In this video presentation, Dr. David Culver of American University provides an overview of the unique cave and karst ecosystems of the Appalachians. The Appalachian karst ecosystems have the highest number of aquatic and terrestrial cave-limited species in the United States. Terrestrial species richness in northeast Alabama and central Tennessee make these systems the “Amazon rain forest” of subterranean biodiversity in the nation. Dr. Culver provides a review of the reasons for conservation concern, the rarity and uniqueness of the cave fauna, and details the ecosystem services of these systems.
