Introduction
Welcome to Cave and Karst Resources.
The Classification and Mapping of Cave and Karst Resources page and the Cave and Karst Resources Gallery within the AppLCC Conservation Planning Atlas (CPA) serve as clearinghouses for Appalachian karst landscape and cave-limited species knowledge and data and provides users with tools that are needed to make informed resource management decisions. Researchers for the Appalachian LCC-funded Classification and Georeferencing Cave/Karst Resources across the Appalachian LCC project have been gathering and analyzing data on caves and karst region-wide. This work has produced a series of deliverables, including narratives, data tables, geospatial information layers, and a variety of maps. The maps and files provide a comprehensive overview of data availability for examining relationships between environmental factors and biological diversity and distribution within karst areas of the Appalachian LCC.
Course Registration
The course contents are visible without logging in. However, you will need to register here on the Landscape Partnership Learning Network in order to:
- Receive your Certificate of Completion
- Create and update your Profile
- Access your Dashboard
Certificate of Completion
After completing the activities in this course, you can download the optional Certificate of Completion. Simply click the course name next to the certificate icon. You must be logged in to access the certificate.
Course Description
This course will explain the science behind the development of the information resources, demonstrate to users how to access the data, provide examples of how this information can be used to make management decisions, and guide users through an interactive exercise using the data in a case study activity.
This course consists of an introduction and 6 additional modules. Participants should complete the modules in sequential order. If, after reviewing the prerequisites for a module, a participant feels that they already have an understanding of the information, they can proceed to the next module. For example, if you already are familiar with the Cave and Karst Resources project but have not yet explored the information resources, you can skip to Module 2.
In Modules 2-4, the focus is to provide an understanding of how to use the information resources and to answer questions related to conservation management. Participants will not perform additional analysis; rather they will focus on the thought process behind the analysis.
Course Objectives
Upon completion of this course, users will be able to:
- Participants will develop an understanding of the Cave and Karst Resources within the Appalachian geography.
- Users will be able to utilize information resources available on the Appalachian LCC portal as well as data in the Conservation Planning Atlas.
- Users will be able to apply information from a case study to develop a strategy for utilizing the information resources as part of a decision management process to answer questions regarding priority resources with the organization’s area of responsibility.
- Facilitate creative thinking to enhance the utilization of the information resources to answer questions for the strategic delivery of conservation activities.
Course Requirements
Participants will complete readings, view instructional videos, complete a review quiz at the end of the course, and provide feedback regarding the course.
Technical Requirements
You will need to use Adobe Reader to view course materials and the ability to stream videos with sound.