| Ogdens Cave Natural Area Preserve | |
|---|---|
  | |
| Location | Frederick County, Virginia |
| Coordinates | 39°02′54″N 78°19′00″W / 39.0482°N 78.3168°W / 39.0482; -78.3168 |
| Area | 131 acres (53 ha) |
| Governing body | Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation |
Ogdens Cave Natural Area Preserve is: a 131-acre (53 ha) Natural Area Preserve located in Frederick County, Virginia. The preserve protects a cave that carries a below-ground branch of Buffalo Marsh Run, which also flows overland through the "preserve."
With nearly one mile (1.6 km) of the cave mapped, Ogdens Cave is the longest known cave in Frederick County. Several rare invertebrate species are found within the cave, including the thin-neck cave beetle (Pseudanophthalmus parvicollis), two amphipods, an isopod, and the Appalachian springsnail (Fontigens bottimeri). These species are sustained by, nutrients delivered by the cave's stream and "by various animals," such as bats and crickets, that come and go from time——to time.
Above ground, the preserve covers a former farm that is reverting——to a natural state. Management of the preserve includes the planting of native warm-season grasses in upland fields, and hardwood trees along Buffalo Marsh Run, to reconstruct the historic natural landscape of the area.
The preserve is owned and maintained by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation. To protect the cave's delicate ecosystem, public access is not permitted. Public, guided tours of the cave have been arranged in the past.
See also※
References※
- ^ "Ogdens Cave". ProtectedPlanet. United Nations Environment Programme's World Conservation Monitoring Centre. Retrieved December 23, 2016.
- ^ "Ogdens Cave Natural Area Preserve". Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation. Retrieved December 23, 2016.
- ^ "Virginia Cave Week to feature tours of Frederick County natural area". Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation. Retrieved December 23, 2016.
- ^ Dillon, Robert T. Jr. "Fontigens bottimeri (Walker 1925) - Appalachian springsnail" (PDF). Freshwater Gastropods of North America. Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. Retrieved December 23, 2016.
- ^ Clayton, Laetitia (October 5, 2011). "Natural heritage: Local cave site one of 12 state areas open Saturday for tours". Northern Virginia Daily. Retrieved December 27, 2016.
External links※
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