Management guidelines for endangered wildlife suggest a minimum of 20 acres of forested area at the cave entrance. The massive root systems of trees help hold soil and assist in nutrient filtering. Surface vegetation slows surface runoff, allowing water to percolate into the soil and reduce siltation into streams, caves and sinkholes. Protect the watershed. Water movement through the soil is much faster that most people realize and the filtering capacity is largely a myth.
Pollutants carried by water are a major threat to cave life.
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