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Mammoth Cave National ParkEastern Redbud - Cercis canadensis
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Mammoth Cave National Park
Natural Features & Ecosystems
 
Nature and Science
The interface between the sunlit and nether worlds
Mammoth Cave, by far the world's longest known cave system, is the heart of the South-Central Kentucky karst, an integrated set of subterranean drainage basins covering more than 1,050 square kilometers – 400 square miles. Atop this labyrinth is a biologically diverse set of ecosystems inextricably interlinked with the ecosystems underground. This physiographic province, with Mammoth Cave National Park at its core, was declared an International Biosphere Reserve in 1990.
Grease-oil lamp  

Did You Know?
The grease-oil lamp was used to illuminate Mammoth Cave for more than a century. Designed after New England whale-oil lanterns, these lamps used cooking grease to light the way.

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Last Updated: July 24, 2006 at 22:37 EST