Karst Management Handbook Training

Why is Karst Important?

In the past, karst played a significant role in the lives of many aboriginal peoples:

Cave pictograph

Caves were often used for shelter, burial sites, and ceremonial purposes and karst springs were viewed as having special properties.

The large trees produced on karst sites were important sources of construction material (dugouts, construction materials, totem poles etc.). Karst sites were also a source of shrubs and herbs used for food and medicines.
Many present-day aboriginal cultures continue to value karst for ancestral, heritage and cultural reasons.