Cave & Karst Science (ISSN 1356-191X)

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Contents of Cave & Karst Science 50(1)

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Cave and Karst Science (iv + 52pp) (PDF 16.2MB)        Individual articles may be available below

GUNN, John and David LOWE (eds.). (2023). Cave and Karst Science 50(1). Buxton: British Cave Research Association. ISSN 1356-191X. iv + 52pp, A4, with photos, maps and diagrams.
This issue has a cover date of 2023 (April) and was published in April 2023.

The Transactions of the British Cave Research Association.

The PDF files comprising this issue are at a high resolution and have been assembled using a CMYK colour space instead of the usual RGB. The single file containing the entire issue (above) is at a lower resolution, suitable for screen-reading.

Front cover photo (page i) (PDF 3.1MB)     

Dedicated to the memory of the late Jerry Wooldridge FRPS. Among many other claims to fame, Jerry was the Graphics Advisor within the Cave and Karst Science (CaKS) editorial team between 2008 and 2023. The photograph shows Jerry as he will be remembered by many of his caving friends, armed with twin Bronica cameras and a third Bronica with a Polaroid-back, for pre-checking the framing and lighting of intended.

 

Notes for Contributors (page ii) (PDF 625KB)     

 

Contents (p1) (PDF 972KB)     

 

Editorial (p2) (PDF 646KB)     

by John GUNN and David LOWE.

 

Tributes and Celebrations (p3) (PDF 7.8MB)     

Three leading figures have been lost both to caving and to the world of cave and karst science during the early months of 2023.

 

Professor Zhu Xuewen, 1933-2023 (p3)  For download see previous item

 

Professor Andrej Kranjc, 1943-2023 (p5) (PDF 8.1MB)     

 

Jerry Wooldridge FRPS, 1948–2023 (p7) (PDF 3.5MB)     

 

Pleistocene cave sites in Kent, United Kingdom: a brief consideration of discoveries and excavations (pp9-15) (PDF 9.6MB)     

by Terry REEVE.
Available details of archaeological and Pleistocene palaeontological sites associated with early Cretaceous ragstone (hard, coarse-grained, sandy limestone) in Kent, garnered from extant historical and more recent publications, are examined and reconsidered. Field examination of related sites that remain locatable and accessible, allows speculation regarding the whereabouts of probably cave/karst-related archaeological and palaeontological dig sites that have yielded diagnostic artefacts and fossils, including those of species that are either now extinct or no longer native to southeastern England. Based upon the limited data available it is possible to speculate regarding whether other material of potential scientific value might remain at the original sites or in geologically similar situations within the same general area.
Classification: Feature.
Date: Received: 01 November 2022; Accepted: 04 March 2023.
Keywords: archaeology, fissures, Ightham Stone, Mousterian, Oldbury Stone, Palaeolithic, palaeontology, ragstone.

Bibliograph: REEVE, Terry. (2023). Pleistocene cave sites in Kent, United Kingdom: a brief consideration of discoveries and excavations. Cave and Karst Science 50(1), pp9-15.

 

Identifying sulphate-reducing and magnetotactic bacteria in a hyperalkaline cave system (pp16-20) (PDF 6.0MB)     

by Jianxun SHEN, Andrew C SMITH, Megan J BARNETT, Alistair MORGAN and Peter M WYNN.
Sulphate-reducing bacteria (SRB) and magnetotactic bacteria (MTB) are two special groups of prokaryotes that emerged early in Earth's history. These extremotolerant bacterial groups have rarely been identified or studied within cave and karst environments, especially hyperalkaline cave systems (pH > 9), such as Poole's Cavern in Derbyshire, England. In this study, we identify the sulphate-reducing MTB Desulfovibrio magneticus, within this hyperalkaline cave system. It appears to survive in a diverse range of environments including soil, stalactites and cave sediments. Additionally, we identify various extremotolerant SRB in similar Poole's Cavern environments. We show that these SRB and MTB can move successfully into subsurface environments and adapt concomitantly to the anomalous pH, saline, and relatively nutrient-poor conditions found in Poole's Cavern. These findings are significant to our understanding of microorganisms on early Earth because it is believed, but not proven, that underground environments might have been hot spots for early microbial life. We expect that these early bacteria would have been able to adopt similar adaptation strategies, transferring and acclimatizing to underground environments, in ways comparable to the SRB and MTB identified in this study.
Classification: Paper.
Date: Received: 08 February 2023; Accepted: 16 March 2023.
Keywords: Poole's Cavern; sulphate-reducing bacteria; magnetotactic bacteria; 16S rRNA sequencing; extremotolerance.

Bibliograph: SHEN, Jianxun; Andrew C SMITH, Megan J BARNETT, Alistair MORGAN and Peter M WYNN. (2023). Identifying sulphate-reducing and magnetotactic bacteria in a hyperalkaline cave system. Cave and Karst Science 50(1), pp16-20.

 

Bones from 'Clapham Cave' North Yorkshire, UK: Further archaeological activity at Foxholes (in Clapdale), as inferred from Yorkshire Speleological Association records (pp21-22) (PDF 1.7MB)     

by Phillip J MURPHY.
Contextual reconsideration of historical documentation created during excavations of cave sediments by cavers, and subsequently archived, is shown to be a practical and productive tool in terms of understanding some material from existing archaeological collections. Ancillary information contained within such notes, even in records that ultimately disprove documented relationships, can shed light not only upon the interpretation and significance of the related archaeological artefacts, but also help to confirm the fundamental accuracy and reliability of any related locational and temporal metadata.
Classification: Report.
Date: Received: 23 February 2023; Accepted: 22 March 2023.
Keywords: Cave, excavation, records, archives, metadata.

Bibliograph: MURPHY, Phillip J. (2023). Bones from 'Clapham Cave' North Yorkshire, UK: Further archaeological activity at Foxholes (in Clapdale), as inferred from Yorkshire Speleological Association records. Cave and Karst Science 50(1), pp21-22.

 

Spying in the dark: camera traps as a monitoring method to detect small mammals in underground environments (pp23-30) (PDF 2.5MB)   Open Access  

by Anna MARCHEWKA and Tomasz POSTAWA.
Monitoring the distribution or abundance of mammals inhabiting caves is challenging, both due to the secretive nature of the animals and the difficulties involved in accessing these spaces. Standard monitoring methods are restricted by cave conditions. Here we present results from camera trap (CT) monitoring in an underground habitat, and estimate the occurrence of small mammals within it. We compared the rate of detection, proportion of empty triggers, and unidentified and identified species in two types of spaces (narrow and open) in the studied cave. Research was conducted between July and November 2018 in Niedźwiedzia Górna Cave (in the Kraków-Wieluń Upland of southern Poland), and 1,699 videos recorded during 58 trapping days were analysed. Detection rates were higher in the narrow spaces than in the open ones, and the proportion of identified bat species varied between spaces, whereas detection rates for flying and non-flying animals did not differ between spaces. Two different camera models were used during this study; there were differences in relative performance across all measurements. Six mammal species were identified: four flying species, comprising greater mouse-eared bat (Myotis myotis), Natterer's bat (Myotis nattereri), brown long-eared bat (Plecotus auritus) and the lesser horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus hipposideros) – and two non-flying species: edible dormouse (Glis glis) and beech marten (Martes foina). Results showed that: i) CTs represent a useful tool for monitoring small mammals in caves; ii) performance differs between locations and iii) performance also varies according to CT model and configuration.
Classification: Paper.
Date: Received: 08 August 2022; Accepted: 28 February 2023.
Keywords: camera trapping, carnivora, caves, Chiroptera, monitoring, rodents.

Bibliograph: MARCHEWKA, Anna and Tomasz POSTAWA. (2023). Spying in the dark: camera traps as a monitoring method to detect small mammals in underground environments. Cave and Karst Science 50(1), pp23-30.

 

Brief timeline of the exploration of the caves and scientific studies, World Heritage Area: Gunung Mulu and Buda National Parks, Sarawak, Malaysia (pp31-45) (PDF 28.1MB)     

by David William GILL.
Exploration of the caves and karst areas of the Gunung Mulu and Buda National Parks has been ongoing for 61 years, beginning with the work of G E Wilford in 1961 and still continuing. Considering the relatively small areas of karst outcrops involved it is remarkable that a total of 549.1km of some of the largest known cave systems (by volume) has been mapped. Scientific study of the caves and deposits within them has contributed greatly to the understanding of these magnificent systems and past climatic conditions in the area. A precis of the results of dedicated work by more than 200 cave explorers and scientists, predominantly from the UK, is presented.
Classification: Paper.
Date: Received: 15 October 2022; Accepted: 21 January 2023.
Keywords: Borneo, karst, limestone, inventory, history, future, glossary.

Bibliograph: GILL, David William. (2023). Brief timeline of the exploration of the caves and scientific studies, World Heritage Area: Gunung Mulu and Buda National Parks, Sarawak, Malaysia. Cave and Karst Science 50(1), pp31-45.

 

Notes for Authors: Short notes and monographs (p46) (PDF 738KB)     

by Stephen K DONOVAN.
Classification: Forum.

 

Book Review: Karst Hydrogeology, Geomorphology and Caves (p47) (PDF 2.0MB)     

Classification: Forum.

 

Derived or 'unconformable' corals, exposed in Land of Hope and Glory, Wookey Hole, Mendip, UK (p48) (PDF 4.8MB)     

by Vince SIMMONDS.
Classification: Photo Feature.

Bibliograph: SIMMONDS, Vince. (2023). Derived or 'unconformable' corals, exposed in Land of Hope and Glory, Wookey Hole, Mendip, UK. Cave and Karst Science 50(1), p48.

 

Research Fund and Grants (page iii) (PDF 646KB)     

 

Back cover photos (page iv) (PDF 8.3MB)     

by Jerry WOOLDRIDGE.
Copies of eight of the nine images by Jerry Wooldridge that appeared on the Front covers of Cave and Karst Science (CaKS) between 2007 and 2022. (All photos: Jerry Wooldridge).