An optimal management of large Karst sites, with emphasis on the conservation of cave fauna while allowing recreational use, is proposed. A detailed study of the relative biological value of each section in a reference cave, the east Belgian ‘Grottes de Han’ Cave, was made in comparison with 40 others in Belgium.
Computer analysis provided a selection of optimal routes through the Cave. Each different route reflects the synthetic coefficients derived to weight biological and aesthetic values. This method of optimal cave resource control, developed to prevent deterioration in underground environments, can also be applied to other natural sites visited by humans.