Cave Ecology

Description

Cave organisms are the ‘monsters’ of the underground world and studying them invariably raises interesting questions about the ways evolution has equipped them to survive in permanent darkness and low-energy environments. Undertaking ecological studies in caves and other subterranean habitats is not only challenging because they are difficult to access, but also because the domain is so different from what we know from the surface, with no plants at the base of food chains and with a nearly constant microclimate year-round. The research presented here answers key questions such as how a constant environment can produce the enormous biodiversity seen below ground, what adaptations and peculiarities allow subterranean organisms to thrive, and how they are affected by the constraints of their environment. This book is divided into six main parts, which address: the habitats of cave animals; their complex diversity; the environmental factors that support that diversity; individual case studies of cave ecosystems; and of the conservation challenges they face; all of which culminate in proposals for future research directions. Given its breadth of coverage, it offers an essential reference guide for graduate students and established researchers alike. Front Matter ....Pages i-vii Preamble (Oana Teodora Moldovan, Ľubomír Kováč, Stuart Halse)....Pages 1-4 Front Matter ....Pages 5-5 Physiography of the Caves (Stein-Erik Lauritzen)....Pages 7-21 Where Cave Animals Live (Francis G. Howarth, Oana Teodora Moldovan)....Pages 23-37 Front Matter ....Pages 39-39 The Ecological Classification of Cave Animals and Their Adaptations (Francis G. Howarth, Oana Teodora Moldovan)....Pages 41-67 The Microbial Diversity of Caves (Olivia S. Hershey, Hazel A. Barton)....Pages 69-90 Phototrophs in Caves (Janez Mulec)....Pages 91-106 Diversity of Terrestrial Invertebrates in Subterranean Habitats (Louis Deharveng, Anne Bedos)....Pages 107-172 An Overview on the Aquatic Cave Fauna (Oana Teodora Moldovan)....Pages 173-194 Subterranean Biodiversity Patterns from Global to Regional Scales (Maja Zagmajster, Florian Malard, David Eme, David C. Culver)....Pages 195-227 Historical and Ecological Factors Determining Cave Diversity (Ignacio Ribera, Alexandra Cieslak, Arnaud Faille, Javier Fresneda)....Pages 229-252 Front Matter ....Pages 253-253 Cave Communities and Species Interactions (Stefano Mammola, Marco Isaia)....Pages 255-267 Structure and Genetics of Cave Populations (Peter Trontelj)....Pages 269-295 Caves as Oligotrophic Ecosystems (Ľubomír Kováč)....Pages 297-307 Food Webs in Caves (Michael P. Venarsky, Brock M. Huntsman)....Pages 309-328 Front Matter ....Pages 329-329 Ice Caves (Ľubomír Kováč)....Pages 331-349 Researches in Sulphide-Based Ecosystems (Alexandra Hillebrand-Voiculescu)....Pages 351-368 Researches in Lava Tubes (Pedro Oromí)....Pages 369-381 Research in Anchialine Caves (Thomas M. Iliffe, Fernando Alvarez)....Pages 383-397 Volcanic Anchialine Habitats of Lanzarote (Alejandro Martínez, Brett C. Gonzalez)....Pages 399-414 Research in Calcretes and Other Deep Subterranean Habitats Outside Caves (Stuart Halse)....Pages 415-434 Subterranean Biodiversity in Ferruginous Landscapes (Rodrigo Lopes Ferreira, Marcus Paulo Alves de Oliveira, Marconi Souza Silva)....Pages 435-447 Front Matter ....Pages 449-449 Conservation of Cave Fauna, with an Emphasis on Europe and the Americas (Matthew L. Niemiller, Steven J. Taylor, Maria Elina Bichuette)....Pages 451-478 Conservation and Impact Assessment of Subterranean Fauna in Australia (Stuart Halse)....Pages 479-494 Front Matter ....Pages 495-495 Where Angels Fear to Tread: Developments in Cave Ecology (William F. Humphreys)....Pages 497-532 Back Matter ....Pages 533-545