The role of microhabitats in structuring cave invertebrate communities in Guatemala

Detalhes bibliográficos
Autor(a) principal: Pacheco, Gabrielle S. M.
Data de Publicação: 2020
Outros Autores: Silva, Marconi Souza, Cano, Enio, Ferreira, Rodrigo L.
Tipo de documento: Artigo
Idioma: eng
Título da fonte: Repositório Institucional da UFLA
Texto Completo: http://repositorio.ufla.br/jspui/handle/1/48253
Resumo: Several studies have tried to elucidate the main environmental features driving invertebrate community structure in cave environments. They found that many factors influence the community structure, but rarely focused on how substrate types and heterogeneity might shape these communities. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess which substrate features and whether or not substrate heterogeneity determines the invertebrate community structure (species richness and composition) in a set of limestone caves in Guatemala. We hypothesized that the troglobitic fauna responds differently to habitat structure regarding species richness and composition than non-troglobitic fauna because they are more specialized to live in subterranean habitats. Using 30 m2 transects, the invertebrate fauna was collected and the substrate features were measured. The results showed that community responded to the presence of guano, cobbles, boulders, and substrate heterogeneity. The positive relationship between non-troglobitic species composition with the presence of guano reinforces the importance of food resources for structuring invertebrate cave communities in Guatemalan caves. Furthermore, the troglobitic species responded to different substrate features when compared to non-troglobitic species. For them, instead of the presence of organic matter, a higher variety of abiotic microhabitats seem to be the main driver for species diversity within a cave. The high specialization level of troglobitic organisms might be the reason why they respond differently to environmental conditions. The findings of this study highlight the importance of biological surveys for understanding cave biodiversity and give insights on how this biodiversity might be distributed within a cave. Conservation measures should keep in mind the target organisms and if such measures aim to protect a broad variety of organisms, then one should aim to preserve as many microhabitats and trophic resources as possible.
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spelling The role of microhabitats in structuring cave invertebrate communities in GuatemalaCaves - Invertebrate communityArthropodsHabitat heterogeneitySubstrate compositionTroglobitesCavernas - comunidade de invertebradosArtrópodesHeterogeneidade de habitatComposição do substratoTroglóbiosSeveral studies have tried to elucidate the main environmental features driving invertebrate community structure in cave environments. They found that many factors influence the community structure, but rarely focused on how substrate types and heterogeneity might shape these communities. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess which substrate features and whether or not substrate heterogeneity determines the invertebrate community structure (species richness and composition) in a set of limestone caves in Guatemala. We hypothesized that the troglobitic fauna responds differently to habitat structure regarding species richness and composition than non-troglobitic fauna because they are more specialized to live in subterranean habitats. Using 30 m2 transects, the invertebrate fauna was collected and the substrate features were measured. The results showed that community responded to the presence of guano, cobbles, boulders, and substrate heterogeneity. The positive relationship between non-troglobitic species composition with the presence of guano reinforces the importance of food resources for structuring invertebrate cave communities in Guatemalan caves. Furthermore, the troglobitic species responded to different substrate features when compared to non-troglobitic species. For them, instead of the presence of organic matter, a higher variety of abiotic microhabitats seem to be the main driver for species diversity within a cave. The high specialization level of troglobitic organisms might be the reason why they respond differently to environmental conditions. The findings of this study highlight the importance of biological surveys for understanding cave biodiversity and give insights on how this biodiversity might be distributed within a cave. Conservation measures should keep in mind the target organisms and if such measures aim to protect a broad variety of organisms, then one should aim to preserve as many microhabitats and trophic resources as possible.Union Internationale de Spéléologie2021-09-27T21:01:32Z2021-09-27T21:01:32Z2020-05info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/articleapplication/pdfPACHECO, G. S. M. et al. The role of microhabitats in structuring cave invertebrate communities in Guatemala. International Journal of Speleology, Tampa, v. 49, n. 2, p. 161-169, May 2020. DOI: 10.5038/1827-806X.49.2.2333.http://repositorio.ufla.br/jspui/handle/1/48253International Journal of Speleologyreponame:Repositório Institucional da UFLAinstname:Universidade Federal de Lavras (UFLA)instacron:UFLAAttribution-NonCommercial 4.0 Internationalhttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessPacheco, Gabrielle S. M.Silva, Marconi SouzaCano, EnioFerreira, Rodrigo L.eng2021-09-27T21:01:33Zoai:localhost:1/48253Repositório InstitucionalPUBhttp://repositorio.ufla.br/oai/requestnivaldo@ufla.br || repositorio.biblioteca@ufla.bropendoar:2021-09-27T21:01:33Repositório Institucional da UFLA - Universidade Federal de Lavras (UFLA)false
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv The role of microhabitats in structuring cave invertebrate communities in Guatemala
title The role of microhabitats in structuring cave invertebrate communities in Guatemala
spellingShingle The role of microhabitats in structuring cave invertebrate communities in Guatemala
Pacheco, Gabrielle S. M.
Caves - Invertebrate community
Arthropods
Habitat heterogeneity
Substrate composition
Troglobites
Cavernas - comunidade de invertebrados
Artrópodes
Heterogeneidade de habitat
Composição do substrato
Troglóbios
title_short The role of microhabitats in structuring cave invertebrate communities in Guatemala
title_full The role of microhabitats in structuring cave invertebrate communities in Guatemala
title_fullStr The role of microhabitats in structuring cave invertebrate communities in Guatemala
title_full_unstemmed The role of microhabitats in structuring cave invertebrate communities in Guatemala
title_sort The role of microhabitats in structuring cave invertebrate communities in Guatemala
author Pacheco, Gabrielle S. M.
author_facet Pacheco, Gabrielle S. M.
Silva, Marconi Souza
Cano, Enio
Ferreira, Rodrigo L.
author_role author
author2 Silva, Marconi Souza
Cano, Enio
Ferreira, Rodrigo L.
author2_role author
author
author
dc.contributor.author.fl_str_mv Pacheco, Gabrielle S. M.
Silva, Marconi Souza
Cano, Enio
Ferreira, Rodrigo L.
dc.subject.por.fl_str_mv Caves - Invertebrate community
Arthropods
Habitat heterogeneity
Substrate composition
Troglobites
Cavernas - comunidade de invertebrados
Artrópodes
Heterogeneidade de habitat
Composição do substrato
Troglóbios
topic Caves - Invertebrate community
Arthropods
Habitat heterogeneity
Substrate composition
Troglobites
Cavernas - comunidade de invertebrados
Artrópodes
Heterogeneidade de habitat
Composição do substrato
Troglóbios
description Several studies have tried to elucidate the main environmental features driving invertebrate community structure in cave environments. They found that many factors influence the community structure, but rarely focused on how substrate types and heterogeneity might shape these communities. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess which substrate features and whether or not substrate heterogeneity determines the invertebrate community structure (species richness and composition) in a set of limestone caves in Guatemala. We hypothesized that the troglobitic fauna responds differently to habitat structure regarding species richness and composition than non-troglobitic fauna because they are more specialized to live in subterranean habitats. Using 30 m2 transects, the invertebrate fauna was collected and the substrate features were measured. The results showed that community responded to the presence of guano, cobbles, boulders, and substrate heterogeneity. The positive relationship between non-troglobitic species composition with the presence of guano reinforces the importance of food resources for structuring invertebrate cave communities in Guatemalan caves. Furthermore, the troglobitic species responded to different substrate features when compared to non-troglobitic species. For them, instead of the presence of organic matter, a higher variety of abiotic microhabitats seem to be the main driver for species diversity within a cave. The high specialization level of troglobitic organisms might be the reason why they respond differently to environmental conditions. The findings of this study highlight the importance of biological surveys for understanding cave biodiversity and give insights on how this biodiversity might be distributed within a cave. Conservation measures should keep in mind the target organisms and if such measures aim to protect a broad variety of organisms, then one should aim to preserve as many microhabitats and trophic resources as possible.
publishDate 2020
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2020-05
2021-09-27T21:01:32Z
2021-09-27T21:01:32Z
dc.type.status.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
dc.type.driver.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
format article
status_str publishedVersion
dc.identifier.uri.fl_str_mv PACHECO, G. S. M. et al. The role of microhabitats in structuring cave invertebrate communities in Guatemala. International Journal of Speleology, Tampa, v. 49, n. 2, p. 161-169, May 2020. DOI: 10.5038/1827-806X.49.2.2333.
http://repositorio.ufla.br/jspui/handle/1/48253
identifier_str_mv PACHECO, G. S. M. et al. The role of microhabitats in structuring cave invertebrate communities in Guatemala. International Journal of Speleology, Tampa, v. 49, n. 2, p. 161-169, May 2020. DOI: 10.5038/1827-806X.49.2.2333.
url http://repositorio.ufla.br/jspui/handle/1/48253
dc.language.iso.fl_str_mv eng
language eng
dc.rights.driver.fl_str_mv Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
rights_invalid_str_mv Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv application/pdf
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv Union Internationale de Spéléologie
publisher.none.fl_str_mv Union Internationale de Spéléologie
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv International Journal of Speleology
reponame:Repositório Institucional da UFLA
instname:Universidade Federal de Lavras (UFLA)
instacron:UFLA
instname_str Universidade Federal de Lavras (UFLA)
instacron_str UFLA
institution UFLA
reponame_str Repositório Institucional da UFLA
collection Repositório Institucional da UFLA
repository.name.fl_str_mv Repositório Institucional da UFLA - Universidade Federal de Lavras (UFLA)
repository.mail.fl_str_mv nivaldo@ufla.br || repositorio.biblioteca@ufla.br
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