Karst environments offer a variety of scientific and educational opportunities. Karst provides scientists with a relatively undisturbed window into landform evolution, past environments, and climate change through the study of cave morphology and sediments.

In the fields of archaeology and paleontology, BC karst caves have made some significant contributions. The natural environment of karst caves--alkaline conditions, cool temperatures, the absence of light, and difficult access--usually makes for undisturbed archaeological sites and well-preserved animal remains.

On northern Vancouver Island, mountain goat bones carbon-dated at 12 000 years old have been found in two karst caves. What makes this discovery so remarkable is that mountain goats are no longer found on Vancouver Island. In other karst caves on Vancouver Island, 2500- to 8000-year-old bones from the endangered Vancouver Island marmot have been found. These caves are in locations where no Vancouver Island marmots live today, suggesting that the marmots once occupied a much wider range.

In addition, some of the marmot bones found in the Vancouver Island caves exhibit cut markings that could only have been made by human tools. These archaeological sites are the first on the northwest coast discovered in the mountainous subalpine region--all others have been coastal sites. (Photo by D. Nagorsen.)