Ekosistem Gua Karst dan Peranannya sebagai Habitat Burung Walet

Abstract

A cave is a natural phenomenon, formed by the processes of corrosion and erosion which lasted hundreds of years. Because of its unique physical and biotic conditions, a cave is an interesting ecosystem which energy and food chain depends fully on the energy input from outside the cave. Based on the differences of the physical characteristics of the cave, the organisms living inside the cave could be categorized into troglobits, trogloxenes and troglophils. One of the trogloxene organisms is the swiftlet (Cbllocalia spp.) which only use the cave as a resting and nesting place. Recently, cave ecosystems are threatened by disturbances caused by limestone mining activities. Efforts should be done to conserve the caves, because of its many benefits : (a) maintaining ecological balance, especially with regard to the role of swiftlets in the biological control of agricultural pests, (b) preserving genetic resources of cave organisms, (c) maintaining the cave as a source of knowledge and science, (d) maintaining the economic value of the cave as producer of birdnests and (e) maintaining the cave as a water reservoir.