The Baget Karstic System and the Interstitial Environment of Lachein, a Hotspot of Subterranean Biodiversity in the Pyrenees (France)
Located in Lestelas-Balaguères massif, central northern Pyrenees, France, the Baget catchment covers 13.25 km<sup>2</sup> and is highly karstified: so far, more than 80 caves have been recorded. The main outlet of the system, the exsurgence de Las Hountas, has an average flow of 550 L/s....
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MDPI AG
2024-01-01
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| Series: | Diversity |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/16/1/62 |
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| author | Franck Bréhier Danielle Defaye Arnaud Faille Anne Bedos |
| author_facet | Franck Bréhier Danielle Defaye Arnaud Faille Anne Bedos |
| author_sort | Franck Bréhier |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Located in Lestelas-Balaguères massif, central northern Pyrenees, France, the Baget catchment covers 13.25 km<sup>2</sup> and is highly karstified: so far, more than 80 caves have been recorded. The main outlet of the system, the exsurgence de Las Hountas, has an average flow of 550 L/s. Downstream, it is connected with the hyporheic of the Lachein stream. The Baget system, formed by both the karstic system and the hyporheic, has been intensively investigated by cave biologists and is known to be a hotspot for subterranean biodiversity. The synthesis provided here lists no less than 17 troglobionts and 40 stygobionts, with 3 single site endemics, making the Baget system the richest subterranean hotspot in the Pyrenees. This is notably due to the diversity of subterranean habitats and to the comprehensive knowledge of the stygofauna, likely unmatched at the European scale. Considering the significant speleological findings of the last 15 years that have not been yet biologically investigated, we can expect new discoveries, especially for the troglofauna. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T11:00:27Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b79c81229bbb425f8bad2cb7455638a9 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1424-2818 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T11:00:27Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Diversity |
| spelling | doaj.art-b79c81229bbb425f8bad2cb7455638a92024-01-26T16:05:34ZengMDPI AGDiversity1424-28182024-01-011616210.3390/d16010062The Baget Karstic System and the Interstitial Environment of Lachein, a Hotspot of Subterranean Biodiversity in the Pyrenees (France)Franck Bréhier0Danielle Defaye1Arnaud Faille2Anne Bedos3Independent Researcher, 9 Carrè Raou–Alas, 09800 Balaguères, FranceIndependent Researcher, 27 rue Gaston Charlet, 87000 Limoges, FranceDepartment of Entomology, State Museum of Natural History, 70191 Stuttgart, GermanyInstitut de Systématique, Évolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), UMR 7205 CNRS, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Sorbonne Université, 45 rue Buffon, 75005 Paris, FranceLocated in Lestelas-Balaguères massif, central northern Pyrenees, France, the Baget catchment covers 13.25 km<sup>2</sup> and is highly karstified: so far, more than 80 caves have been recorded. The main outlet of the system, the exsurgence de Las Hountas, has an average flow of 550 L/s. Downstream, it is connected with the hyporheic of the Lachein stream. The Baget system, formed by both the karstic system and the hyporheic, has been intensively investigated by cave biologists and is known to be a hotspot for subterranean biodiversity. The synthesis provided here lists no less than 17 troglobionts and 40 stygobionts, with 3 single site endemics, making the Baget system the richest subterranean hotspot in the Pyrenees. This is notably due to the diversity of subterranean habitats and to the comprehensive knowledge of the stygofauna, likely unmatched at the European scale. Considering the significant speleological findings of the last 15 years that have not been yet biologically investigated, we can expect new discoveries, especially for the troglofauna.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/16/1/62cave faunahyporheictroglobiontstygobiont |
| spellingShingle | Franck Bréhier Danielle Defaye Arnaud Faille Anne Bedos The Baget Karstic System and the Interstitial Environment of Lachein, a Hotspot of Subterranean Biodiversity in the Pyrenees (France) Diversity cave fauna hyporheic troglobiont stygobiont |
| title | The Baget Karstic System and the Interstitial Environment of Lachein, a Hotspot of Subterranean Biodiversity in the Pyrenees (France) |
| title_full | The Baget Karstic System and the Interstitial Environment of Lachein, a Hotspot of Subterranean Biodiversity in the Pyrenees (France) |
| title_fullStr | The Baget Karstic System and the Interstitial Environment of Lachein, a Hotspot of Subterranean Biodiversity in the Pyrenees (France) |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Baget Karstic System and the Interstitial Environment of Lachein, a Hotspot of Subterranean Biodiversity in the Pyrenees (France) |
| title_short | The Baget Karstic System and the Interstitial Environment of Lachein, a Hotspot of Subterranean Biodiversity in the Pyrenees (France) |
| title_sort | baget karstic system and the interstitial environment of lachein a hotspot of subterranean biodiversity in the pyrenees france |
| topic | cave fauna hyporheic troglobiont stygobiont |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/16/1/62 |
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