Forensic speleology, the scientific study of caves for legal and investigative purposes, relies heavily on preserving the integrity of underground environments. The presence of outdoor seating near cave entrances or within karst landscapes can significantly impact these investigations.

1. Contamination Risks: Outdoor seating areas often introduce foreign materials like food wrappers, footwear traces, or biological waste. These contaminants can migrate into caves, compromising evidence such as soil samples, microbial communities, or trace fibers crucial for forensic analysis.

2. Altered Microclimates: Benches or picnic tables near cave mouths may disrupt natural airflow and humidity levels. This can accelerate the degradation of organic evidence (e.g., skeletal remains or clothing fragments) that forensic speleologists study to determine timelines or causes of incidents.

3. Human Interference: High-traffic seating areas increase the likelihood of unauthorized cave access, leading to evidence tampering or destruction. Even minimal contact can disturb sediment layers or speleothems (cave formations) that hold forensic clues.

4. Chemical Pollution: Sunscreen, insect repellent, or cleaning agents from maintained seating areas can leach into cave systems. These substances may interfere with chemical analyses of water or mineral deposits used in forensic reconstructions.

Mitigation strategies include establishing buffer zones around forensically significant caves and using non-invasive seating materials. Researchers emphasize that even "eco-friendly" outdoor furniture can inadvertently compromise the sterile conditions required for accurate forensic speleology work. Understanding these impacts helps law enforcement and conservationists balance public access with scientific integrity in subterranean environments.