Bulletin 70. Caves of New Jersey, 1976 - State of New Jersey

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feet in length. In other words, there is one large cave them. Molds, fungi and bacteria are able to live in
for every ten square miles of limestone; thus, caves caves because they are parasites and do not require
are a relatively rare geological resource, sunlight. Animals, on the other hand, must be highly
Fewer than 10 New Jersey caves have ever had specialized to live in an environment which has no
speleothems of any note. The formations in two of light and little food available. Most of these creatures
these caves were described in newspaper articles in are aquatic and feed on vegetable or animal matter
1954 and 1961; within a month after the article had washed into the cave. Bats and insects leave the cave
appeared, the best specimens had been destroyed by at night or at certain seasons of the year to forage for
vandals. Caves in many other states have experi- food. Yet other animals live on the droppings of
enced similar fates, nocturnal creatures such as bats.
Speleothems are only formed after long periods of Bats (and a few other animals) hibernate in caves.
time and under the right conditions. It has been often If bats are awakened during their hibernation period,
stated that one cubic inch of flowstone is deposited they rapidly use up their stored fat supply and are in
in about one hundred years; in reality, this will vary danger of starving to death. When not hibernating,
greatly with the amount of carbonate-charged water bats and other nocturnal food-gatherers can move
entering the cave. Nevertheless, in many caves (not out of a cave if the environment becomes unsuitable;
in New Jersey} one can see speleothems several however, those animals that are totally adapted to
cubic feet thick which undoubtedly have taken mil- caves have no place to go. Cave populations are often
lenia to reach their present size. If someone breaks in delicate ecological equilibrium, each species deoff
a speleothem (either deliberately, as a souvenir, pending on others for its survival. If one species is
or accidentally when crawling in a narrow passage), disturbed, the effect may spread through the entire
he has destroyed something of great age. If many community, possibly resulting in the extinction of
visitors are acquisitive or careless, the original ap- another species.
pearance of the cave will be irreparably altered. The If a carbide lamp is used, remember that the used
broken stubs of stalactites in many caves are a carbide dissolved in water can be poisonous; be sure
poignant reminder of past beauties which will never to remove it from the cave for disposal. Although
again be seen. A more subtle form of vandalism is other trash (such as batteries, flashlights, candy
the untidy array of smoked (or worse, painted) wrappers, etc.) is not likely to endanger the animal
names and dates found on many cave walls. Al- life, it can build up rapidly to unsightly proportions.
though New Jersey has no laws governing the re- After a cave has accumulated a large amount of
moval of speleothems, several other states have trash, it is a major project to clean it up again. The
enacted legislation which makes it a crime to take following motto well summarizes the feelings of
them from acave, conservation-minded cavers: Tahe nothing but
Biologists are interested in caves because of the pictures.., leaving nothing but footprints.
unusual and highly specialized forms of life found in
NEW JERSEY GEOLOGICAL SURVEY