A Primer on Spider Assemblages in Levantine Caves: The Neglected Subterranean Habitats of the Levant—A Biodiversity Mine
Caves share unique conditions that have led to convergent adaptations of cave-dwelling animals. In addition, local factors act as filters on regional species-pools to shape the assemblage composition of local caves. Surveys of 35 Levantine caves, distributed along a climate gradient from the mesic i...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2021-04-01
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| Series: | Diversity |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/13/5/179 |
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| author | Efrat Gavish-Regev Shlomi Aharon Igor Armiach Steinpress Merav Seifan Yael Lubin |
| author_facet | Efrat Gavish-Regev Shlomi Aharon Igor Armiach Steinpress Merav Seifan Yael Lubin |
| author_sort | Efrat Gavish-Regev |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Caves share unique conditions that have led to convergent adaptations of cave-dwelling animals. In addition, local factors act as filters on regional species-pools to shape the assemblage composition of local caves. Surveys of 35 Levantine caves, distributed along a climate gradient from the mesic in the north of Israel to hyper-arid areas in the south of Israel, were conducted to test the effect of cave characteristics, location, climate, bat presence, and guano level on the spider assemblage. We found 62 spider species and assigned four species as troglobites, 28 as troglophiles, and 30 as accidentals. Precipitation, elevation, latitude, minimum temperature, and guano levels significantly affected the composition of cave-dwelling spider assemblages. Caves situated in the Mediterranean region had higher species richness and abundance, as well as more troglobite and troglophile arachnids. These discoveries contribute to the knowledge of the local arachnofauna and are important for the conservation of cave ecosystems. By comparing spider assemblages of Levantine caves to European caves, we identified gaps in the taxonomic research, focusing our efforts on spider families that may have additional cryptic or yet to be described cave-dwelling spider species. Our faunistic surveys are crucial stages for understanding the evolutionary and ecological mechanisms of arachnid speciation in Levantine caves. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T12:02:38Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-3ccb555b1f2941228b425921142a18ba |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1424-2818 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T12:02:38Z |
| publishDate | 2021-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Diversity |
| spelling | doaj.art-3ccb555b1f2941228b425921142a18ba2023-11-21T16:48:30ZengMDPI AGDiversity1424-28182021-04-0113517910.3390/d13050179A Primer on Spider Assemblages in Levantine Caves: The Neglected Subterranean Habitats of the Levant—A Biodiversity MineEfrat Gavish-Regev0Shlomi Aharon1Igor Armiach Steinpress2Merav Seifan3Yael Lubin4The National Natural History Collections, Edmond J. Safra Campus, Givat Ram, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9190401, IsraelThe National Natural History Collections, Edmond J. Safra Campus, Givat Ram, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9190401, IsraelThe National Natural History Collections, Edmond J. Safra Campus, Givat Ram, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9190401, IsraelMitrani Department of Desert Ecology, Swiss Institute for Dryland Environmental and Energy Research, Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Sede Boqer Campus, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Midreshet Ben-Gurion 8499000, IsraelMitrani Department of Desert Ecology, Swiss Institute for Dryland Environmental and Energy Research, Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Sede Boqer Campus, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Midreshet Ben-Gurion 8499000, IsraelCaves share unique conditions that have led to convergent adaptations of cave-dwelling animals. In addition, local factors act as filters on regional species-pools to shape the assemblage composition of local caves. Surveys of 35 Levantine caves, distributed along a climate gradient from the mesic in the north of Israel to hyper-arid areas in the south of Israel, were conducted to test the effect of cave characteristics, location, climate, bat presence, and guano level on the spider assemblage. We found 62 spider species and assigned four species as troglobites, 28 as troglophiles, and 30 as accidentals. Precipitation, elevation, latitude, minimum temperature, and guano levels significantly affected the composition of cave-dwelling spider assemblages. Caves situated in the Mediterranean region had higher species richness and abundance, as well as more troglobite and troglophile arachnids. These discoveries contribute to the knowledge of the local arachnofauna and are important for the conservation of cave ecosystems. By comparing spider assemblages of Levantine caves to European caves, we identified gaps in the taxonomic research, focusing our efforts on spider families that may have additional cryptic or yet to be described cave-dwelling spider species. Our faunistic surveys are crucial stages for understanding the evolutionary and ecological mechanisms of arachnid speciation in Levantine caves.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/13/5/179accidental cave visitorsArachnidaAraneaearidhypogeanlevant |
| spellingShingle | Efrat Gavish-Regev Shlomi Aharon Igor Armiach Steinpress Merav Seifan Yael Lubin A Primer on Spider Assemblages in Levantine Caves: The Neglected Subterranean Habitats of the Levant—A Biodiversity Mine Diversity accidental cave visitors Arachnida Araneae arid hypogean levant |
| title | A Primer on Spider Assemblages in Levantine Caves: The Neglected Subterranean Habitats of the Levant—A Biodiversity Mine |
| title_full | A Primer on Spider Assemblages in Levantine Caves: The Neglected Subterranean Habitats of the Levant—A Biodiversity Mine |
| title_fullStr | A Primer on Spider Assemblages in Levantine Caves: The Neglected Subterranean Habitats of the Levant—A Biodiversity Mine |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Primer on Spider Assemblages in Levantine Caves: The Neglected Subterranean Habitats of the Levant—A Biodiversity Mine |
| title_short | A Primer on Spider Assemblages in Levantine Caves: The Neglected Subterranean Habitats of the Levant—A Biodiversity Mine |
| title_sort | primer on spider assemblages in levantine caves the neglected subterranean habitats of the levant a biodiversity mine |
| topic | accidental cave visitors Arachnida Araneae arid hypogean levant |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/13/5/179 |
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