Tham Pha Man

DREYBRODT JOERG informations

Frédéric Urien - 23/06/2024

History:-- A few remains of Buddha figures were noted not far from the entrance of the cave [5158] Explo history: --01.01.2004 explored and surveyed to 405 m by German Lao Speleological Project 2003/2004 [5158] Cave description: Citation: Analysis: [5158]: A steeply descending but climbable passage gives access to a complicated maze of inter-connected phreatic passages on several levels. While the upper level passages are decorated with calcite formations, the lowest passages reach the static karst water level. The lower galleries contain a high concentration of carbon dioxide. The passages of Tham Pha Man follow the strike of the layers with a dip of 45o towards the NNW. The passages were formed within this bedding of the limestone layers, thus creating up to four levels of generally rift-controlled small galleries. An exception by size is the NE extension of the cave which consists of a large chamber filled with breakdown and sediment. The supposed continuation of the cave system towards the NE is filled with an impenetrable, calcite covered boulder choke. Tham Pha Man is interpreted as a relatively young cave formed by the widening of the bedding planes and small fissures during phreatic conditions. Cave development may still be ongoing during flood periods of the Mekong River. There is no indication of turbulent flowing water inside the cave >> survey >> shown in map [8525]: only fauna records [5158]: >> survey >> shown in map [9597]: fauna record: Pholcus namkhan n. sp. [...] LAOS: Luang Prabang Province: [...] Tham Pha Man (19°55.7’N, 102°11.3’E), 1.i.2004 (H. Steiner), 1♀ in SMF. [10090]: fauna records [11295]: Nesticella beccus new species [...] Luang Prabang Province: 1 female, Tham Pha Man (E48-001(16)), 19°55 ' 41.1"N, 102°11 ' 19.1"E, Steiner leg., 01.01.2004 (SMF). Equipment: Remarks: References: [4846]: Dreybrodt, J. & Laumanns, M. 2003: Der unbekannte Norden von Laos - Ergebnisse eines Erkundungsprojekts. Mitt. Verb. Dt. Höhlen- und Karstforsch. 49 (2): 38-41. [4847]: Dreybrodt, J. & Laumanns, M. 2003: Northern Laos Christmas 2002. Expedition to Muang Ngoy & Luang Prabang, Lao PDR. Unpublished Report, 20pp. [5158]: Dreybrodt, J. & Laumanns, M. (eds.) 2005: The unknown North of Laos (Karst and Caves of the Provinces Luang Phrabang and Luang Nam Tha). Berliner Höhlenkundliche Berichte 16. 105 pp & Annex. [5254]: Krause, M. & Laumanns, M. 2004: Forschung aktuell: Laos: Louang Prabang (Laos). Mitteilungen des Verbandes deutscher Höhlen- und Karstforscher 50 (3): 101. [5493]: Zillig, W. 2005: Laos 2003-04. URL: www.student.kuleuven.ac.be/~s0167070/expeditions/l… [8525]: Dreybrodt, J. & Laumanns, M. (eds.) 2010: The Unknown North of Laos (Part 3 - 2009-2010: Karst and Caves of the Provinces Houaphan and Oudomxay). - Berliner Höhlenkundliche Berichte 38. 94 pp + Annex. [9597]: Huber, B.A. 2011: Revision and cladistic analysis of Pholcus and closely related taxa (Araneae, Pholcidae). - Bonner Zoologische Monographien 58: 1-509. [10090]: Steiner, H. 2013: Biospeleological Research in the Lao P.D.R: - Pp. 413-419 in: Filippi M., Bosák P. (Eds), 2013. Proceedings of the 16th International Congress of Speleology, July 21- 28, Brno. Volume 1, p. 453. Czech Speleological Society. Praha. [11295]: Grall, E.; Jäger, P. 2016: Four new species of the spider genus Nesticella Lehtinen & Saaristo, 1980 from Laos, Thailand and Myanmar and the first description of the male of Nesticella yui Wunderlich & Song, 1995 with a proposed new diagnostic character for the family Nesticidae Simon, 1894 (Arachnida, Araneae) - Zootaxa 4085 (2): 248 - 264.