We simply do not know the full potential of karst for benefit or hazard to humanity and the global ecosystem.

PROJECT PARTNERS

NATIONAL CAVE & KARST RESEARCH INSTITUTEhttp://www.nckri.org/

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA LIBRARIEShttp://www.lib.usf.edu/

UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES, UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICOhttp://elibrary.unm.edu/

UNION INTERNATIONALE de SPÉLÉOLOGIE (UIS)http://www.uis-speleo.org/

Contact us at kip@lib.usf.edu or visit the website at www.karstportal.org

Launched June 2007

The growing footprint of humans worldwide has serious adverse effects on karst,

an understudied natural environment that is crucial to the health and well-being

of one out of every four people on Earth.

Globally, more than a billion people depend on karst terrains

for their water supplies. These environments host great

biodiversity that is poorly understood and contains unique, rare,

and endangered species. The spectacular geology of karst,

as well as significant archaeological and paleontological

resources, contributes to the overall scientific, aesthetic,

cultural, and economic value of karst landscapes.

Karst Community MembersMembers of the karst community who wish to participate can upload karst data that will beshared globally and preserved for the future.Contributors may also have input regarding accessibility to the data they contribute.

Visit www.karstportal.org to registerand build the community that willsolve this information challenge.

www.karstportal.org

PICTURED ABOVE: Afqa Grotto, Lebanon (Photo by George Veni)

PICTURED ABOVE: Moria Arch, New Zealand (Photo by George Veni)

KARSTINFORMATIONPORTAL

KARSTINFORMATIONPORTAL

The University of South Florida’s Dr. Kiran C. Patel Center for Global Solutions was the catalyst for this project and provided generous support on many levels. http://www.patelcenter.usf.edu/

We simply do not know the full potential of karst for benefit or hazard to humanity and the global ecosystem.

Globally, more than a billion people depend on karst terrains

for their water supplies. These environments host great

biodiversity that is poorly understood and contains unique, rare,

and endangered species. The spectacular geology of karst,

as well as significant archaeological and paleontological

resources, contributes to the overall scientific, aesthetic,

cultural, and economic value of karst landscapes.

The ProblemThe karst research community and its knowledge base are fragmented,globally distributed, and highly interdisciplinary. As karst issues move to the forefront of attempts to develop solutions to significant environmental degradation, informationintegration and linkages promoting collaboration and connectivity among researchers are essential.

The Solution: KIP's MissionThe Karst Information Portal (KIP) is a growing international community seeking to create an open system forkarst-related information. The goal is a web-based worldwide information network, easily accessible to scientists,researchers, and other stakeholders as a means to inform research, to enhancecollaboration, and to address policy decisions in karst environments.

The Portal will AdvanceKarst Knowledge by:• facilitating access to and preservation

of karst information, both published and unpublished;

• developing linkages and communicationwithin the karst community;

• promoting knowledge-discovery that leadsto solutions to problems in karst; and

• developing interactive databases ofongoing karst research in different disciplines.

Contribute, Connect, and CollaborateThe success of the Karst InformationPortal depends in large part on the participation of active members of thekarst community, from professional scientists to recreational cavers. KIP’s growth and relevance is driven by contributions of data and informationfrom the karst community as well asdialog on pressing issues underlying the preservation and understanding of cave and karst environments.

PICTURED ABOVE: Scarisoara Cave, Apuseni Mountains, Romania (Photo by Claudiu Szabo & Gigi Fratila) PICTURE 1: Pseudoscorpions (Photo by Kenneth Ingham) PICTURE 2: Scanned Electron Micrograph (Photo by Diana Northup) PICTURE 3: Neanderthal Footprint, Vârtop Cave (Photo by Bogdan Onac)

1

2 3

The Portal will AdvanceKarst Knowledge by:• facilitating access to and preservation

of karst information, both published and unpublished;

• developing linkages and communicationwithin the karst community;

• promoting knowledge-discovery that leadsto solutions to problems in karst; and

• developing interactive databases ofongoing karst research in different disciplines.

Contribute, Connect, and CollaborateThe success of the Karst InformationPortal depends in large part on the participation of active members of thekarst community, from professional scientists to recreational cavers. KIP’s growth and relevance is driven by contributions of data and informationfrom the karst community as well asdialog on pressing issues underlying the preservation and understanding of cave and karst environments.

PICTURE 1: Pseudoscorpions (Photo by Kenneth Ingham) PICTURE 2: Scanned Electron Micrograph (Photo by Diana Northup) PICTURE 3: Neanderthal Footprint, Vârtop Cave (Photo by Bogdan Onac)

1

2 3

We simply do not know the full potential of karst for benefit or hazard to humanity and the global ecosystem.

PROJECT PARTNERS

NATIONAL CAVE & KARST RESEARCH INSTITUTEhttp://www.nckri.org/

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA LIBRARIEShttp://www.lib.usf.edu/

UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES, UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICOhttp://elibrary.unm.edu/

UNION INTERNATIONALE de SPÉLÉOLOGIE (UIS)http://www.uis-speleo.org/

Contact us at kip@lib.usf.edu or visit the website at www.karstportal.org

Launched June 2007

The growing footprint of humans worldwide has serious adverse effects on karst,

an understudied natural environment that is crucial to the health and well-being

of one out of every four people on Earth.

Globally, more than a billion people depend on karst terrains

for their water supplies. These environments host great

biodiversity that is poorly understood and contains unique, rare,

and endangered species. The spectacular geology of karst,

as well as significant archaeological and paleontological

resources, contributes to the overall scientific, aesthetic,

cultural, and economic value of karst landscapes.

Karst Community MembersMembers of the karst community who wish to participate can upload karst data that will beshared globally and preserved for the future.Contributors may also have input regarding accessibility to the data they contribute.

Visit www.karstportal.org to registerand build the community that willsolve this information challenge.

www.karstportal.org

PICTURED ABOVE: Afqa Grotto, Lebanon (Photo by George Veni)

PICTURED ABOVE: Moria Arch, New Zealand (Photo by George Veni)

KARSTINFORMATIONPORTAL

KARSTINFORMATIONPORTAL

The University of South Florida’s Dr. Kiran C. Patel Center for Global Solutions was the catalyst for this project and provided generous support on many levels. http://www.patelcenter.usf.edu/