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"cave ecology"
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Microbial Community Characterizing Vermiculations from Karst Caves and Its Role in Their Formation
The microbiota associated with vermiculations from karst caves is largely unknown. Vermiculations are enigmatic deposits forming worm-like patterns on cave walls all over the world. They represent a precious focus for geomicrobiological studies aimed at exploring both the microbial life of these ecosystems and the vermiculation genesis. This study comprises the first approach on the microbial communities thriving in Pertosa-Auletta Cave (southern Italy) vermiculations by next-generation sequencing. The most abundant phylum in vermiculations was Proteobacteria, followed by Acidobacteria > Actinobacteria > Nitrospirae > Firmicutes > Planctomycetes > Chloroflexi > Gemmatimonadetes > Bacteroidetes > Latescibacteria. Numerous less-represented taxonomic groups (< 1%), as well as unclassified ones, were also detected. From an ecological point of view, all the groups co-participate in the biogeochemical cycles in these underground environments, mediating oxidation-reduction reactions, promoting host rock dissolution and secondary mineral precipitation, and enriching the matrix in organic matter. Confocal laser scanning microscopy and field emission scanning electron microscopy brought evidence of a strong interaction between the biotic community and the abiotic matrix, supporting the role of microbial communities in the formation process of vermiculations.
Journal Article
The dark! : wild life in the mysterious world of caves
\"Did you know that some creatures that live in the dark have adapted to have no eyes? Or that some dark dwellers have extra long antennae so they can feel their way around their homes? Have you ever seen a troglobite? There many different types of troglobites, including the fearless waterfall-climbing cave fish, the mutant Mexican tetra, and the mystifying olm. Author and illustrator Lindsey Leigh introduces young readers to some of the weirdest and creepiest critters that thrive in the darkest corners of our planet in her uniquely funny and graphic style. This fact-filled book reveals the different ways that creatures of the dark have adapted to thrive in their environments, including slow movement and loss of pigment in their bodies to blend in with their surroundings. Readers will get to know aquatic cave leeches, tailless whip scorpions, cave beetles, the devil's hole pupfish, worms, salamanders, and all kinds of bats\"-- Provided by publisher.
Book
No longer safe in the darkness: ecological and conservation perspectives on troglobitic species in a disturbed Neotropical karst landscape
ABSTRACT Cave-restricted fauna is highly specialized, endemic, and particularly vulnerable to extinction. Nevertheless, the biodiversity of many karst regions remains poorly documented due to limited scientific research, restricted accessibility, and inefficient data collection methods, resulting in substantial knowledge gaps and conservation challenges. In this study, we reviewed existing literature and applied fine-scale sampling techniques in caves within the Capiru, Itaiacoca, and Votuverava limestone formations to investigate the composition, species richness, and taxonomic distinctness of troglobitic invertebrates. These caves are located in the northern region of Paraná state, Brazil, an area under considerable environmental pressure from human activities. We hypothesized that geographically distinct limestone formations support different troglobitic communities as a result of spatial separation, environmental variation, and differing anthropogenic disturbances. Across 23 sampled limestone caves, we recorded 28 troglomorphic invertebrate species, substantially exceeding the nine species previously reported for the state of Paraná. No significant differences were detected in species composition, richness, or taxonomic distinctness among the Votuverava, Capiru, and Itaiacoca limestone belts. The most frequent human impacts observed inside caves were trampling (78.2%), littering (65.2%), graffiti (65.2%), pasture encroachment (60.8%), and speleothem vandalism (60.8%). Our results indicate that greater taxonomic distinctness among troglobitic species is positively associated with higher species richness. In addition, caves subjected to higher levels of human disturbance tended to harbor a greater number of troglobitic species, highlighting the paradoxical occurrence of biological richness in environments under substantial anthropogenic pressure. This study considerably expands the known diversity of troglobitic invertebrates in the Paraná state and improves current knowledge of subterranean biodiversity and faunal composition within the Capiru, Itaiacoca, and Votuverava limestone belts. These findings underscore the urgent need for targeted conservation actions to protect these fragile subterranean ecosystems.
Journal Article
Environmental factors influencing invertebrate communities in caves and surrounding habitats in the Neotropics
The connectivity between epigean and cave habitats is crucial for maintaining invertebrate communities once it can facilitate faunal movement, organic resource supply, and environmental stability. The study aimed to investigate how some spatial and temporal variations in environmental factors within caves and epigean habitats influence invertebrate species richness and composition. We found a notable difference in invertebrate species richness and composition between cave and epigean environments and between cave lithologies. Moisture and temperature significantly influenced species composition across lithologies and epigean and hypogean environments. Cave microclimatic emerged as a critical factor influencing cave fauna. The dissimilarities between epigean and cave environments underscore the selective pressures imposed by caves, challenging species to overcome such environmental filters. Despite epigean environments offering more significant variability in conditions and resources, the findings highlight the importance of local ecological context and specific situations in shaping invertebrate communities. Furthermore, spatial variability within caves emphasises the necessity for a nuanced approach to conservation, considering the heterogeneity of habitats within each cave system. The study contributes to understanding the relationship between caves and their surrounding areas, emphasising the need for tailored conservation strategies that account for regional and cave-specific factors in the context of global environmental changes.
Journal Article
Cave
\"To enter a cave is to venture beyond the realm of the everyday and discover what lies beneath the earth's surface. From huge vaulted caverns to impassable water-filled passages, tiny remote pilgrimage sites to massive tourism enterprises, caves are sites of mystery. Dark spaces that remain largely unexplored, caves are astonishing wonders of nature and habitats for exotic flora and fauna. Cave investigates the natural and cultural history of caves and considers their impact on the human imagination and experience of the natural world. This book explores the long history of human interest with caves, across countries and continents, examining their dual role as spaces of wonder and fear. We encounter the adventurers and 'cave hunters' who pioneered cave science, and the explorers and cave divers still searching for new routes deep into the earth. This book examines the allure of the subterranean world, from caving to cave tourism, and its place in mythology, literature and art. This unique, lavishly illustrated book provides fascinating insight into cave systems and cave lore, the ecology and use of caves, and the extraordinary artistic responses earth's dark recesses have evoked over the centuries.\"--Page 2 of cover.
Book
Cave Biodiversity
A deep-dive into the evolutionary biology, biogeography, and conservation of the most elusive subterranean creatures in the world.Far from the austere, sparsely populated ecosystems often conjured in the imagination, caves host some of the most mysterious and biodiverse natural systems in the world. Subterranean environments, however, are the least explored terrestrial habitats, contributing to misconceptions about their inhabitants. Edited by cave scientist and conservation ecologist Dr. J. Judson Wynne, Cave Biodiversity explores both the evolution and the conservation of subterrestrial-dwelling fauna. Covering both vertebrates and invertebrates, including mollusks, fishes, amphibians, arthropods, and other troglobionts, this volume brings together ichthyologists, entomologists, ecologists, herpetologists, and conservationists to provide a nuanced picture of life beneath the earth's surface. Broad chapters covering biotic and abiotic factors that influence evolution and support biodiversity precede chapters dedicated to specific taxa, highlighting phylogenetics and morphology, and delving into zoogeography, habitat, ecology, and dispersal mechanisms for each. Considerations for conservation of these fascinating, often bizarre, and often highly sensitive subterranean creatures are emphasized throughout.Cave Biodiversity aims to synthesize the principles of subterranean evolutionary biology and diversity through in-depth case studies of some of the most captivating and imperiled taxonomic groups in the world. Employing a multidisciplinary approach involving systematics, genetics, ecology, biogeography, evolutionary biology, and conservation science, Cave Biodiversity will be of keen interest to evolutionary biologists, ecologists, conservation biologists, and cave scientists, as well as advanced undergraduate and graduate students. Contributors: Maria E. Bichuette, Evin T. Carter, Prosanta Chakrabarty, Kenneth James Chapin, Danté B. Fenolio, Andrew G. Gluesenkamp, Jozef Grego, Francis G. Howarth, Leonardo Latella, Matthew L. Niemiller, Karen A. Ober, T. Keith Philips, John G. Phillips, Stuart Pimm, Daphne Soares, J. Judson Wynne, and Yahui Zhao.
eBook
Molecular Occurrence, Diversity and Ecological Patterns of Bartonella spp. in Cave-Dwelling Bats and Associated Streblid Flies
Bats are important reservoirs of vector-borne bacteria, including species of Bartonella, yet the ecological mechanisms underlying their circulation in bat–ectoparasite systems remain poorly understood. Here, we investigated the molecular occurrence, diversity, ecological drivers, and interaction structure of Bartonella spp. in cave-dwelling bats and their associated streblid flies in northeastern Brazil. A total of 492 bats were captured across six caves, from which 231 blood samples and 1017 streblid flies were collected. Molecular screening for Bartonella was performed using a qPCR targeting the 16S–23S rRNA intergenic region, followed by characterization with multiple molecular markers (ftsZ, gltA, ribC, and rpoB). Phylogenetic and genotype diversity analyses revealed high genetic diversity, including lineage clustering with previously described bat-associated Bartonella and ftsZ sequences related to ruminant-associated lineages. Ten genotypes were shared across caves, indicating broad spatial circulation. Generalized linear models showed that streblid load did not predict infection in bats, whereas detection varied significantly among streblid species. Network analyses revealed low specialization of Bartonella molecular markers in bats and significantly higher specialization in flies compared to null expectations. Overall, Bartonella dynamics in cave bats were not explained by streblid abundance alone but instead reflect the combined influence of host ecology, ectoparasite identity, and interaction structure.
Journal Article
THE ROLE OF CAVE NAMES IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF TOURISM IN KAZAKHSTAN
Geographical names, including speleonyms, which were once not registered in official sources, have been preserved in the form of missing words or errors in the Russian language. Therefore, the task of their collection and systematization is fixed by many resolutions of the government of the Republic of Kazakhstan and other authorized bodies. One of the issues of determining the ways of implementing the project \"sacred geography of Kazakhstan\" and the direction of research work is aimed at restoring the names of caves. The purpose of the study is to identify the features of the formation of cave names on the territory of Kazakhstan and the geographical prerequisites for their restoration. Research objectives: to determine the role of physical and geographical conditions of Kazakhstan in the formation of speleonyms; to reflect the patterns and areas of cave distribution in Kazakhstan and to analyze the geographical aspects of the formation of speleonyms; analysis of geographical aspects of the formation of speleonyms; determination of the place of speleonyms as tourist and recreational objects; making proposals for the preservation of caves and Speleonyms of Kazakhstan. The object of the study is caves and other underground parts distributed on the territory of Kazakhstan as special objects of the sacred regions of the country, the subject of the study is the conditions and meaning of the formation of the names of these caves, their geographical prerequisites and opportunities for restoration. The caves will be of great interest from a geomorphological, hydrological, bio-speleological, archaeological and paleozoological point of view. In recent years, they are studied as unique natural landscapes. The importance of caves for speleotourism is also difficult to overestimate.
Journal Article