Nature & Science

Inside Round Spring Cave

Photo by Patty Wheatley-Bishop

 

CAVES

• Caves & Karst
• Glossary of Cave and Karst terms
• Karst Video (18 minutes, with sub-titles) Non-NPS
• Bats of Ozark Caves
• Caves of Missouri, by Harlan Bretz (online book, has a nice chapter on Round Spring Cave, as well as Alley Spring.)
• Bats in Crisis : White Nose Syndrome Video

SPRINGS

• Ozark Springs
• Karst Video (18 minutes, with sub-titles) Non-NPS
• Springs of Missouri by Jerry Vineyard (online book, .pdf format)

OZARK HELLBENDERS

• Ozark Hellbender
• "The Last Dragons: Protecting Appalachia's Hellbenders", Awesome Video from Freshwaters illustrated and the US Forest Service about the closely related eastern hellbender. Has incredible underwater footage.
• Hellbender Restoration article from St Louis Beacon
• Ozark Hellbender article from US Fish and Wildlife Service
• Ozark Hellbender Video from MDC

PLANTS AND WILDFLOWERS

• Rare Ozark Wildflowers
• Rare Wildflower Discovered in the Ozarks (Monkshood)
• Tall Larkspur Discovered at ONSR

WILDLIFE

• Bats of Ozark Caves
• Birding in the Ozark Riverways

FIRE MANAGEMENT

• Collared Lizard Benefits from Fire Management
• Fire Management in the Ozark Riverways
• Fire Helps Collared Lizards and Turkeys

WATER RESOURCES

• Water Quality
• USGS Has good links to many scholarly articles..

GEOLOGY

• Geology of the Eminence and Carareva Quadrangles. Missouri Bureau of geology and Mines. 1930 (online book)

 

Rein Orchid (Platanthera flava) This rare orchid produces greenish-yellow flowers in June and July, and can reach a height of two feet. In Missouri, it is known to occur in only five counties.

Missouri Natural Areas in the Ozark National Scenic Riverways

Ozark National Scenic Riverways is home to several "Missouri Natural Areas." These are specially designated areas that are worthy of extra protection and recognition due to outstanding scenic or scientific value. The program is adminstered by the Missouri Department of Conservation. To learn more visit their Missouri Natural Areas page.

If you'd like to explore any or all of these hidden treasures, by all means go for it! Remember however, that collecting plants, flowers, insects, rocks, etc, is strictly prohibitted to protect these special places.

 

Cherish these rivers. Witness for them. Enjoy their unimprovable purpose as you sense it, and let those rivers that you never visit comfort you with the assurance that they are there, doing wonderfully what they have always done." - (David Brower, Foreword to Oregon Rivers by Larry Olson and John Daniel)

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