Mammoth Cave A Human and Natural History

About this book

This book reveals the science and beauty of Mammoth Cave, the world's longest cave, located in the U.S. state of Kentucky, which has played an important role in the natural sciences. It offers a comprehensive and interdisciplinary treatment of the cave, combining insights from leading experts in fields ranging from archeology and cultural history to life science and geosciences. The first animals specialized for cave life in North America, including beetles, spiders, crayfish, and fish, were discovered in Mammoth Cave in the 1840s. It has also been used and explored by humans, including Native Americans, who mined its sulfate minerals and later African-American slaves, who made a map of the cave. More recent stories include 'wars' between commercial cave owners, epic exploration trips by modern cave explorers, and of course tourism.

The first section of Mammoth Cave: A Human and Natural History is an extensive description including maps and photos of the cave, its basic structural pattern, and how it relates to the surface landscape. The second section covers the human history of utilization and exploration of the cave, including mining, tourism, and medical experiments. Cave science is the topic of the third section, including geology, hydrology, mineralogy, climatology, paleontology, ecology, biodiversity, and microbiology. The fourth section looks to the future, with an overview of environmental issues facing Mammoth Cave managers.

Mammoth Cave: A Human and Natural History is intended for anyone interested in caves in general and Mammoth Cave in particular, experts in one discipline seeking information about other areas, and researchers and students interested in the many avenues of pursuit possible in Mammoth Cave.

Contents

Part 1
1. Introduction to Mammoth Cave

Part 2
2. Prehistoric Archaeology of Mammoth Cave
3. The History of Mammoth Cave
4. Exploration History of Mammoth Cave
5. Mammoth Cave: A Cartographic History

Part 3A
6. Geology of Mammoth Cave
7. Geologic History of Mammoth Cave
8. Hydrology and Hydrogeology of Mammoth Cave
9. Mineralogy of Mammoth Cave
10. Meteorology of Mammoth Cave
11. Under Foot: The Paleontology of Mammoth Cave
Part 3B
12. Landscape ecology of Mammoth Cave: How Surface and Cave Ecosystems Influence Each Other
13. Terrestrial Cave Ecology of the Mammoth Cave Region
14. Mammoth Cave Aquatic ecology
15. Biodiversity
16. Mammoth Cave Microbiology
17. Bats of Mammoth Cave

Part 4
18. Environmental Issues Relevant to Mammoth Cave and the Region

Afterword: How Long is Mammoth Cave?

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