Carroll Cave Biology Trip Report

August 17, 2003

*Trip Leader:  Lawrence Ireland

*Date of trip:  2003 August 17

*Project Manager:  Lawrence Ireland

*Purpose of trip:  bioinventory of upper Carroll River passage

*Areas of cave visited:  upper Carroll River passage (T-Junction to Water Barrier)

*Participants:  Julio Bongo, Mike Cotter, Bob Stratford

*Time of entry:  13:50

*Time of exit:  17:50

*Trip Report:

                Carroll Cave is an unstudied ecosystem that is being impacted by illegal and by new (CCC) access.  Monitoring animal populations in the cave will affect cave management practices.  Upper Carroll River is probably the easiest passage to visit, if for no other reason than because it is semi-dry.  On Sunday, August 17, 2003, Julio Bongo, Mike Cotter, Bob Stratford, and me (Lawrence Ireland) conducted a bioinventory from T-Junction to the Water Barrier.

                I used techniques and the data form that Bill Elliott and I had developed for the Missouri Cave Life Survey.  We planned to travel at a reasonable pace to an obvious stopping point, so that when this section's bioinventory is repeated in the future, the surveyors then can expend the same amount of search effort.  After the Access Committee meeting was finished at the schoolhouse, we went up the hill and geared up in the blazing August heat.

                After reaching the bottom of the shaft, our four-man team starting searching for signs of life.  A few epigean species had stumbled down to the cave floor, probably fallen before the gate was installed.  A wolf spider, click beetle, May beetle ("June bug"), and ground beetle were all found dead.  Two other ground beetles (same species) seemed no less worse for wear, and were seen scurrying about.  Nearby, we found two Northern long-eared bats and an unidentified bat carcass.

                After crossing the natural bridge, we proceeded down the Carroll River passage, each of us assigned to look over a different part of the often-wide passage.  Historic evidence of some raccoon's passage was noted: one hackberry seed and one persimmon seed.  Afterward, and until we reached our objective, we saw very few animals, other than bats.

                The endangered gray bat was the most commonly encountered species.  We counted 36 individuals, most of them roosted singly (probably males).  Five pipistrelles, one Northern long-eared bat, and one little brown bat were also found.  Two additional myotine bats could not be identified.  Guano was scattered throughout this passage, especially when the passage's cross-section was less roomy.  The draft that was moving toward the natural entrance was also more noticeable in crawlways.

                Despite traversing roughly 1500', only one invertebrate was spotted among all the bootprints: a tiny Ptomophagus beetle.  Much of the Carroll River passage has been trampled from wall-to-wall by cavers.  The mud floor has also been transferred onto some very nice speleothems.  A trail has been started, but there is MUCH more restoration to consider in this outstanding passage.

                Most of us stayed on or near the trail throughout our inventory, but especially at sensitive areas (and in this passage there are plenty of speleothems to avoid).  We also mostly stayed out of the mud-bottom stream but, when we did look, we found no "bugs", only three grotto salamanders total (two were hatchlings).

                I believe the headwaters of Carroll River (since Thunder River was diverted) begin in the drip pools under formation areas.  These large puddles eventually coalesce into a very small stream before ponding up again at the Water Barrier.  I've heard rumors of people seeing cavefish in Carroll River but they cannot be verified.  (Years ago, I also saw a pale, almost lifeless fish near the Water Barrier, but it was a creek minnow that I'm guessing had swum so far upstream from the natural entrance.)

                The Carroll Passage itself consists of manageable mud and small breakdown.  The ceiling is rarely collapsed so much that crawling is necessary.  Further downstream, the slow stream meanders widely, creating a couple quagmires.  We reached the Water Barrier in two hours and 25 minutes.  Our return time was only 30 minutes, so that we had all exited by 5:45 p.m.

                I think the upper Carroll River passage could withstand more CCC traffic, particularly restoration and trail-marking work, for the following reasons:

1.        Human impact is already widespread.

2.        Animals here are likely less abundant - or at least less concentrated - than in Thunder River.

3.        Animals here are less susceptible to disturbance and trampling.

4.        Few of the Carroll River animals are troglobitic.

5.        The meandering stream allows for less traffic in the water, reducing impact (erosion).

 Overall, with the exception of the gray bats, our bioinventory found about what I'd expected.  The biota was typical of what you'd find very deep in an Ozark cave.  During future trips, more time should be spent searching for invertebrates (if any) in Carroll River's headwaters.  That Carroll River begins as a series of lifeless drip pools should be confirmed (i.e. by surveyors?).  Lastly, the entire passage still needs to be inventoried before we can generalize about its overall character.

 *Damage/vandalism:  one name & date in carbide soot ("GREG…"?)

*Areas of the cave in need of restoration, repair and cleanup:  MUCH to be done in this passage, including the reattachment of some apparently recently broken stalagmites

 P.S.

A restoration trip taken on this same date into Convention Hall counted cavefish, many of them new offspring.  Please see their trip report for more details.  Baby cavefish appear in July and August, but this was the first trip I'm aware of during which they've been sighted anywhere in Carroll Cave.  Please keep an eye out for these juvenile fish during your future trips (particularly in side passages?), and let me know about your observations!

Respectfully submitted,

Lawrence Ireland