The appearance of a sinkhole creates the foundation for a new ecosystem, different from the surrounding forest, plain, or desert. A sinkhole provides a cool, damp environment, allowing atypical species to establish themselves. Any species of plant that can dig its tendril-like roots firmly into the slender joints and cracks found in limestone can grow easily in a sinkhole.

Creatures, too, are attracted to this unusual environment, with insects, fish, and amphibians being common residents of sinkholes.