Conserving relics from ancient underground worlds: assessing the influence of cave and landscape features on obligate iron cave dwellers from the Eastern Amazon
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 surro...
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| Format: | Article |
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PeerJ Inc.
2018-03-01
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| Online Access: | https://peerj.com/articles/4531.pdf |
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| author | Rodolfo Jaffé Xavier Prous Allan Calux Markus Gastauer Gilberto Nicacio Robson Zampaulo Pedro W.M. Souza-Filho Guilherme Oliveira Iuri V. Brandi José O. Siqueira |
| author_facet | Rodolfo Jaffé Xavier Prous Allan Calux Markus Gastauer Gilberto Nicacio Robson Zampaulo Pedro W.M. Souza-Filho Guilherme Oliveira Iuri V. Brandi José O. Siqueira |
| author_sort | Rodolfo Jaffé |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | 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. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T06:40:05Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-43e7dd7e6e9044d3ab9243c1818ef161 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2167-8359 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T06:40:05Z |
| publishDate | 2018-03-01 |
| publisher | PeerJ Inc. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PeerJ |
| spelling | doaj.art-43e7dd7e6e9044d3ab9243c1818ef1612023-12-03T10:51:47ZengPeerJ Inc.PeerJ2167-83592018-03-016e453110.7717/peerj.4531Conserving relics from ancient underground worlds: assessing the influence of cave and landscape features on obligate iron cave dwellers from the Eastern AmazonRodolfo Jaffé0Xavier Prous1Allan Calux2Markus Gastauer3Gilberto Nicacio4Robson Zampaulo5Pedro W.M. Souza-Filho6Guilherme Oliveira7Iuri V. Brandi8José O. Siqueira9Instituto Tecnológico Vale, Belém, PA, BrazilEnvironmental Licensing and Speleology, Vale, Nova Lima, Minas Gerais, BrazilEnvironmental Licensing and Speleology, Vale, Nova Lima, Minas Gerais, BrazilInstituto Tecnológico Vale, Belém, PA, BrazilInstituto Tecnológico Vale, Belém, PA, BrazilEnvironmental Licensing and Speleology, Vale, Nova Lima, Minas Gerais, BrazilInstituto Tecnológico Vale, Belém, PA, BrazilInstituto Tecnológico Vale, Belém, PA, BrazilEnvironmental Licensing and Speleology, Vale, Nova Lima, Minas Gerais, BrazilInstituto Tecnológico Vale, Belém, PA, BrazilThe 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.https://peerj.com/articles/4531.pdfTroglobitesLandscape ecologyIron cavesSpeleologyMiningConnectivity |
| spellingShingle | Rodolfo Jaffé Xavier Prous Allan Calux Markus Gastauer Gilberto Nicacio Robson Zampaulo Pedro W.M. Souza-Filho Guilherme Oliveira Iuri V. Brandi José O. Siqueira Conserving relics from ancient underground worlds: assessing the influence of cave and landscape features on obligate iron cave dwellers from the Eastern Amazon PeerJ Troglobites Landscape ecology Iron caves Speleology Mining Connectivity |
| title | Conserving relics from ancient underground worlds: assessing the influence of cave and landscape features on obligate iron cave dwellers from the Eastern Amazon |
| title_full | Conserving relics from ancient underground worlds: assessing the influence of cave and landscape features on obligate iron cave dwellers from the Eastern Amazon |
| title_fullStr | Conserving relics from ancient underground worlds: assessing the influence of cave and landscape features on obligate iron cave dwellers from the Eastern Amazon |
| title_full_unstemmed | Conserving relics from ancient underground worlds: assessing the influence of cave and landscape features on obligate iron cave dwellers from the Eastern Amazon |
| title_short | Conserving relics from ancient underground worlds: assessing the influence of cave and landscape features on obligate iron cave dwellers from the Eastern Amazon |
| title_sort | conserving relics from ancient underground worlds assessing the influence of cave and landscape features on obligate iron cave dwellers from the eastern amazon |
| topic | Troglobites Landscape ecology Iron caves Speleology Mining Connectivity |
| url | https://peerj.com/articles/4531.pdf |
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