Scientists reveal how mountain lions, elk, and other animals are making use of these underground areas in Colorado
The American West is famous for the scale and expanse of its scenery. But look more closely and it’s easy to see the marks of American westward expansion. Thousands of abandoned mines remain scattered across these vast landscapes, relics of the land and gold rushes of the 19th century. Although park and land managers think of them mostly as hazards (and many are), a new study shows that they may be important habitats for many animal species.
Research on wildlife and abandoned mines has, until recently, focused mostly on those most famous cave dwellers: bats. But a recent study in the Journal of Wildlife Management by biologist Tim Armstrong and colleagues at Adams State University in Colorado reveals that the winged mammals are only part of the story.
A World of Wildlife in Abandoned Mines | The Scientist Magazine®
The American West is famous for the scale and expanse of its scenery. But look more closely and it’s easy to see the marks of American westward expansion. Thousands of abandoned mines remain scattered across these vast landscapes, relics of the land and gold rushes of the 19th century. Although park and land managers think of them mostly as hazards (and many are), a new study shows that they may be important habitats for many animal species.
Research on wildlife and abandoned mines has, until recently, focused mostly on those most famous cave dwellers: bats. But a recent study in the Journal of Wildlife Management by biologist Tim Armstrong and colleagues at Adams State University in Colorado reveals that the winged mammals are only part of the story.
A World of Wildlife in Abandoned Mines | The Scientist Magazine®