SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AND CAVE TOURISM
Scientists want to find things out, and just like other people they want to know what there is to find out about caves. Once you start looking inside caves you find there are all sorts of things which require explanation, so scientists get interested also in cave contents. Furthermore, it is found that the cave environment is conducive to certain kinds of study, it provides a kind of natural laboratory where investigations can be carried out without the disturbing variations that are found in other environments. But caves do not exist in isolation, and the relationship between caves and their neighbouring environments provides yet another field of study. There is thus a great deal of scope for scientific research in caves, a lot has been done already, and a great deal more remains to be done.
What I propose to do here is to review some of the major lines of cave research, and then see how this research impinges on cave tourism and cave management. I believe a few generalisations can be drawn, which might hope fully lead to enlightened cave management and to a good relationship between scientist, tourist, and manager.
LINES OF RESEARCH
1. Cave Geology. Geologists are very much concerned with how caves are formed in limestone. It is, of course, well known that solution has something to do with it, but why should it make caves rather than simple surface hollows? Are the caves formed deep below the water table, where any voids in the rock are filled by water, or are they somehow created by "underground rivers", and if so how did the river ever get underground if the cave was not there first? It seems that caves can be formed above the water table, at or very close to the water table, or deep beneath the water table, and cave geologists are very much concerned to investigate particular caves and work out how and when they were formed. They are also interested in the rock type and rock structure, for caves expose details which may not be visible at the surface.
2. Cave decoration. It is well known that limestone caves are decorated by stalactites, stalagmites and sometimes more bizarre features such as helictites, shawls and gours. These result from the action of water dissolving calcium carbonate in one place, and precipitating it in another. Scientists are interested to know what physico-chemical conditions lead to solution and which to deposition and how these conditions are attained. They are also interested in the crystallography and structure of the decoration itself, and its mode of formation and rate of growth.
3. Hydrology. Water flows through many caves, and the cave passages are all related to past or present hydrological systems. The development of the hydrological system is of interest, but often the first investigation is to find out where the water goes. Underground waters often take routes that seem at first sight to be most unlikely. Pollution studies are important in this regard; cases are known where butcher's offal is thrown down a sinkhole in one place where it contaminates water that is used downstream for domestic supply and even a holy shrine.
4. Archaeology. Caves are not only intriguing to modern man, they have attracted men since very early times and many archaeological relics are preserved in caves. This may be as art, as rubbish, fireplaces, pottery, or even human remains. Animal remains may also be preserved, either intact or as fragmentary remains.
5. Anthropological studies. Present day people may have caves incorporated into their culture, like some of the New Guinea islanders who used caves as funeral sites, and have legends of the origin of the clans from caves. More prosaic, but of great local interest, are stories of bushrangers, smugglers, whisky presses, etc that accumulate in any cave area.
6. Biological studies. Biological studies are very varied, and range from the study of creatures or plants that make almost accidental use of caves, to those which have become specially adapted to the cave environment, like the blind fish of Mammoth Cave, Kentucky. This is where the cave as a laboratory really comes into its own, for the biologist can study such things as physiology, evolution rates, food cycles, etc in a much simpler system than the confused biological system at the earth's surface. Some creatures are confined to particular caves, but the question arises, how did they get there? Others, such as bats, range over a much wider environment than the cave itself, but are intimately connected with particular caves. As with hydrology therefore, the cave studies must be related to an investigation of a wider area.
7. Other studies. There are many other studies that might be pursued in caves, such as cave meteorology, cave sedimentation, palaeo-climatology, which are important in particular caves. In a 'breathing" cave, or 'blowing" cave, for instance, it would well be worth investigating cave meteorology, but I shall not discuss these studies further. I shall pass over the many studies of non-limestone caves, such as lava caves and sea caves.
THE SCIENTIST'S NEEDS
From this very brief outline, I shall now go on to examine the needs of scientists in their investigations, as this has a bearing on the relationships between scientists and others interested in caves.
1. Cave geology. Here the scientist needs little more than access and cave plans, which may be his own work or prepared by a Speleological Exploration Society.
2. Cave decoration. To study cave decoration, simple observation can go a long way, for which access is required. Unfortunately for some investigations it is necessary to take samples away. For most purposes specimens can be obtained from museums or other existing collections, or from active quarries that occasionally break into caves, and there would rarely if ever be a need to collect samples from a tourist cave, or to damage live formations. Specimens of stalagmite are especially helpful in working out history and palaeo-climatology, for successive growth layers can be analysed for radiocarbon and radioisotopes of oxygen to provide very reliable evidence which cannot be gained in any other way, but one stalagmite provides a great deal of work and the amount of sampling can be carefully restricted.
3. Hydrology. Hydrologists may have several requirements for water measuring, water sampling, and water tracing. For water measurements the instrumentation can often be put up outside the actual cave, but occasionally measurements may be taken in cave passages. V-notch weirs are commonly used, and these can be set up on a temporary basis. Water sampling presents no special problems for no permanent effects are left behind. Water can be traced in various ways: fluorescein is perhaps the best known but if the water is likely to be used outside the cave some simple and invisible means can be used.
4. Archaeology. Simple objects in caves, such as pots or cave art, require little more than protection and observation. Sometimes decisions have to be made as to whether the objects should be collected or left in the cave; the decision depends largely on the safety of the object. Other archaeological material in caves is buried in cave earth, often in deep stratified deposits. To understand this material it is necessary to dig it up and this should be undertaken by trained archaeologists. It is sheer vandalism for an amateur to dig, even if they present the objects they have discovered to a proper authority, for it is the details of the layering that enable the expert to build up his reconstructions of cave history. Many caves have been ruined by early diggers, both scientific and otherwise, and nowadays archaeologists mostly excavate sample pits, realising that future generations will have more ideas and techniques than are available at the present date.
The archaeologist requires protection of the cave and its contents while he is working, and afterwards. This usually means very limited access, and of course conflicts with unrestricted tourism.
5. Anthropology. The borderline between archaeology and anthropology in caves is hard to draw. If drawings are old enough they are archaeological, if they are modern they are mere graffiti. The common tendency nowadays is to protect the names of the first explorers or visitors before about 1900, but greatly discourage the practice of writing on cave walls today. Similarly the junk left behind by bushrangers or moonshiners may be preserved as historic relics, but the modern aluminium beer cans would be regarded as dreadful litter. Today's vandals are the historic figures of years to come, but the idea that one should leave ones mark on a cave should be greatly discouraged.
In caves such as the burial caves of Papua, or the sacred cave sites of the Australian Aborigines, it may be necessary to restrict access as the only way of preserving modern cave contents, and maintaining the sacredness of the site.
6. Cave biology. Biological studies in caves are so varied that few generalisations can be drawn, but a few examples will illustrate the range of activity, and the variety of needs that arise.
The study of bats requires that the animals be counted, collected, banded and recollected to work out age structure, migration, flight patterns, etc and in some instances examined in greater detail (e.g. examination of blood samples as bats can be malaria carriers).
It so happens that bats are not generally considered to be appealing creatures so they are not in great danger from amateur "nature lovers", but their study should only be undertaken by reasonably expert people. For most of the time bats are safe, but there are certain critical times, especially when newborn young are around, when a disturbance of a colony can decimate the population, and the nursery caves should be closed to visitors at such times. The greatest danger to bat populations at present is the increasing use of insecticides which reduces the amount of food available and may actually poison the bats in some instances.
The study of cave insects is so highly specialised that insects are generally safe from tourists, but nevertheless there will be instances where restricted access is required.
The swifts that occupy many caves in southeast Asia have long been raided for their nests, the ingredient of birds nest soup. This is an instance where conservation rather than protection should be the aim, and there is a level of harvesting that keeps the industry and the birds alive
The serious biologist will of course have to collect biological material from time to time to examine in the laboratory, to identify, to describe, etc. Biologists are usually amongst the keenest of conservationists and can be relied upon to collect with care. Collection of biological material by unqualified amateurs should be discouraged or forbidden.
THE TOURIST'S NEEDS
Having examined the needs of the scientist in various kinds of investigation, we can turn to the impact of these investigation's on tourism.
1. Cave geology. The tourist will be interested in how the cave was formed and when, but the story must be kept very simple and allowance made for the layman's lack of appreciation of geological time. A few selected sites in a cave may be suitable for demonstrating how geologists look at the evidence, and the story must be simplified without making it untrue. In some caves ,structures such as folds and faults can be seen.
2. Cave decoration. The decoration is the most striking feature of a cave to most tourists, and doubtless many are happy to go no further than to recognise "Queen Victoria" or wonder at the "Bridal Veil" or "Fairy Castle". But for others an explanation of the origin and interpretation of the decoration might be instructive. Certainly there are few areas where more lies are told, and some of the stories about growth rates, magnetic stalactites, and earthquakes that are part of many guides' tales should be eradicated. Some features, such as the giant straws and the "Jewellers Cave" in Western Australia could be explained fairly simply to tourists; elsewhere a more general account may be sufficient. Normally total preservation and protection from touching must be enforced, but there are a few places where it may be allowed, and even encouraged as at the "fried eggs" in Luray Cave in the U.S. where constant touching keeps the "yolks" yellow.
3. Hydrology. The popular mind seems to delight in underground rivers, so where they exist they provide a ready interest. It is worth bringing out the behaviour of underground water, so that people are made aware of the problems of waste disposal down sinkholes, and problems of pollution from campsites near to the cave, and from more distant areas. The hydrological picture should also be borne in mind in planning park layout and cave tours so that the tourists themselves do not add to the pollution.
4. Archaeology. Archaeology generally provides a good story to interest tourists, and in some instances is the reason for tourism. The scientist may be needed to advise on conservation (as at Lascaux), and will discourage the presence of tourists while excavations are in progress. Protection from amateur collectors is one of the scientist's chief concerns, and he is likely to get better protection in a tourist cave than in a wild one.
5. Anthropology. Tourists are usually glad to see relics of past or present day human interest activity in a cave. Their needs do not appear to be in conflict with those of the scientist, and indeed present day tourists are part of the cave anthropological story; the growth of cave tourism is an anthropological phenomenon of our own time.
6. Biological studies. A very complex situation exists here, and generalisations are hard to find. In some instances total protection is probably necessary, as at Batu caves near Kuala Lumpur, Malaya. In others, periods of closure (from tourism) may be necessary as in the bat maternity caves. Periods of recuperation in total darkness may be useful for removing the occasional growth of algae and other plants that thrive in artificial light.
With the exception of spectacular events such as the bat exodus at Mammoth Caves or the glowworms at Waitomo, tourists are not particularly interested in cave life, and will generally not interfere with things.
Bats present a special problem as some people are afraid of them. A little bit of educational explanation by guides may help to overcome this to some extent, and those with a real phobia are unlikely to even go near a cave.
CONFLICTING NEEDS
The review so far has revealed that both the scientists and the tourism administrators have conflicts that need to be resolved.
The scientists are faced mostly with a simple conflict between access and restricted access. They naturally want access for themselves, but frequently wish other people could be excluded. I have tried to show that such exclusion can he assessed reasonably, and will vary from one project to another. But more important is the reason for exclusion: if it merely is to make the scientist's investigation easier it may be accorded low priority; if it is because of the danger of destruction by other visitors it must he taken very seriously. Thus in a study of cave origins or of cave hydrology the presence of tourists constitutes only a nuisance at most, but in some archaeological work destruction or theft could ruin a site, or in the study of unique cave faunas unwitting interference by tourists could lead to extinction of the creatures being studied.
The cave administrator is faced with many more conflicts, but there seem to be four main problems to be resolved.
Firstly he is faced, like the scientist, with the question of access or restricted access. He wants to display the cave and its contents, but he also needs to protect them; it becomes in the end a question of degree - the unique requires total protection and the merely rare needs a lesser degree of protection. Some things may be too valuable to risk leaving them in position in a cave (skull of Australopithecus for instance), and others may need to be protected by glass or wire netting, even though these spoil the aesthetic enjoyment of the exhibits to some extent.
A second conflict is between access and pollution. The more people go through a cave the dirtier it becomes. The replacement of torches by electric light has helped reduce some of the more obvious pollution, but electric light leads to algal growth, and the changes in cave atmosphere, humidity and temperature brought about by tourism do have effects that lead to deterioration of the exhibits. Again, the amount of protection offered is a matter of degree.
In arousing the curiosity of tourists for things scientific the cave guide has a conflict between preserving scientific accuracy, and the unfortunate complexity of some of the topics concerned. In this area a closer liaison between scientists, educationists and managers could hopefully lead to improvement in the art of disseminating scientific information to tourists in a palatable form.
Lastly the cave administrator has to deal with the conflict between interest and fear of caves exhibited by quite a lot of people. This has scarcely been subjected to scientific study but it would be interesting to know why people have these phobias. Perhaps there is scope for a new science of cave psychology.
THE PRESENTATION OF SCIENTIFIC FINDINGS TO TOURISTS
Much of the scientific knowledge that has been gained about caves is hidden in obscure journals and learned tomes, and has little impact on tourists. They gain their information from cave guides, brochures, and from visits to cave museums (sometimes known by less forbidding terms such as "kiosk" or "visitors' centre").
Ideally, as much as possible should be conveyed inside the cave, but this is limited. More elaborate information needs to be conveyed by means of diagrams, photographs, models, and examination of specimens. Displays of these things are common in cave headquarters, but often the clarity, accuracy, and presentation could be improved. I think cave tours could often be improved by adopting the old teachers' adage to "Show them what you're going to show them; show them; and show them what you've shown them". If a tourist could first see a plan, diagram or model of the cave he is about to enter he might appreciate more the things about him. If at the same time his appetite could be whetted for a view of the various things he will be shown be will be prepared for them when they appear. If after the cave tour he can browse round a display and see models, photographs, dioramas and explanations of the things he has seen, he may really start to appreciate what he has experienced. This is also the time to sell brochures, slides, etc.
In displays cave geology, cave decoration, and cave hydrology are best displayed by diagrams, while biology, archaeology and anthropology are best illustrated by exhibits of actual specimens.
It is possible that some caves which are not particularly beautiful or "touristy" could be opened for educational tours, such as guided school excursions.
SUGGESTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
It is not my place to make recommendations to the administrators of cave tourism, but I offer the following points as food for thought.
- Some sort of Cave Protection Authority is desirable.
- A system of accreditation of scientific investigations would be desirable. This would prevent keen amateurs from ruining sites, and might at times even resolve arguments between scientists themselves.
- A system of accreditation might also be desirable for speleological exploration. I would not like to see too many constraints placed on serious cavers in responsible Societies, but it may be desirable to restrain some wildcat cavers who can cause a lot of damage.
- In many areas I think a liaison between cave managers and scientists could lead to a great improvement in the quality or display material and of guide information.
- In the same way the preparation of brochures and leaflets with a scientific content might be improved by liaison between the producers and scientists.
SCIENCE AND CAVE TOURISM
Caves are not a scientific preserve and it is good that they should be opened, so far as possible, to all who enjoy them. For the scientist there is some reward in the promulgation of his scientific ideas, and in some instances the protection that is afforded by a well run cave administration.
For the cave tourist administrator the main value of scientific research into caves is the variation that it reveals between them. Tourists may have the idea that - "If you have seen one cave you've seen them all", but a little scientific guidance will soon dispel this notion.
It is clear, however, that any kind of tourism has an adverse effect on a cave, and large scale tourism has profound effect. Since most tourists are less interested in caves than in simply having a day out, it would he wasteful to use extensive cave resources to cater for them. I believe that the number of tourist caves should not be increased. Some should be intensively developed as focal points for the trips that the average tourist makes, and alternative modes of amusement should he provided in conjunction with the caves so that more pressure is not put on cave resources. One trip is probably sufficient for most tourists provided alternative entertainments are available. Other caves should be designed as educational caves, where a more scientific interpretation is offered. Such caves could he used for the increasing number of school visits, and for the more discerning of the general tourists. It might he desirable to provide a "wild" cave for the more adventurous tourists to explore with handheld lamps and without guides, but such a cave should be devoid of important scientific content, for it will not survive.
For the rest, it would be better if they could be totally preserved, at least for the time being. This would enable cave life to survive, and would enable future generations to enjoy caves and cave science as we do today. The indiscriminate opening of many caves to tourists will deplete natural resources needlessly and irreversibly. In the future the present tourist caves may be allowed to regenerate during a period of closure when other caves could be opened to tourists. Scientific management of caves requires that only a small proportion is open at any one time.
| Research Topic | Scientist's needs | Tourist management's assistance to scientist | Scientist's assistance to tourist management |
| Cave geology | Access, survey | Provide access | Scientifically accurate story of geology and cave formation |
| Cave decoration | Access, sampling, (not from show caves), mineral & chemical analyses | Protection of decoration | Accurate information on cave decoration |
| Cave hydrology | Access, sampling, measurement, tracing | Control pollution | Understanding of cave in relation to wider area. Provision of data for sound water management |
| Cave archaeology | Access, restricted access, protection and even secrecy for some time | Protection of site. Allow investigations (with great security) | Scientifically accurate story of cave occupation. Museum material |
| Cave biology | Access, protection & preservation of cave life. Periodic restricted access to tourists | Maintenance of cave as environment for living things. Protection | Scientifically accurate story of cave life. Display material |
| Cave anthropology | Access, data collection | Protection of cave contents. Preservation of customs. | Accurate story of history, legend and modern associations of people with the caves |