The Geological Foundation for Prescribed Fire in Mammoth Cave National Park

Karst landscape overview THE 52,830 ACRES OF MAMMOTH CAVE NATIONAL PARK are part of the South-Central Kentucky Karst, which is characterized by subterranean drainage to springs on major rivers. From the southeast to the northwest portion of the landscape (Figure 1), there is a gradient of decreasing maturity in karst development, which corresponds to the regional dip of the bedrock. The major cave-bearing limestones are barely exposed in the northwest part of the park, so cave development there is in the earliest stages. The Sinkhole Plain located south of the park is an example of highly developed karst, and the geology here had profound effects on fire propagation and vegetation until land use changes that came with settlement.