Conserving Biodiversity
Caves and Karst Task Force
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Task Force Leader
Prof. Elery HAMILTON-SMITH
Managing Director
Rethink Consulting
PO Box 36
Carlton South
Victoria 3053
Australia
Tel: ++61 (3) 9489-7785
Fax: ++61 (3) 9481-2439
Email: elery@alphalink.com.au
The
Caves and Karsts Task Force
The first basic action of the
Group was to prepare and publish guidelines for
management of caves and karst. This involved input
from many hundreds of land managers, researchers,
cave explorers and others throughout the world.
One of the special characteristics of karst studies
is that thousands of people throughout the world
see cave exploration as a hobby or recreational
activity, yet at the same time, make an immense
contribution through not only exploring, mapping
and documenting caves, but working with researchers
and developing a high level of expertise in the
very special science of speleology.
 The continuing action of the group
involves:
- advising land managers and
others on problems in the management of karst
areas;
- encouraging the proper protection
of important karst areas;
- advising on the assessment
of sites for World Heritage listing on behalf
of IUCN and in keeping with its advisory role
to the World Heritage Convention; and
- fostering international co-operation
and liaison on issues in cave and karst protection
or management.
Key
Issues
 This
network was established in 1992 to deal with the
specific problems of protecting cave and karst
environments. Karst landscapes are extremely important
places for human, economic and scientific reasons,
but they are also extremely vulnerable environments
and may suffer serious impacts simply because
governments, land managers and others may not
understand the dynamic processes of the karst
environment.
Karst is a phenomenon which results
from the solution of rock, most commonly from
being dissolved in carbon dioxide rich waters.
Hydrothermal water welling up from below may also
be implicated and sulphuric acid can also be involved
as a result of the oxidation and other breakdown
of sulphide minerals. It leads to a complex association
well described as '. . . incorporating component
landforms as well as life, energy, water, gases,
soils and bedrock . . .'
Karst landscapes are characterised
by such features as caves, dolines, poljes, blind
valleys and other depressions; karst pinnacles
or towers; gorges and pavements, and the fact
that drainage is normally totally subterranean.
This underground drainager may percolate relatively
slowly over immense distances, but it may well
also utilise giant conduits which allow very rapid
flow. This may allow pollution to be transported
over great distances.
Thus we must understand the great
complexity of a karst system and recognise the
way in which all of its elements are interactive.
Moreover, it is often significantly shaped by
neighbouring natural systems and is impacted,
often negatively, by human actions both on the
karst and in that neighbouring region. This concept
challenges us to recognise and manage the total
system because perturbation of any one element
is likely to change other elements.
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