Throughout South-East Asia Limestone is solely considered as an important resource for mining. No other values are recognized by geologist and mining engineers. The exclusive exploitation of limestone by cement, steel, cosmetic, chalk, pharmaceutical and industries and for agriculture and construction material, without any consideration of environmental impact, even degradation, has repeatedly proven to cause serious impact on biodiversity and cultural property. Impact on the local population, from the socio cultural, socioeconomic point of view and general health condition is rarely assessed properly.

Especially the quarrying of limestone for cement, is rarely adequately evaluated for its multi dimensional impact. Even environmental assessments for cement factories generally fail to take into account some of the unique biological, cultural, scenic and scientific features of limestone.

BIODIVERSITY

The biodiversity of limestone ecosystems, including karst and cave systems, is highly characteristic and restricted, comprising species which are able to cope with the abundance of calcium, species that can endure the exceedingly dry soil conditions over part of the year, orspecies which are confined or primarily found in limestone caves. Some endemic species are even confined to single hills or cave systems.

But the most valuable creatures within a karst system in south East Asia, dwelling in caves are the bats and swiftlets. They are profoundly important in maintaining the ecological balance of the limestone and surrounding non-limestone areas. Bats in Southeast Asia, are either insect eating, consuming huge quantities of insects daily, nectar sucking - hence the sole pollinators of commercial tree crops yielding many edible and highly priced fruits, and pollinators of various timber trees, or fruit eating, dispersing the undigested seeds. Cave-swiftlets species are insect eating and some species are producers of edible bird' s nests-a valuable commodity used in oriental delicaciespriced as much as US$ 2000. - per kilogram.

Many of the species are relatively small, little known, and are rarely included in the lists of protected species in South East Asian countries, which tend to focus on the larger and more obvious species, like the Maleo bird for instance.

Maros karst and caves have been visited by some experts in Biospeleology from France since 1987. Numerous publications on the biodiversity of its caves prove that the prevalence of important endemic Maros cave biota has highly scientific value. They have even found troglobites - hitherto unknown cave adapted species, denouncing the general scientific opinion that tropical caves do not create suitable conditions to develop new species, completely isolated from their surface relatives.

Limestone biodiversity is considered unique, because limestone areas are unusually rich in species many of which have very small ranges and display extraordinary adaptations to the limestone habitats. Cave dwellers, living in total darkness, have lost colour and eyesight, buthave developed a wide range of adaptations to the eternal darkness.

Limestone biodiversity is extremely vulnerable to disturbance because species adapted to extreme habitats are not able in most cases to survive outside of their habitat. Species with a restricted environmental range can easily become extinct. Like 7 species of butterflies in Maros, in 1999 considered extinct by experts. Cave species found in a single cave system or snails, found on a single limestone hill often occur in small numbers per species. Hence, the loss of only a few individuals can mean a significant loss to the species as a whole.

Pollution of underground rivers by waste disposal and pollutants repeatedly causes the extinction of specific cave aqua fauna. The use of pesticides in agro culture in karst areas and the subsequent development of insects resistant to these pesticides (resistent biotypes) cause insect eating bats and swiftlets to die from intoxication or to produce guano containing these toxic chemicals, which in turn disrupt the established guano micro-ecosystems in many caves.

Limestone areas have arthropod communities which, if undisturbed, act as a buffer against pest outbreaks in surrounding agricultural land.

Fish, molluscs, bats and certain plants in limestone areas serve as a source of food to the local people. Some plants are collected for medicinal purposes. Many endemic trees have highly economic value, like teak (Tectona grandis), Mahogany (Swietenia mahagony), sandalwood Santalum album) and many unknown species.

CULTURAL HERITAGE

Many caves in Maros limestone area depict prehistoric hand drawings, which proves that caves were known to prehistoric man, serving as shelter and chosen location to exhibit their skill of rock art. Many caves also contain archaeological remains or artifacts like prehistoric tools, weapons and potteries.

CLIMATE

Although frequently and eloquently denied by investors, climatic change will certainly take place, if quarrying prominent limestone hills or escarpments, functioning as natural wind barriers, are not restricted. The case of quarrying karst hills at the small island of Nusakambangan for cement, which draws protest from nearby Cilacap town inhabitants, so strongly denied by the conglomerate investor recently, should urgently be considered.

The strong winds blowing from the Indian Ocean towards the South Coast of Java, hence afflicting Cilacap, a town harbor north of Nusakambangan, protected by its limestone hills, will certainly influence the local microclimate. Maros hills, when quarried extensively, will also influence South Sulawesi interior. This should be thoroughly assessed by climatologists.

THREATS TO LIMESTONE AREAS BY QUARRYING:

Negative impact on Biodiversity

Changes in hydrological systems. Pollution by dust, silt and other industrial effluents. Destruction of prehistoric sites, Displacement of local people. Deforestation. Extinction of primary forest.