Most Popular Papers *
Why the delay in recognizing terrestrial obligate cave species in the tropics?
Francis G. Howarth
- Several factors explain why the discovery of tropical troglobionts was delayed
- Temperature and humidity are major factors in defining troglobiont distribution
- Troglobionts evolve by an adaptive shift across a cave/surface ecotonal boundary
- Subterranean species and ecosystems are vulnerable and threatened by novel stressors
- Research in tropical caves has expanded our understanding of evolutionary ecology of cave life
The dissolution and conversion of gypsum and anhydrite
Alexander Klimchouk
Cave minerals of the 21st century: A 2025 review and update
Bogdan P. Onac
- List of cave minerals of the world updated
- 54 new minerals added
- Volcanic caves and lava tubes contributed the most minerals to this update
A world review of fungi, yeasts, and slime molds in caves
Karen J. Vanderwolf, David Malloch, Donald F. McAlpine, and Graham J. Forbes
Vertebrate diversity in cave systems of Colombia: an approach based on environmental DNA metabarcoding analysis
Rita Daniela Martinelli Marín, Carlos Andres Lasso, Francesco Sauro, and Susana Josefina Caballero
- eDNA revealed 110 vertebrate species across 21 Colombian cave systems
- Fish diversity: 49 species, mainly Siluriformes and Characiformes
- Tetrapods: 61 species, with Anura, Rodentia, and Chiroptera most common
- El Cóndor, Sara’s, and Cascada del Hayal caves showed highest diversity
- eDNA proved effective for detecting hard-to-sample cave vertebrates
Ice temperature and heat transfer processes in cave glaciers
Aurel Persoiu
- Cave ice temperature measurements
- Rapid response of cave ice temperature to negative air temperature excursions
- Muted heat transfer inside ice with increasing depth
Riki&Dolphin: real time data transmission from the bottom of a cave to a website
Luca Tringali, Giacomo Canciani Dr., Tecla Tripari, Alexander Debenjak, and Caterina Bearzotti
- Dolphin sensors can be placed hundreds of meters deep in a cave
- Riki board can be placed outdoor, powering Dolphin with a 12 V battery for months
- Main maintenance can be performed only on Riki and Dragino (outside the cave)
- Data transmission through LoRaWAN, optional datalogging on a SD card placed outdoor
- Modular customizable design, with support for analog, digital, I2C, serial sensors
The world’s deepest subterranean community - Krubera-Voronja Cave (Western Caucasus)
Alberto Sendra and Ana Sofia P.S. Reboleira
Wavelet-based multiscale analysis of cave CO₂ concentration in response to short-term high-intensity tourism activities: spatiotemporal heterogeneity and lag characteristics
Mingda Cao, Wenwen Song, Yan Zhang, Jie Zhang, and Zhiqiang Yao
- Tourist respiration dominates cave CO₂ diurnal variation
- Cave ventilation controls spatial heterogeneity of CO₂
- Semi-diurnal CO₂ period appears during peak tourist period
- Lag time of CO₂ behind tourists is 3-6 h during peak period
- Full-period average lag (54-72 h) is controlled by memory effect
* Based on the average number of full-text downloads per day since the paper was posted.
» Updated as of 08/25/26.
