In addition to offering a suite of project planning and compliance services, Zara Environmental produces top level research on karst biology and hydrology. A few of our past and ongoing research projects are listed below:

Detection Probability of Karst Invertebrates
Funded through a Section 6 grant administered by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Zara Environmental and Dr. Butch Weckerly calculated the detection probability of 3 karst invertebrates in central Texas. Accurately measuring detection probability is extremely important and this research provides some of the first quantitative analysis of this aspect of karst species conservation. Read the final report here.

Eurycea Salamander Research
Zara Environmental is currently investigating various aspects of Eurycea biology, including populations size and structure, systematics, and distribution. Despite high media exposure leading to wide familiarity with some species like the Barton Springs Salamander, Eurycea sosorum, little is known about other Eurycea species. Specific projects include:

Mark Release Recapture
Zara Teams periodically visit a stream site located deep within a cave, where they capture wild Eurycea and tattoo them with a fluorescent elastomer before measuring and releasing them. This provides initial data on sex, size, and reproductive stage of females. The tattoo allows individuals to be recognized on future visits so that researchers can track growth and estimate the population size.

Systematics and Taxonomy
Major holes exist in our understanding of Eurycea biology. We currently collaborate with Dr. Andy Glusenkamp and Dr. Paul Chippendale to collect and analyze genetic material from Eurycea in Bexar and Comal Counties. This research is ongoing and should help produce a description of the taxonomy, systematics, and population status of Eurycea in this area.

Biological Inventory of Caves
Zara Environmental has completed three different projects where we biologically surveyed major caves in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, Lava Beds National Monument, and Great Basin National Park. These led to the discovery of over 27 new species, as well as many new records for the caves and parks. National Geographic published a story in September 2007 on one of these projects, view " Discoveries in The Dark" at Zara in the News.

Ceuthophilus Cave Cricket Research
Cave crickets are hugely important to karst ecosystems, and Zara has done multiple studies that investigate the role crickets play in karst ecology and conservation. One ongoing study seeks to test various methods of counting and monitoring cave cricket populations. Another study analyzed the isotopes found in cave crickets, other cave invertebrates, and surface vegetation in order to expose the trophic positions and "food web" that supports karst organisms (view a report of this project). A third study examined cricket foraging and found that these crickets may feed quite far from cave entrances. This information is extremely useful in the design of karst preserves and conservation plans.