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Karst landscapes can lose surface water to underground caverns, leading to environmental concerns like pollution from cow manure and garbage dumps in sinkholes. Septic tanks pose pollution risks. Speleothems, living organisms in caves, adapt without eyes and sunlight for photosynthesis. Discover the vital importance of karst environments.
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Losing Streams • Streams in karst areas sometimes lose large volumes of surface water through gradual loss into underground caverns.
More Concerns • Cow manure in streams can lead directly to underground cavern systems. • Sinkholes were often used as garbage dumps that contaminate well water. • Septic tanks can fall into a sinkhole and cause major pollution damage.
Speleothems: Organisms that are specially adapted to live in caves. • Often do not have fully developed eyes. Why bother? • Can’t photosynthesize food (no sunlight). No photosynthetic organisms in caves.