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Seminar: Assessing patterns of subterranean biodiversity and microclimates to inform cave management and conservation

April 9, 2026

Wednesday, May 20 at 1:00pm ET

Join us for a webinar on cave microclimates and management with Skylar Hopkins (North Carolina State University).

Abstract:

Climate change is expected to increase average cave temperatures and alter subterranean hydrology and relative humidity. These changes may cause negative impacts for obligate and facultative cave-dwelling species, which are adapted to relatively stable subterranean climates and often have limited dispersal abilities and ranges. Fortunately, microclimates vary both within and among cave systems, and this variation may allow cave-dwelling species to persist within local climate refugia. However, it is unclear which geological, geographical, or biological characteristics or processes create refugia and thus it is unclear which management actions can best conserve refugia. In this project, we collaborated with federal, state, and non-governmental organizations across the southeastern United States to identify high priority caves for conservation; quantify how forest cover mediates cave microclimates; and create and evaluate a portfolio of management options for improving cave ecosystem resilience during future climate change. 

Register here

Speaker:

Skylar Hopkins

Skylar Hopkins is an Assistant Professor at North Carolina State University. She has a PhD in Biology, with a focus in infectious disease ecology, and she is a recreational caver. She collaborates closely with Matthew Niemiller, Associate Professor at the University of Alabama in Huntsville, and federal, state, NGO, and private cave owners and manages across seven states.