcasses ||
 * Cave bacteria (biofilms) || Hydrogen-Sulfide/Oxygen ||



Water Pollution Human disturbance-migrating bats Flooding Cave-ins (7) (1)

Reflection:
That animals that live in caves are important to have in the world because they can show us human history,one of our first homes. We used to use caves store fruits and meats in their stable environment and now we use it to make different cheeses and liquors.(11) Now we can find useful chemicals in the bacteria to help clean the air and cure different illnesses. (2). We don't eat anything that comes from caves but we can eat different animals that will take shelter in it and eat from it.

Works Cited Bade, Gerry. “U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Proposes the Illinois Cave Amphipod as Endangered Species; Cites Threats from Declining Water Quality.” //U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service//. Unknown, 11 Aug. 1997. Web. 9 Sept. 2010. . I use this website to find threats to the cave wildlife. Bryner, Jeanna. “Snot-Like Microbes Help Carve Caves.” //Live Science//. TechMediaNetwork, 2010. Web. 9 Sept. 2010. . I used this website to find out what microbes could live and survive in caves. Byrne, Denise. “Albino Cave Crayfish .” //Dayo Scuba Olrando//. Bulletin Solutions, Inc, 13 Apr. 2010. Web. 8 Sept. 2010. . I used this website to find characteristics of cave crayfish. Fawley, Jessica. “ Eurycea lucifuga (Cave Salamander).” //Animal Diversity Web//. nteragency Education Research Initiative, the Homeland Foundation and the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology. , 2002. Web. 8 Sept. 2010. . I used this website to see what a cave salamander would eat. Northup, Diana, and Tamara Montoya. “Who Lives in Caves?” //Journey into Caves//. Unknown, n.d. Web. 8 Sept. 2010. . This website had information on the plants that lived in the caves and different animals and what they eat. Varios Authors. “Cave.” //Wikipedia//. Wikipedia Foundation Inc., 26 Aug. 2010. Web. 10 Sept. 2010. . Used it for general information. Various Authors. “Blind Cave Fish.” //Uknown//. N.p., 2010. Web. 10 Sept. 2010. . I used this website to find out what cave fish would eat. - - -. “Cave.” //Science Clarified//. Google, 2010. Web. 10 Sept. 2010. . I used this website for general information. - - -. “Cave Life.” //Cave of the Winds//. DublinBlue, 2010. Web. 10 Sept. 2010. . I used this to define the three different types of groups. - - -. “Cave Life.” //Great Basin//. Great Basin National Park, 2004. Web. 10 Sept. 2010. . I used this website to do the food web - - -. “Journey into Amazing Caves.” //Amazing Caves//. National Science Foundation, 2001. Web. 7 Sept. 2010. <http://www.amazingcaves.com/‌set_learn_ecology.html>. I used this website to research about the different animals of cave life, in general types. - - -. “List of troglobites.” //Wikipedia//. Wikipedia Foundation inc., 30 Aug. 2010. Web. 10 Sept. 2010. <http://en.wikipedia.org/‌wiki/‌List_of_troglobites>. I used this to find a list of troglobites. - - -. “Wildlife and Ecosystems.” //Cave Country Adventures//. Sabramedia, LLC, 2010. Web. 9 Sept. 2010. <http://www.exploringcaves.com/‌wildlife.php>. I used thus website toget a list of animals in caves and what type they were.