Speleology senior section.

Ashley, David C.

* Lerch, R.N. USDA-Agricultural Research Service, Columbia, Missouri. Water Quality Monitoring In Two Karst Watersheds Of Boone County, Missouri. Karst watersheds with significant losing stream reaches represent a particularly vulnerable setting for ground water contamination because of the direct connection to surface water. Due to existing agricultural land-use and future urban development pressures, two losing stream karst watersheds were chosen for intensive monitoring in Boone County, MISSOURI: Hunters Cave and Devils Icebox Cave. Year-round monitoring was conducted from April, 1999 to April, 2002 with the objective of characterizing the water quality status of the main cave streams relative to herbicide, nutrient, and bacterial contamination. Herbicides were frequently detected in both cave streams at very low levels (e.g. <0.1 ppb), but higher levels (>1 ppb) were observed in runoff events each spring. Nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations in both caves were generally much higher than EPA guidelines for nutrient contamination of streams, and the Icebox had consistently higher levels of both nutrients than Hunters Cave. Fecal coliform bacteria levels were generally above the whole body contact standard (200 cfu/100 mL) in the Icebox, regardless of flow conditions. Under runoff conditions, fecal coliform levels in both caves can exceed 10,000 cfu/100 mL. Fecal coliform levels were significantly correlated to turbidity, indicating transport primarily occurs via sorption to suspended sediment. Current management efforts should focus on implementing BMPs to reduce contaminant transport from row cropped fields and rangelands. Future management considerations for these watersheds are focusing on impending urbanization, and the development of a comprehensive watershed land-use plan. Education efforts will continue to stress that cave systems are directly affected by surface land-use activities.

* Samoray, S.T. Resource Science Division, Missouri Department of Conservation. Bat "Graveyards". Great Spirit Cave in Pulaski County, Missouri, has an assortment of cave life and interesting features. The cave is home to numerous biological and cultural resources including, a bat "graveyard", containing hundreds if not thousands of bat remains as well as newly dead and dying bats. The vast majority of these are Red bats (Lasiurus borealis) with a lesser number of Hoary bats (Lasiurus cinereus). I conducted literature reviews and personal interviews to determine first, the rarity of such an occurrence and second, the possible reasons for it. I will present findings from my research and my personal hypotheses on the subject. It appears that Lasiurine bats may enter caves more often then reported and may frequently remain there until their death. Although this situation may not be as isolated as originally thought, it is still very interesting and several questions remain to be answered by further, more intensive studies.

David C. Ashley

Missouri Western State College