| Ogdens Cave Natural Area Preserve | |
|---|---|
  | |
| Location | Frederick County,Virginia |
| Coordinates | 39°02′54″N78°19′00″W / 39.0482°N 78.3168°W /39.0482; -78.3168[1] |
| 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 inFrederick County, Virginia. The preserve protects a cave that carries abelow-ground branch ofBuffalo Marsh Run, which also flows overland through the preserve.[2]
With nearly one mile (1.6 km) of the cave mapped, Ogdens Cave is the longest known cave in Frederick County.[3] Several rare invertebrate species are found within the cave, including the thin-neckcave beetle (Pseudanophthalmus parvicollis), twoamphipods, anisopod, and the Appalachianspringsnail (Fontigens bottimeri).[2][3][4] 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.[2]
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.[3]
The preserve is owned and maintained by theVirginia Department of Conservation and Recreation. To protect the cave's delicate ecosystem, public access is not permitted.[2] Public, guided tours of the cave have been arranged in the past.[3][5]
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