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Hernández-Lozano A, González-Zamora A, Baena ML, Perroni-Ventura Y, Juanz-Aguirre DG, Huesca-Domíguez I. Mountain caves of the central region of Veracruz: A vertebrate biodiversity reservoir in a Neotropical hotspot. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0306105. [PMID: 39121157 PMCID: PMC11315317 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0306105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2023] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 08/11/2024] Open
Abstract
The mountain region of central Veracruz, Mexico hosts a large system of karst and volcanic caves that are unexplored. In particular, the vertebrates that inhabit these subterranean ecosystems are unknown. This study evaluated the diversity of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish in three environments (euphotic, disphotic, and aphotic) of 16 caves of different geological origin (12 karst caves and 4 volcanic caves) distributed along an altitudinal gradient (300-2400 m a.s.l.). We found a richness of 242 vertebrate species (184 birds, 30 mammals, 15 reptiles, 12 amphibians, and 1 fish) and an abundance of a total of 11,323 individuals (4,969 mammals, 6,483 birds, 36 reptiles, 27 amphibians, and 5 fish). The richness of all vertebrate classes was higher in karst than in volcanic caves. Vertebrate diversity was also higher at mid-altitudes between 600-899 m a.s.l. Diversity varied between environments, where bird and reptile richness was higher in the euphotic environment, while mammal and amphibian diversity was higher in the aphotic environment. The similarity in the composition of vertebrate species does not depend on the distance between karstic and volcanic caves. Volcanic and karst caves shared on average up to 70% and 55% of vertebrate species, which indicates that only 30% and 45% of species, respectively, is different in each cave type. Given the vulnerability and fragility of these subterranean ecosystems, as well as the important diversity that they contain, we recommend including the caves of the central region of Veracruz in the conservation agenda of local governments and communities. Community-based conservation can help ensure the presence of vertebrate species in the caves of this region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Hernández-Lozano
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas, Posgrado en Biología Integrativa, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico
- Unidad de Manejo para la Conservación de la Vida Silvestre La Coruja, Alberto Calderón, Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico
| | - Arturo González-Zamora
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas, Academia de Zoología, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico
| | - Martha L. Baena
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas, Academia de Zoología, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico
| | - Yareni Perroni-Ventura
- Instituto de Ecología y Biotecnología Aplicada, Campus para la Cultura, las Artes y el Deporte, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico
| | - Diana Gisell Juanz-Aguirre
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas, Posgrado en Biología Integrativa, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico
- Unidad de Manejo para la Conservación de la Vida Silvestre La Coruja, Alberto Calderón, Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico
| | - Israel Huesca-Domíguez
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas, Academia de Zoología, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico
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Oliveira MPA, Ferreira RL. Extending beyond individual caves: a graph theory approach broadening conservation priorities in Amazon iron ore caves. PeerJ 2024; 12:e16877. [PMID: 38313035 PMCID: PMC10838110 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.16877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 02/06/2024] Open
Abstract
The Amazon is renowned worldwide for its biological significance, but it also harbors substantial mineral reserves. Among these, the ferruginous geosystems of the region are critical for iron ore extraction, accounting for 10% of Brazil's export revenue. Additionally, this region holds a significant speleological heritage with more than 1,000 caves. However, cave conservation efforts are often in conflict with land use, necessitating mediation through environmental regulations. While conservation decisions typically consider only the caves' characteristics, such an approach fails to account for the interactions among cave communities and their surrounding landscape. This poses a challenge to reserve design for cave conservation purposes. To address this issue, we assessed the predictors that influence the similarity among cave communities, suggesting the use of this parameter as a proxy for subterranean connectivity. Applying graph theory, we proposed a tool to aid in the selection of priority caves for conservation purposes. Our study involved the sampling of invertebrates in 69 iron ore caves and analyzing 28 environmental variables related to these subterranean habitats and adjacent landscape. Our analysis revealed that landscape and habitat characteristics are more important than geographical distance in determining patterns of similarity among caves. Our graph approach highlighted densely interconnected clusters based on similarity. However, specific caves stood out for harboring exclusive fauna and/or exhibiting habitat specificity, making them unique in the study area. Thus, we recommend prioritizing cave clusters for conservation, assembling both singular caves and others that influence them. It is crucial to note that protocols for the protection of subterranean biodiversity must consider measures that encompass both the caves and the surrounding landscape. Our methodology provides insights into the connectivity among caves, identifies existing groups, highlights singular (or unique) cavities that require preservation, and recognizes those influencing these unique habitats. This methodological advancement is crucial for the development of better conservation policies for the speleological heritage in areas under constant economic pressure.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rodrigo L. Ferreira
- Center of Studies in Subterranean Biology, Ecology and Conservation Departament, Universidade Federal de Lavras, Lavras, MG, Brazil
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Mammola S, Altermatt F, Alther R, Amorim IR, Băncilă RI, Borges PAV, Brad T, Brankovits D, Cardoso P, Cerasoli F, Chauveau CA, Delić T, Di Lorenzo T, Faille A, Fišer C, Flot JF, Gabriel R, Galassi DMP, Garzoli L, Griebler C, Konecny-Dupré L, Martínez A, Mori N, Nanni V, Ogorelec Ž, Pallarés S, Salussolia A, Saccò M, Stoch F, Vaccarelli I, Zagmajster M, Zittra C, Meierhofer MB, Sánchez-Fernández D, Malard F. Perspectives and pitfalls in preserving subterranean biodiversity through protected areas. NPJ BIODIVERSITY 2024; 3:2. [PMID: 39242876 PMCID: PMC11332058 DOI: 10.1038/s44185-023-00035-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2024]
Abstract
Subterranean ecosystems (comprising terrestrial, semi-aquatic, and aquatic components) are increasingly threatened by human activities; however, the current network of surface-protected areas is inadequate to safeguard subterranean biodiversity. Establishing protected areas for subterranean ecosystems is challenging. First, there are technical obstacles in mapping three-dimensional ecosystems with uncertain boundaries. Second, the rarity and endemism of subterranean organisms, combined with a scarcity of taxonomists, delays the accumulation of essential biodiversity knowledge. Third, establishing agreements to preserve subterranean ecosystems requires collaboration among multiple actors with often competing interests. This perspective addresses the challenges of preserving subterranean biodiversity through protected areas. Even in the face of uncertainties, we suggest it is both timely and critical to assess general criteria for subterranean biodiversity protection and implement them based on precautionary principles. To this end, we examine the current status of European protected areas and discuss solutions to improve their coverage of subterranean ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Mammola
- Molecular Ecology Group (MEG), Water Research Institute (IRSA), National Research Council (CNR), Corso Tonolli, 50, Pallanza, 28922, Italy.
- Laboratory for Integrative Biodiversity Research (LIBRe), Finnish Museum of Natural History (LUOMUS), University of Helsinki, Pohjoinen Rautatiekatu 13, Helsinki, 00100, Finland.
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, 90133, Italy.
| | - Florian Altermatt
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, Eawag: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Überlandstrasse 190, 8600, Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Roman Alther
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, Eawag: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Überlandstrasse 190, 8600, Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Isabel R Amorim
- cE3c-Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes/Azorean Biodiversity Group, CHANGE-Global Change and Sustainability Institute, School of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of the Azores, Rua Capitão João d´Ávila, Pico da Urze, 9700-042, Angra do Heroísmo, Azores, Portugal
| | - Raluca I Băncilă
- "Emil Racoviţă" Institute of Speleology, Department of Cluj-Napoca, Str. Clinicilor Nr. 5, 400006, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Paulo A V Borges
- cE3c-Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes/Azorean Biodiversity Group, CHANGE-Global Change and Sustainability Institute, School of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of the Azores, Rua Capitão João d´Ávila, Pico da Urze, 9700-042, Angra do Heroísmo, Azores, Portugal
| | - Traian Brad
- "Emil Racoviţă" Institute of Speleology, Department of Cluj-Napoca, Str. Clinicilor Nr. 5, 400006, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - David Brankovits
- Molecular Ecology Group (MEG), Water Research Institute (IRSA), National Research Council (CNR), Corso Tonolli, 50, Pallanza, 28922, Italy
| | - Pedro Cardoso
- Laboratory for Integrative Biodiversity Research (LIBRe), Finnish Museum of Natural History (LUOMUS), University of Helsinki, Pohjoinen Rautatiekatu 13, Helsinki, 00100, Finland
- cE3c-Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, CHANGE-Global Change and Sustainability Institute, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Francesco Cerasoli
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, Coppito, 67100, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Claire A Chauveau
- Department of Organismal Biology, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), C.P. 160/12, Avenue F.D. Roosevelt 50, 1050, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Teo Delić
- University of Ljubljana, Biotechnical Faculty, Department of Biology, SubBioLab, Jamnikarjeva 101, SI-1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Tiziana Di Lorenzo
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, 90133, Italy
- "Emil Racoviţă" Institute of Speleology, Department of Cluj-Napoca, Str. Clinicilor Nr. 5, 400006, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- cE3c-Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, CHANGE-Global Change and Sustainability Institute, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
- Research Institute on Terrestrial Ecosystems of the National Research Council (IRET-CNR), Via Madonna del Piano 10, Florence, Italy
| | - Arnaud Faille
- Stuttgart State Museum of Natural History, Rosenstein 1, 70191, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Cene Fišer
- University of Ljubljana, Biotechnical Faculty, Department of Biology, SubBioLab, Jamnikarjeva 101, SI-1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Jean-François Flot
- Department of Organismal Biology, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), C.P. 160/12, Avenue F.D. Roosevelt 50, 1050, Brussels, Belgium
- Interuniversity Institute of Bioinformatics in Brussels-(IB)², Brussels, Belgium
| | - Rosalina Gabriel
- cE3c-Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes/Azorean Biodiversity Group, CHANGE-Global Change and Sustainability Institute, School of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of the Azores, Rua Capitão João d´Ávila, Pico da Urze, 9700-042, Angra do Heroísmo, Azores, Portugal
| | - Diana M P Galassi
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, Coppito, 67100, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Laura Garzoli
- Molecular Ecology Group (MEG), Water Research Institute (IRSA), National Research Council (CNR), Corso Tonolli, 50, Pallanza, 28922, Italy
| | - Christian Griebler
- Department of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - Lara Konecny-Dupré
- Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, ENTPE, UMR 5023 LEHNA, F-69622, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Alejandro Martínez
- Molecular Ecology Group (MEG), Water Research Institute (IRSA), National Research Council (CNR), Corso Tonolli, 50, Pallanza, 28922, Italy
| | - Nataša Mori
- Department of Organisms and Ecosystem Research, National Institute of Biology, Večna pot 111, SI-1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Veronica Nanni
- Molecular Ecology Group (MEG), Water Research Institute (IRSA), National Research Council (CNR), Corso Tonolli, 50, Pallanza, 28922, Italy
- School for Advanced Studies IUSS, Science, Technology and Society Department, 25100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Žiga Ogorelec
- Department of Organisms and Ecosystem Research, National Institute of Biology, Večna pot 111, SI-1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Susana Pallarés
- Department of Zoology, University of Sevilla, Sevilla, 41012, Spain
| | - Alice Salussolia
- Department of Organismal Biology, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), C.P. 160/12, Avenue F.D. Roosevelt 50, 1050, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Mattia Saccò
- Subterranean Research and Groundwater Ecology (SuRGE) Group, Trace and Environmental DNA (TrEnD) Lab, School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Kent St, Bentley 6102, Perth, WA, Australia
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze 11/A, 43124, Parma, Italy
| | - Fabio Stoch
- Department of Organismal Biology, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), C.P. 160/12, Avenue F.D. Roosevelt 50, 1050, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Ilaria Vaccarelli
- Molecular Ecology Group (MEG), Water Research Institute (IRSA), National Research Council (CNR), Corso Tonolli, 50, Pallanza, 28922, Italy
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, Coppito, 67100, L'Aquila, Italy
- School for Advanced Studies IUSS, Science, Technology and Society Department, 25100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Maja Zagmajster
- University of Ljubljana, Biotechnical Faculty, Department of Biology, SubBioLab, Jamnikarjeva 101, SI-1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Carina Zittra
- Department of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - Melissa B Meierhofer
- BatLab Finland, Finnish Museum of Natural History Luomus (LUOMUS), University of Helsinki, Pohjoinen Rautatiekatu 13, Helsinki, 00100, Finland
| | | | - Florian Malard
- Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, ENTPE, UMR 5023 LEHNA, F-69622, Villeurbanne, France
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Lithology and disturbance drive cavefish and cave crayfish occurrence in the Ozark Highlands ecoregion. Sci Rep 2022; 12:19559. [PMID: 36379975 PMCID: PMC9666451 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-21791-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Diverse communities of groundwater-dwelling organisms (i.e., stygobionts) are important for human wellbeing; however, we lack an understanding of the factors driving their distributions, making it difficult to protect many at-risk species. Therefore, our study objective was to determine the landscape factors related to the occurrence of cavefishes and cave crayfishes in the Ozark Highlands ecoregion, USA. We sampled cavefishes and cave crayfishes at 61 sampling units using both visual and environmental DNA surveys. We then modeled occurrence probability in relation to lithology and human disturbance while accounting for imperfect detection. Our results indicated that occurrence probability of cave crayfishes was negatively associated with human disturbance, whereas there was a weak positive relationship between cavefish occurrence and disturbance. Both cavefishes and cave crayfishes were more likely to occur in limestone rather than dolostone lithology. Our results indicate structuring factors are related to the distribution of these taxa, but with human disturbance as a prevalent modifier of distributions for cave crayfishes. Limiting human alteration near karst features may be warranted to promote the persistence of some stygobionts. Moreover, our results indicate current sampling efforts are inadequate to detect cryptic species; therefore, expanding sampling may be needed to develop effective conservation actions.
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Raman S, Shameer TT, Pooja U, Hughes AC. Identifying priority areas for bat conservation in the Western Ghats mountain range, peninsular India. J Mammal 2022. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyac060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Understanding patterns of species distribution and diversity plays a vital role in biodiversity conservation. Such documentation is frequently lacking for bats, which are relatively little studied and often threatened. The Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot in peninsular India is a bat hotspot with 63 species. We conducted a comprehensive bat survey across the southern Western Ghats and used maximum entropy modeling (MaxEnt) to model the potential distribution of 37 bat species for which sufficient data were available. We generated binary maps of each species using species-specific thresholds to estimate suitable habitat areas and overlaid binary maps of species to produce bat hotspots (we use the term “bat hotspot” for regions that were suitable for more than 25 bat species). We also estimated species richness across protected area networks in the southern Western Ghats to assess the level of protection. The highest levels of species richness were found mainly along the southmost Periyar–Agastyamalai landscape. The study also identified a 1,683 km2 area of potential bat hotspot and 726 km2 (43%) of the total bat hotspots are currently within the protected area network. However, more than 50% of suitable habitats for each of the 37 species remain unprotected. Therefore, conservation decisions are needed to take into account both bat hotspots and species with restricted distributions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sreehari Raman
- Center for Integrative Conservation, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Menglun, Mengla, Yunnan Province 666303 , PR China
- International College, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100049 , PR China
- Department of Wildlife Sciences, College of Forestry, Kerala Agricultural University , KAU P.O., Vellanikkara, Thrissur, Kerala 680656 , India
| | - Thekke Thumbath Shameer
- Molecular Biodiversity Lab, Department of Zoology and Wildlife Biology, Government Arts College , Udhagamandalam, The Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu 643002 , India
| | - Ushakumari Pooja
- College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University , Pookode, Wayanad, Kerala 673576 , India
| | - Alice C Hughes
- Department of Ecology and Biodiversity, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong , Pok Fu Lam , Hong Kong
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6
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Mammola S, Pétillon J, Hacala A, Monsimet J, Marti S, Cardoso P, Lafage D. Challenges and opportunities of species distribution modelling of terrestrial arthropod predators. DIVERS DISTRIB 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.13434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Mammola
- Laboratory for Integrative Biodiversity Research (LIBRe) Finnish Museum of Natural History (LUOMUS) University of Helsinki Helsinki Finland
- Molecular Ecology Group (MEG), Water Research Institute (RSA) National Research Council (CNR) Verbania Pallanza Italy
| | | | - Axel Hacala
- UMR ECOBIO Université de Rennes 1 Rennes France
| | - Jérémy Monsimet
- Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Campus Evenstad Koppang Norway
| | | | - Pedro Cardoso
- Laboratory for Integrative Biodiversity Research (LIBRe) Finnish Museum of Natural History (LUOMUS) University of Helsinki Helsinki Finland
| | - Denis Lafage
- UMR ECOBIO Université de Rennes 1 Rennes France
- Department of Environmental and Life Sciences/Biology Karlstad University Karlstad Sweden
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Abstract
Riding a wave of interest in biodiversity patterns in surface-dwelling communities, in 2000, Culver and Sket [...]
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Fitzgerald DB, Smith DR, Culver DC, Feller D, Fong DW, Hajenga J, Niemiller ML, Nolfi DC, Orndorff WD, Douglas B, Maloney KO, Young JA. Using expert knowledge to support Endangered Species Act decision-making for data-deficient species. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2021; 35:1627-1638. [PMID: 33471375 PMCID: PMC8518685 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Revised: 01/11/2021] [Accepted: 01/12/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Many questions relevant to conservation decision-making are characterized by extreme uncertainty due to lack of empirical data and complexity of the underlying ecologic processes, leading to a rapid increase in the use of structured protocols to elicit expert knowledge. Published ecologic applications often employ a modified Delphi method, where experts provide judgments anonymously and mathematical aggregation techniques are used to combine judgments. The Sheffield elicitation framework (SHELF) differs in its behavioral approach to synthesizing individual judgments into a fully specified probability distribution for an unknown quantity. We used the SHELF protocol remotely to assess extinction risk of three subterranean aquatic species that are being considered for listing under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. We provided experts an empirical threat assessment for each known locality over a video conference and recorded judgments on the probability of population persistence over four generations with online submission forms and R-shiny apps available through the SHELF package. Despite large uncertainty for all populations, there were key differences between species' risk of extirpation based on spatial variation in dominant threats, local land use and management practices, and species' microhabitat. The resulting probability distributions provided decision makers with a full picture of uncertainty that was consistent with the probabilistic nature of risk assessments. Discussion among experts during SHELF's behavioral aggregation stage clearly documented dominant threats (e.g., development, timber harvest, animal agriculture, and cave visitation) and their interactions with local cave geology and species' habitat. Our virtual implementation of the SHELF protocol demonstrated the flexibility of the approach for conservation applications operating on budgets and time lines that can limit in-person meetings of geographically dispersed experts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel B. Fitzgerald
- U.S. Geological SurveyLeetown Science Center11649 Leetown RoadKearneysvilleWV25430U.S.A.
| | - David R. Smith
- U.S. Geological SurveyLeetown Science Center11649 Leetown RoadKearneysvilleWV25430U.S.A.
| | - David C. Culver
- Department of Environmental ScienceAmerican University4400 Massachusetts Avenue NWWashingtonDC20016USA
| | - Daniel Feller
- Maryland Department of Natural ResourcesAppalachian Laboratory301 Braddock RdFrostburgMD21532USA
| | - Daniel W. Fong
- Department of BiologyAmerican University4400 Massachusetts Avenue, NWWashingtonDC20016USA
| | - Jeff Hajenga
- West Virginia Division of Natural ResourcesPO Box 67, Ward RdElkinsWV26241USA
| | - Matthew L. Niemiller
- Department of BiologyUniversity of Alabama HuntsvilleSST 369, 301 Sparkman DriveHuntsvilleAL35899USA
| | - Daniel C. Nolfi
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service4425 Burley Dr # AChubbuckID83202USA
| | - Wil D. Orndorff
- Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation600 E. Main St., 24th FloorRichmondVA23219USA
| | - Barbara Douglas
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service90 Vance DriveElkinsWV26241USA
| | - Kelly O. Maloney
- U.S. Geological SurveyLeetown Science Center11649 Leetown RoadKearneysvilleWV25430U.S.A.
| | - John A. Young
- U.S. Geological SurveyLeetown Science Center11649 Leetown RoadKearneysvilleWV25430U.S.A.
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Barr EL, Silvis A, Armstrong MP, Ford WM. White‐nose Syndrome and Environmental Correlates to Landscape‐Scale Bat Presence. WILDLIFE SOC B 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/wsb.1215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Elaine L. Barr
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Ohio River Islands National Wildlife Refuge Williamstown WV 26187
| | | | - Mike P. Armstrong
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Kentucky Ecological Services Field Office Frankfort KY 40601
| | - W. Mark Ford
- U.S. Geological Survey Virginia Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit Blacksburg VA 24061
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10
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Guzik MT, Stevens MI, Cooper SJB, Humphreys WF, Austin AD. Extreme genetic diversity among springtails (Collembola) in subterranean calcretes of arid Australia. Genome 2020; 64:181-195. [PMID: 32552081 DOI: 10.1139/gen-2019-0199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The subterranean islands hypothesis for calcretes of the Yilgarn region in Western Australia applies to many stygobitic (subterranean-aquatic) species that are "trapped" evolutionarily within isolated aquifers due to their aquatic lifestyles. In contrast, little is known about the distribution of terrestrial-subterranean invertebrates associated with the calcretes. We used subterranean Collembola from the Yilgarn calcretes to test the hypothesis that troglobitic species, those inhabiting the subterranean unsaturated (non-aquatic) zone of calcretes, are also restricted in their distribution and represent reciprocally monophyletic and endemic lineages. We used the barcoding fragment of the mtDNA cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI) gene from 183 individuals to reconstruct the phylogenetic history of the genus Pseudosinella Schäffer (Collembola, Lepidocyrtidae) from 10 calcretes in the Yilgarn. These calcretes represent less than 5% of the total possible calcretes in this region, yet we show that their diversity for subterranean Collembola comprises a minimum of 25 new species. Regionally, multiple levels of diversity exist in Pseudosinella, indicative of a complex evolutionary history for this genus in the Yilgarn. These species have probably been impacted by climatic oscillations, facilitating their dispersal across the landscape. The results represent a small proportion of the undiscovered diversity in Australia's arid zone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle T Guzik
- Australian Centre for Evolutionary Biology and Biodiversity, School of Biological Sciences, the University of Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
| | - Mark I Stevens
- Biological and Earth Sciences, South Australian Museum, SA 5000, Australia.,University of South Australia, Clinical and Health Sciences, SA 5000, Australia
| | - Steven J B Cooper
- Australian Centre for Evolutionary Biology and Biodiversity, School of Biological Sciences, the University of Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia.,South Australian Museum, North Terrace, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia
| | - William F Humphreys
- Department of Terrestrial Zoology, Western Australian Museum, Locked Bag 49, Welshpool DC, Western Australia 6986, Australia, Affiliate.,School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Andrew D Austin
- Australian Centre for Evolutionary Biology and Biodiversity, School of Biological Sciences, the University of Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia.,South Australian Museum, North Terrace, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia
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11
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Abstract
Worldwide, caves and groundwater habitats harbor thousands of species modified and limited to subterranean habitats in karst. Data are concentrated in Europe and USA, where a number of detailed analyses have been performed. Much less is known with respect to global patterns due to a lack of data. This special issue will focus on and discuss the global patterns of individual hotspot caves and groundwater habitats.
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Boyd OF, Philips TK, Johnson JR, Nixon JJ. Geographically structured genetic diversity in the cave beetle Darlingtonea kentuckensis Valentine, 1952 (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Trechini, Trechina). SUBTERRANEAN BIOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.3897/subtbiol.34.46348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Cave beetles of the eastern USA are one of many poorly studied groups of insects and nearly all previous work delimiting species is based solely on morphology. This study assesses genetic diversity in the monotypic cave carabid beetle genus DarlingtoneaValentine 1952, to test the relationship between putative geographical barriers to subterranean dispersal and the boundaries of genetically distinct groups. Approximately 400bp of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene was sequenced from up to four individuals from each of 27 populations, sampled from caves along the escarpments of the Mississippian and Cumberland plateaus in eastern Kentucky, USA. The 81 individuals sequenced yielded 28 unique haplotypes. Hierarchical analyses of molecular variance (AMOVA) within and among geographically defined groups tested two a priori hypotheses of structure based on major and minor river drainages, as well as genetic distance clusters defined a posteriori from an unrooted analysis. High genetic differentiation (FST) between populations was found across analyses. The influence of isolation by distance could potentially account for much but not all of the variation found among geographically defined groups at both levels. High variability among the three northernmost genetic clusters (FCT), low variability among populations within clusters (FSC), and low within-cluster Mantel correlations indicate the importance of unidentified likely intra-karst barriers to gene flow separating closely grouped cave populations. Overall phylogeographic patterns are consistent with previous evidence of population isolation among cave systems in the region, revealing geographically structured cryptic diversity in Darlingtonea over its distribution. The landscape features considered a priori in this study were not predictive of the genetic breaks among the three northern clusters, which are genetically distinct despite their close geographic proximity.
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13
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Mammola S, Cardoso P, Angyal D, Balázs G, Blick T, Brustel H, Carter J, Ćurčić S, Danflous S, Dányi L, Déjean S, Deltshev C, Elverici M, Fernández J, Gasparo F, Komnenov M, Komposch C, Kováč L, Kunt KB, Mock A, Moldovan OT, Naumova M, Pavlek M, Prieto CE, Ribera C, Rozwałka R, Růžička V, Vargovitsh RS, Zaenker S, Isaia M. Local- versus broad-scale environmental drivers of continental β-diversity patterns in subterranean spider communities across Europe. Proc Biol Sci 2019; 286:20191579. [PMID: 31662080 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.1579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Macroecologists seek to identify drivers of community turnover (β-diversity) through broad spatial scales. However, the influence of local habitat features in driving broad-scale β-diversity patterns remains largely untested, owing to the objective challenges of associating local-scale variables to continental-framed datasets. We examined the relative contribution of local- versus broad-scale drivers of continental β-diversity patterns, using a uniquely suited dataset of cave-dwelling spider communities across Europe (35-70° latitude). Generalized dissimilarity modelling showed that geographical distance, mean annual temperature and size of the karst area in which caves occurred drove most of β-diversity, with differential contributions of each factor according to the level of subterranean specialization. Highly specialized communities were mostly influenced by geographical distance, while less specialized communities were mostly driven by mean annual temperature. Conversely, local-scale habitat features turned out to be meaningless predictors of community change, which emphasizes the idea of caves as the human accessible fraction of the extended network of fissures that more properly represents the elective habitat of the subterranean fauna. To the extent that the effect of local features turned to be inconspicuous, caves emerge as experimental model systems in which to study broad biological patterns without the confounding effect of local habitat features.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Mammola
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, Torino, Italy.,LIBRe-Laboratory for Integrative Biodiversity Research, Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Pedro Cardoso
- LIBRe-Laboratory for Integrative Biodiversity Research, Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Dorottya Angyal
- UMDI, Faculty of Sciences, UNAM National Autonomous University of Mexico, Sisal, Mexico.,Department of Zoology, Hungarian Natural History Museum, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Gergely Balázs
- Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Theo Blick
- Independent Researcher, Hummeltal, Germany
| | | | | | - Srećko Ćurčić
- Institute of Zoology, University of Belgrade-Faculty of Biology, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Samuel Danflous
- Conservatoire d'Espaces Naturels de Midi-Pyrénées, Toulouse, France
| | - László Dányi
- Department of Zoology, Hungarian Natural History Museum, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Sylvain Déjean
- Conservatoire d'Espaces Naturels de Midi-Pyrénées, Toulouse, France
| | - Christo Deltshev
- National Museum of Natural History, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Mert Elverici
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science and Arts, Erzincan Binali Yıldırım University, Erzincan, Turkey
| | | | - Fulvio Gasparo
- Commissione Grotte 'E. Boegan', Società Alpina delle Giulie, C.A.I., Trieste, Italy
| | - Marjan Komnenov
- Independent Researcher, Blwd Kuzman Josifovski Pitu, Skopje, Republic of North Macedonia
| | - Christian Komposch
- OEKOTEAM - Institute for Animal Ecology and Landscape Planning, Graz, Austria
| | | | - Kadir Boğaç Kunt
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Eskişehir Technical University, Eskişehir, Turkey.,Zoological Collection of Cyprus Wildlife Research Institute, Taşkent, Kyrenia, Cyprus
| | - Andrej Mock
- Pavol Jozef Šafárik University, Košice, Slovakia
| | - Oana Teodora Moldovan
- Emil Racovitza Institute of Speleology, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.,Romanian Institute of Science and Technology, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Maria Naumova
- Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Martina Pavlek
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences & Biodiversity Research Institute, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Croatian Biospeleological Society, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Carlos E Prieto
- Department of Zoology & Animal Cell Biology, University of the Basque Country, Bilbao, Spain
| | - Carles Ribera
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences & Biodiversity Research Institute, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Robert Rozwałka
- Faculty of Biology and Environmental Sciences, Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University, Warszawa, Poland
| | - Vlastimil Růžička
- Biology Centre CAS, Institute of Entomology, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Robert S Vargovitsh
- Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kiev, Ukraine
| | - Stefan Zaenker
- Verband der deutschen Höhlen- und Karstforscher e.V., Fulda, Germany
| | - Marco Isaia
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
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14
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Bregović P, Fišer C, Zagmajster M. Contribution of rare and common species to subterranean species richness patterns. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:11606-11618. [PMID: 31695872 PMCID: PMC6822026 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2019] [Revised: 08/05/2019] [Accepted: 08/06/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
AIM Common species contribute more to species richness patterns (SRPs) than rare species in most studies. Our aim was to test this hypothesis using a novel model system, species living exclusively in subterranean habitats. They consist of mainly rare species (small ranges), only a few of them being common (large ranges), and challenge whether rare species are less important for the development of SRPs in this environment. We separately analyzed aquatic and terrestrial species. LOCATION Western Balkans in southeastern Europe. METHODS We assembled two datasets comprising 431 beetle and 145 amphipod species, representing the model groups of subterranean terrestrial and aquatic diversity, respectively. We assessed the importance of rare and common species using the stepwise reconstruction of SRPs and subsequent correlation analyses, corrected also for the cumulative information content of the subsets based on species prevalence. We applied generalized linear regression models to evaluate the importance of rare and common species in forming SRPs. Additionally, we analyzed the contribution of rare and common species in species-rich cells. RESULTS Patterns of subterranean aquatic and terrestrial species richness overlapped only weakly, with aquatic species having larger ranges than terrestrial ones. Our analyses supported higher importance of common species for forming overall SRPs in both beetles and amphipods. However, in stepwise analysis corrected for information content, results were ambiguous. Common species presented a higher proportion of species than rare species in species-rich cells. MAIN CONCLUSION We have shown that even in habitats with the domination of rare species, it is still common species that drive SRPs. This may be due to an even spatial distribution of rare species or spatial mismatch in hotspots of rare and common species. SRPs of aquatic and terrestrial subterranean organisms overlap very little, so the conservation approaches need to be habitat specific.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petra Bregović
- SubBioLabDepartment of BiologyBiotechnical FacultyUniversity of LjubljanaLjubljanaSlovenia
- Croatian Biospeleological SocietyZagrebCroatia
| | - Cene Fišer
- SubBioLabDepartment of BiologyBiotechnical FacultyUniversity of LjubljanaLjubljanaSlovenia
| | - Maja Zagmajster
- SubBioLabDepartment of BiologyBiotechnical FacultyUniversity of LjubljanaLjubljanaSlovenia
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15
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Gibson L, Humphreys WF, Harvey M, Hyder B, Winzer A. Shedding light on the hidden world of subterranean fauna: A transdisciplinary research approach. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 684:381-389. [PMID: 31154211 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.05.316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2019] [Revised: 05/18/2019] [Accepted: 05/20/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Subterranean environments contain a diverse and unique obligate fauna: either aquatic living in the groundwater or terrestrial living in voids above the water table. In the arid region of the western part of the Australian continent, a particularly rich subterranean fauna coincides with a concentration of natural resource extraction operations. Since the inclusion of subterranean fauna in assessments of environmental impact in the mid-1990s, taxonomic research in Australia on this group of mainly invertebrates has grown exponentially. However, remaining knowledge gaps continue to frustrate both environmental regulators and development proponents due to high uncertainty in the decision-making process. In early 2017, the Western Australian Biodiversity Science Institute was tasked with leading the development of a research program to improve on the current state of knowledge of subterranean fauna. To balance the diverse environmental, economic and social needs of a range of stakeholders, transdisciplinary principles were applied to program development. A clear consensus on five broad focus areas to progress include: (1) data consolidation; (2) resilience to disturbance; (3) survey and sampling protocols; (4) abiotic and biotic habitat requirements; and (5) species delineation. In the context of these focus areas; we describe the research program development, reviewing the status of knowledge within each focus area, and the research initiatives to close the gaps in knowledge. We argue that, by adopting a transdisciplinary approach, the likelihood of success of the research program, as measured by the effective translation and adoption of research findings, will be maximized. This review is timely given the ever-increasing demand on groundwater systems for water extraction worldwide. A holistic understanding of the influence of anthropogenic activities on these ecosystems, and the functional role of organisms within them, will help to ensure that their health is not compromised.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lesley Gibson
- Western Australian Biodiversity Science Institute, WA Trustees Building, Level 2, 133 St Georges Terrace, Perth, WA 6000, Australia; Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, 17 Dick Perry Avenue, Kensington, WA 6151, Australia; School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia.
| | - William F Humphreys
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia; Department of Terrestrial Zoology, Western Australian Museum, 49 Kew Street, Welshpool, Western Australia 6106, Australia
| | - Mark Harvey
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia; Department of Terrestrial Zoology, Western Australian Museum, 49 Kew Street, Welshpool, Western Australia 6106, Australia
| | - Bridget Hyder
- Department of Water and Environmental Regulation, 8 Davidson Terrace, Joondalup, Western Australia 6027, Australia
| | - Andrew Winzer
- Fortescue Metals Group Ltd, Level 2, 87 Adelaide Terrace, East Perth, Western Australia 6004, Australia
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16
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Exploring the Interplay Between Local and Regional Drivers of Distribution of a Subterranean Organism. DIVERSITY 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/d11080119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Caves are excellent model systems to study the effects of abiotic factors on species distributions due to their selective conditions. Different ecological factors have been shown to affect species distribution depending on the scale of analysis, whether regional or local. The interplay between local and regional factors in explaining the spatial distribution of cave-dwelling organisms is poorly understood. Using the troglophilic subterranean spider Artema nephilit (Araneae: Pholcidae) as a model organism, we investigated whether similar environmental predictors drive the species distribution at these two spatial scales. At the local scale, we monitored the abundance of the spiders and measured relevant environmental features in 33 caves along the Jordan Rift Valley. We then extended the analysis to a regional scale, investigating the drivers of the distribution using species distribution models. We found that similar ecological factors determined the distribution at both local and regional scales for A. nephilit. At a local scale, the species was found to preferentially occupy the outermost, illuminated, and warmer sectors of caves. Similarly, mean annual temperature, annual temperature range, and solar radiation were the most important drivers of its regional distribution. By investigating these two spatial scales simultaneously, we showed that it was possible to achieve an in-depth understanding of the environmental conditions that governs subterranean species distribution.
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17
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Mammola S, Schönhofer AL, Isaia M. Tracking the ice: Subterranean harvestmen distribution matches ancient glacier margins. J ZOOL SYST EVOL RES 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/jzs.12264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Mammola
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology; University of Turin; Turin Italy
| | - Axel L. Schönhofer
- Abteilung Evolutionsbiologie; Institut für Zoologie; Johannes Gutenberg Universität Mainz; Mainz Germany
| | - Marco Isaia
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology; University of Turin; Turin Italy
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18
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Zagmajster M, Malard F, Eme D, Culver DC. Subterranean Biodiversity Patterns from Global to Regional Scales. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-98852-8_9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/18/2023]
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19
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Mokany K, Harwood TD, Halse SA, Ferrier S. Riddles in the dark: Assessing diversity patterns for cryptic subterranean fauna of the Pilbara. DIVERS DISTRIB 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.12852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Karel Mokany
- CSIRO; Canberra Australian Capital Territory Australia
| | | | - Stuart A. Halse
- Bennelongia Environmental Consultants; Wembley Western Australia Australia
| | - Simon Ferrier
- CSIRO; Canberra Australian Capital Territory Australia
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20
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Jaffé R, Prous X, Calux A, Gastauer M, Nicacio G, Zampaulo R, Souza-Filho PWM, Oliveira G, Brandi IV, Siqueira JO. Conserving relics from ancient underground worlds: assessing the influence of cave and landscape features on obligate iron cave dwellers from the Eastern Amazon. PeerJ 2018; 6:e4531. [PMID: 29576987 PMCID: PMC5865468 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.4531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2018] [Accepted: 03/03/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The degradation of subterranean habitats is believed to represent a serious threat for the conservation of obligate subterranean dwellers (troglobites), many of which are short-range endemics. However, while the factors influencing cave biodiversity remain largely unknown, the influence of the surrounding landscape and patterns of subterranean connectivity of terrestrial troglobitic communities have never been systematically assessed. Using spatial statistics to analyze the most comprehensive speleological database yet available for tropical caves, we first assess the influence of iron cave characteristics and the surrounding landscape on troglobitic communities from the Eastern Amazon. We then determine the spatial pattern of troglobitic community composition, species richness, phylogenetic diversity, and the occurrence of frequent troglobitic species, and finally quantify how different landscape features influence the connectivity between caves. Our results reveal the key importance of habitat amount, guano, water, lithology, geomorphology, and elevation in shaping iron cave troglobitic communities. While mining within 250 m from the caves influenced species composition, increasing agricultural land cover within 50 m from the caves reduced species richness and phylogenetic diversity. Troglobitic species composition, species richness, phylogenetic diversity, and the occurrence of frequent troglobites showed spatial autocorrelation for up to 40 km. Finally, our results suggest that the conservation of cave clusters should be prioritized, as geographic distance was the main factor determining connectivity between troglobitic communities. Overall, our work sheds important light onto one of the most overlooked terrestrial ecosystems, and highlights the need to shift conservation efforts from individual caves to subterranean habitats as a whole.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodolfo Jaffé
- Instituto Tecnológico Vale, Belém, PA, Brazil.,Ecology, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.,Ecology, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Pará, Brazil
| | - Xavier Prous
- Environmental Licensing and Speleology, Vale, Nova Lima, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Allan Calux
- Environmental Licensing and Speleology, Vale, Nova Lima, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | | | | | - Robson Zampaulo
- Environmental Licensing and Speleology, Vale, Nova Lima, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Pedro W M Souza-Filho
- Instituto Tecnológico Vale, Belém, PA, Brazil.,Geoscience, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Pará, Brazil
| | | | - Iuri V Brandi
- Environmental Licensing and Speleology, Vale, Nova Lima, Minas Gerais, Brazil
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21
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Fiera C, Habel JC, Ulrich W. Neutral colonisations drive high beta-diversity in cavernicole springtails (Collembola). PLoS One 2018; 13:e0189638. [PMID: 29293538 PMCID: PMC5749714 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0189638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2017] [Accepted: 11/29/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The theory of island biogeography predicts the effects of habitat isolation and size on species richness, community assembly, and the persistence of species. Various studies showed that habitat conditions and the ecology of species are also of relevance in explaining community assembly. Geographically isolated habitats like caves with rather constant environmental conditions provide models to test for the relevance of the above described variables. In this study we analysed springtails living in karst caves of the Romanian Carpathians and Dobrogea region. We considered phylogenetic relatedness, habitat and species characteristics to identify the relevant drivers of community assembly. Our data show that species richness of single caves is low. Neither phylogenetic relatedness nor habitat filtering and competitive interactions seem to shape species composition or to affect species richness. We found that glacial-interglacial cycles with subsequent range contractions and expansions might have led to independent and multiple colonisations of caves. Furthermore, single caves might have acted as refugia and thus might have provided the prerequisite for distinct evolution processes, leading to a high level of endemicity of these animal species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Fiera
- Institute of Biology Bucharest, Romanian Academy, 296 Splaiul Independenţei, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Jan Christian Habel
- Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, Department of Ecology and Ecosystem Management, School of Life Science Weihenstephan, Technische Universität München, Freising, Germany
| | - Werner Ulrich
- Chair of Ecology and Biogeography, Nicolaus Copernicus University Torun, Toruń, Poland
- * E-mail:
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22
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Jiménez-Valverde A, Sendra A, Garay P, Reboleira ASPS. Energy and speleogenesis: Key determinants of terrestrial species richness in caves. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:10207-10215. [PMID: 29238548 PMCID: PMC5723612 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2017] [Revised: 09/21/2017] [Accepted: 10/08/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of this study was to unravel the relative role played by speleogenesis (i.e., the process in which a cave is formed), landscape‐scale variables, and geophysical factors in the determination of species richness in caves. Biological inventories from 21 caves located in the southeastern Iberian Peninsula along with partial least square (PLS) regression analysis were used to assess the relative importance of the different explanatory variables. The caves were grouped according to the similarity in their species composition; the effect that spatial distance could have on similarity was also studied using correlation between matrices. The energy and speleogenesis of caves accounted for 44.3% of the variation in species richness. The trophic level of each cave was the most significant factor in PLS regression analysis, and epigenic caves (i.e., those formed by the action of percolating water) had significantly more species than hypogenic ones (i.e., those formed by the action of upward flows in confined aquifers). Dissimilarity among the caves was very high (multiple‐site βsim = 0.92). Two main groups of caves were revealed through the cluster analysis, one formed by the western caves and the other by the eastern ones. The significant—but low—correlation found between faunistic dissimilarity and geographical distance (r = .16) disappeared once the caves were split into the two groups. The extreme beta‐diversity suggests a very low connection among the caves and/or a very low dispersal capacity of the species. In the region under study, two main factors are intimately related to the richness of terrestrial subterranean species in caves: the amount of organic material (trophic level) and the formation process (genesis). This is the first time that the history of a cave genesis has been quantitatively considered to assess its importance in explaining richness patterns in comparison with other factors more widely recognized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Jiménez-Valverde
- Grupo de Investigación de Biología del Suelo y de los Ecosistemas Subterráneos Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida Facultad de Biología Ciencias Ambientales y Química Universidad de Alcalá Alcalá de Henares Madrid Spain
| | - Alberto Sendra
- Grupo de Investigación de Biología del Suelo y de los Ecosistemas Subterráneos Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida Facultad de Biología Ciencias Ambientales y Química Universidad de Alcalá Alcalá de Henares Madrid Spain.,Servei de Patrimoni Historic Ajuntament de València Spain
| | - Policarp Garay
- Departament de Geologia Universitat de València Burjassot Spain
| | - Ana Sofia P S Reboleira
- Departamento de Biologia & CESAM Universidade de Aveiro Aveiro Portugal.,Natural History Museum of Denmark (Zoological Museum) University of Copenhagen København Ø Denmark
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23
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Mammola S, Cardoso P, Ribera C, Pavlek M, Isaia M. A synthesis on cave-dwelling spiders in Europe. J ZOOL SYST EVOL RES 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/jzs.12201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Mammola
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology; University of Torino; Turin Italy
| | - Pedro Cardoso
- Finnish Museum of Natural History; University of Helsinki; Helsinki Finland
| | - Carles Ribera
- Biodiversity Research Institute and Department of Animal Biology; University of Barcelona; Barcelona Spain
| | - Martina Pavlek
- Biodiversity Research Institute and Department of Animal Biology; University of Barcelona; Barcelona Spain
- Ruđer Bošković Institute; Zagreb Croatia
- Croatian Biospeleological Society; Zagreb Croatia
| | - Marco Isaia
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology; University of Torino; Turin Italy
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24
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Christman MC, Doctor DH, Niemiller ML, Weary DJ, Young JA, Zigler KS, Culver DC. Predicting the Occurrence of Cave-Inhabiting Fauna Based on Features of the Earth Surface Environment. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0160408. [PMID: 27532611 PMCID: PMC4988700 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0160408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2015] [Accepted: 07/08/2016] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
One of the most challenging fauna to study in situ is the obligate cave fauna because of the difficulty of sampling. Cave-limited species display patchy and restricted distributions, but it is often unclear whether the observed distribution is a sampling artifact or a true restriction in range. Further, the drivers of the distribution could be local environmental conditions, such as cave humidity, or they could be associated with surface features that are surrogates for cave conditions. If surface features can be used to predict the distribution of important cave taxa, then conservation management is more easily obtained. We examined the hypothesis that the presence of major faunal groups of cave obligate species could be predicted based on features of the earth surface. Georeferenced records of cave obligate amphipods, crayfish, fish, isopods, beetles, millipedes, pseudoscorpions, spiders, and springtails within the area of Appalachian Landscape Conservation Cooperative in the eastern United States (Illinois to Virginia and New York to Alabama) were assigned to 20 x 20 km grid cells. Habitat suitability for these faunal groups was modeled using logistic regression with twenty predictor variables within each grid cell, such as percent karst, soil features, temperature, precipitation, and elevation. Models successfully predicted the presence of a group greater than 65% of the time (mean = 88%) for the presence of single grid cell endemics, and for all faunal groups except pseudoscorpions. The most common predictor variables were latitude, percent karst, and the standard deviation of the Topographic Position Index (TPI), a measure of landscape rugosity within each grid cell. The overall success of these models points to a number of important connections between the surface and cave environments, and some of these, especially soil features and topographic variability, suggest new research directions. These models should prove to be useful tools in predicting the presence of species in understudied areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary C. Christman
- Departments of Biology and of Statistics, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, and MCC Statistical Consulting LLC, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Daniel H. Doctor
- U. S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Matthew L. Niemiller
- Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, Illinois, United States of America
| | - David J. Weary
- U. S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia, United States of America
| | - John A. Young
- U. S. Geological Survey, Leetown Science Center, Kearneysville, West Virginia, United States of America
| | - Kirk S. Zigler
- Department of Biology, The University of the South, Sewanee, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - David C. Culver
- Department of Environmental Science, American University, Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America
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