Pub Date : 2021-06-01DOI: 10.5038/1827-806x.50.2.2360
M. S. Tahami, Mina Hojat-Ansari, A. Namyatova, S. Sadeghi
Recently, several new species and subspecies from the genus Eremogryllodes Chopard, 1929 (Insecta: Orthoptera: Myrmecophilidae) inhabiting caves of Iran, have been described based on morphology. The high variation of genitalia structure along with high similarity of external morphology between populations hamper the precise species identification. Thus, molecular approaches are critical to determine the taxonomic positions of species/subspecies of this genus. Here we provide the molecular phylogeny, based on the 16S rRNA mitochondrial gene, of recently described species of Eremogryllodes along with some unidentified specimens from the same region. The results support the monophyly of the family Myrmecophilidae. The topology of the 16S rRNA tree did not completely support the five morpho-species. The three main recovered clades mainly grouped specimens by their geographical locations. Our study suggests the possibility of more than one species in one cave and the presence of cryptic species among cave dwelling crickets, based on the 16S rRNA marker.
{"title":"Molecular phylogeny of cave dwelling Eremogryllodes crickets (Orthoptera, Myrmecophilidae) across Zagros Mountains and Southern Iran","authors":"M. S. Tahami, Mina Hojat-Ansari, A. Namyatova, S. Sadeghi","doi":"10.5038/1827-806x.50.2.2360","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5038/1827-806x.50.2.2360","url":null,"abstract":"Recently, several new species and subspecies from the genus Eremogryllodes Chopard, 1929 (Insecta: Orthoptera: Myrmecophilidae) inhabiting caves of Iran, have been described based on morphology. The high variation of genitalia structure along with high similarity of external morphology between populations hamper the precise species identification. Thus, molecular approaches are critical to determine the taxonomic positions of species/subspecies of this genus. Here we provide the molecular phylogeny, based on the 16S rRNA mitochondrial gene, of recently described species of Eremogryllodes along with some unidentified specimens from the same region. The results support the monophyly of the family Myrmecophilidae. The topology of the 16S rRNA tree did not completely support the five morpho-species. The three main recovered clades mainly grouped specimens by their geographical locations. Our study suggests the possibility of more than one species in one cave and the presence of cryptic species among cave dwelling crickets, based on the 16S rRNA marker.","PeriodicalId":56286,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Speleology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2021-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42724464","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-05-01DOI: 10.5038/1827-806X.50.2.2383
Joanna Kocot-Zalewska, A. Woźnica
This article details the analysed results of the recent study on heleomyzid flies (Diptera: Heleomyzidae) that occurred in the caves of Kraków-Częstochowa Upland. Additionally, all accessible information about those flies from the Polish caves has been compiled. In effect, 23 species from seven genera were identified. Among these determined species, one was considered as troglobiont, eleven as eutroglophiles, nine as subtroglophiles, and two as trogloxenes. Dominant species were Scoliocentra brachypterna, Heleomyza captiosa and Eccoptomera pallescens. The highest number of species has currently been found in the Kraków-Częstochowa Upland.
{"title":"Cave-dwelling heleomyzid flies (Diptera: Heleomyzidae) from the Polish caves. Historical overview and new data","authors":"Joanna Kocot-Zalewska, A. Woźnica","doi":"10.5038/1827-806X.50.2.2383","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5038/1827-806X.50.2.2383","url":null,"abstract":"This article details the analysed results of the recent study on heleomyzid flies (Diptera: Heleomyzidae) that occurred in the caves of Kraków-Częstochowa Upland. Additionally, all accessible information about those flies from the Polish caves has been compiled. In effect, 23 species from seven genera were identified. Among these determined species, one was considered as troglobiont, eleven as eutroglophiles, nine as subtroglophiles, and two as trogloxenes. Dominant species were Scoliocentra brachypterna, Heleomyza captiosa and Eccoptomera pallescens. The highest number of species has currently been found in the Kraków-Częstochowa Upland.","PeriodicalId":56286,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Speleology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2021-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48059154","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-05-01DOI: 10.5038/1827-806X.50.2.2387
J. Lundberg, D. McFarlane
Here we addressed the question of whether burning of guano produces a characteristic suite of morphological changes and/or unique mineralogical products. The changes observed in our experimental burning of guano (both fresh and decayed) included colour change (blackening), grain size and morphological change (grain size generally reduced, morphology rendered generally less distinct), alteration of minerals by dehydration (e.g., gypsum to anhydrite, brushite to whitlockite), and production of new minerals or compounds (e.g., augelite, bayerite, giniite, graphite, oldhamite, strontium apatite, tridymite). The key morphological feature we found that may be diagnostic of burning was severe damage to crystals from rapid dehydration (cracks and striations, leading to eventual fragmentation). The key mineralogical feature we found was production of graphite. The high temperature exotic minerals that were produced (giniite, augelite, tridymite, oldhamite) were all found not to be high temperature obligate. Evidence gleaned from the literature suggests that a great number of the minerals associated with high temperatures can also be synthesized in low temperature settings such as weathering or microbial action (exemplified in the extremely complex biology and biochemistry of decaying guano). While the presence of any one of these minerals is not diagnostic of fire, it could be argued that the suite taken as a whole is moderately strong evidence for burning. In future studies, the chemistry of carbon aromaticity may prove to be the best diagnostic test for pyrolysis. A survey of the conditions under which documented spontaneous ignition occurs leads us to conclude that spontaneous ignition of guano inside a cave is an extremely unlikely event, and any suggestion/assertion to this effect should be rigorously supported.
{"title":"The impact of burning on the structure and mineral composition of bat guano","authors":"J. Lundberg, D. McFarlane","doi":"10.5038/1827-806X.50.2.2387","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5038/1827-806X.50.2.2387","url":null,"abstract":"Here we addressed the question of whether burning of guano produces a characteristic suite of morphological changes and/or unique mineralogical products. The changes observed in our experimental burning of guano (both fresh and decayed) included colour change (blackening), grain size and morphological change (grain size generally reduced, morphology rendered generally less distinct), alteration of minerals by dehydration (e.g., gypsum to anhydrite, brushite to whitlockite), and production of new minerals or compounds (e.g., augelite, bayerite, giniite, graphite, oldhamite, strontium apatite, tridymite). The key morphological feature we found that may be diagnostic of burning was severe damage to crystals from rapid dehydration (cracks and striations, leading to eventual fragmentation). The key mineralogical feature we found was production of graphite. The high temperature exotic minerals that were produced (giniite, augelite, tridymite, oldhamite) were all found not to be high temperature obligate. Evidence gleaned from the literature suggests that a great number of the minerals associated with high temperatures can also be synthesized in low temperature settings such as weathering or microbial action (exemplified in the extremely complex biology and biochemistry of decaying guano). While the presence of any one of these minerals is not diagnostic of fire, it could be argued that the suite taken as a whole is moderately strong evidence for burning. In future studies, the chemistry of carbon aromaticity may prove to be the best diagnostic test for pyrolysis. A survey of the conditions under which documented spontaneous ignition occurs leads us to conclude that spontaneous ignition of guano inside a cave is an extremely unlikely event, and any suggestion/assertion to this effect should be rigorously supported.","PeriodicalId":56286,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Speleology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2021-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45915266","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-04-01DOI: 10.5038/1827-806X.50.2.2369
T. Simčič, B. Šket
*Tatjana.Simcic@nib.si Citation:
*Tatjana.Simcic@nib.si引文：
{"title":"Ecophysiological responses of two closely related epigean and hypogean Niphargus species to hypoxia and increased temperature: Do they differ?","authors":"T. Simčič, B. Šket","doi":"10.5038/1827-806X.50.2.2369","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5038/1827-806X.50.2.2369","url":null,"abstract":"*Tatjana.Simcic@nib.si Citation:","PeriodicalId":56286,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Speleology","volume":"50 1","pages":"111-120"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2021-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43508712","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-04-01DOI: 10.5038/1827-806X.50.2.2382
J. Kaal, Virginia Martínez-Pillado, A. M. Cortizas, J. Sánchez, A. Aranburu, J. Arsuaga, E. Iriarte
Speleothems are a recognized source of paleoclimatic information, but their value as a source of signals from human activities in caves with an archaeological record has rarely been explored. Previous studies of speleothems in the Sierra de Atapuerca karst system (Burgos, northern Spain) revealed an important human fossil record, provided information about human activities in and around these caves, and the impacts on their natural environment. The present study reports the results of molecular characterization of dark-colored laminae from the stalagmites Ilargi (Galería de las Estatuas) and GS1, GS2, and GS3 (Galería del Silo), by pyrolysis-GC-MS (Py-GC-MS) and thermally assisted hydrolysis and methylation (THM-GC-MS). The features of the organic matter demonstrate the presence of (1) a dominant aliphatic fraction probably from in situ bacterial and ex situ plant-derived lipids, (2) black carbon (from soot and/or charcoal), (3) polysaccharides and N-rich moieties (probably from bat guano and microbial sources), and (4) a signal of terpenoid derivatives that may originate from the overlying limestone (kerogen) and extant gymnosperm resin (soils) or cyanobacteria (cave). Some plant-derived lignin may be present as well but was not identified unambiguously. It is concluded that this approach allows identifying multiple general sources of organic matter which can help understand speleothem formation processes, and evidence of soot deposition could be clearly linked to human activities.
Speleothem是公认的古气候信息来源，但它们作为有考古记录的洞穴中人类活动信号来源的价值很少被探索。先前对Sierra de Atapuerca岩溶系统（西班牙北部布尔戈斯）洞穴主题的研究揭示了一个重要的人类化石记录，提供了有关这些洞穴内和周围人类活动的信息，以及对其自然环境的影响。本研究报道了石笋Ilargi（Galería de las Estatuas）和GS1、GS2和GS3（Galerèa del Silo）的深色薄片的分子表征结果，通过热解GC MS（Py-GC-MS）和热辅助水解和甲基化（THM-GC-MS）。有机物的特征表明存在（1）可能来自原位细菌和非原位植物衍生脂质的主要脂族部分，（2）炭黑（来自烟灰和/或木炭），（3）多糖和富氮部分（可能来自蝙蝠粪和微生物来源），和（4）萜类衍生物的信号，其可能来源于上覆的石灰岩（干酪根）和现存的裸子植物树脂（土壤）或蓝藻（洞穴）。一些植物衍生的木质素也可能存在，但尚未明确鉴定。结论是，这种方法可以识别有机物的多种一般来源，这有助于了解洞穴洞穴的形成过程，烟灰沉积的证据可能与人类活动明确相关。
{"title":"Bacteria, guano and soot: Source assessment of organic matter preserved in black laminae in stalagmites from caves of the Sierra de Atapuerca (N Spain)","authors":"J. Kaal, Virginia Martínez-Pillado, A. M. Cortizas, J. Sánchez, A. Aranburu, J. Arsuaga, E. Iriarte","doi":"10.5038/1827-806X.50.2.2382","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5038/1827-806X.50.2.2382","url":null,"abstract":"Speleothems are a recognized source of paleoclimatic information, but their value as a source of signals from human activities in caves with an archaeological record has rarely been explored. Previous studies of speleothems in the Sierra de Atapuerca karst system (Burgos, northern Spain) revealed an important human fossil record, provided information about human activities in and around these caves, and the impacts on their natural environment. The present study reports the results of molecular characterization of dark-colored laminae from the stalagmites Ilargi (Galería de las Estatuas) and GS1, GS2, and GS3 (Galería del Silo), by pyrolysis-GC-MS (Py-GC-MS) and thermally assisted hydrolysis and methylation (THM-GC-MS). The features of the organic matter demonstrate the presence of (1) a dominant aliphatic fraction probably from in situ bacterial and ex situ plant-derived lipids, (2) black carbon (from soot and/or charcoal), (3) polysaccharides and N-rich moieties (probably from bat guano and microbial sources), and (4) a signal of terpenoid derivatives that may originate from the overlying limestone (kerogen) and extant gymnosperm resin (soils) or cyanobacteria (cave). Some plant-derived lignin may be present as well but was not identified unambiguously. It is concluded that this approach allows identifying multiple general sources of organic matter which can help understand speleothem formation processes, and evidence of soot deposition could be clearly linked to human activities.","PeriodicalId":56286,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Speleology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2021-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43722210","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-04-01DOI: 10.5038/1827-806X.50.2.2372
V. Johnston, A. Martín-Pérez, S. Skok, J. Mulec
Subterranean calcite dissolution and precipitation are often considered as strictly geochemical processes. The active involvement of microbes in these processes is commonly underestimated in the literature due to general oligotrophic conditions in caves, except in particular cave conditions, such as sulfidic caves and moonmilk deposits, where the presence of microbes likely plays a key role in mineral deposition. Here, we study the possible involvement of microbes from Postojna Cave, Slovenia, in carbonate dissolution (litholysis) and precipitation (lithogenesis). Microbes were sampled from small pools below hydrologically diverse drip sites and incubated on polished limestone tablets at 10 and 20°C for 2 and 14 weeks under cave-analogue conditions. The tablets were then observed under scanning electron microscope to investigate microbe–rock interactions. Our experiments showed the presence of various microbial morphotypes, often associated with extracellular polymeric substances, firmly attached on the surfaces. Unfortunately, our surface sterilization method using 96% and 70% ethanol could not establish the complete aseptic conditions in deep natural cracks in the experimental limestone tablets. Nonetheless, our results emulate the interaction of environmental microbes with limestone rock. Conspicuous calcite dissolution and precipitation were observed in association with these microbes. Furthermore, we show evidence of entombment of microbes in a Si-rich precipitate during nutrient-depleted growth conditions and we suggest that microbial involvement in silica mobilization under ambient conditions may be a widespread and often overlooked phenomenon. Our findings have important implications for microbial-mediation of cave carbonate dissolution and precipitation, including the preservation of past climate proxy signals in speleothems and prehistoric cave art. Improvements to the methodology and further work are suggested to enable more robust ex-situ cultivation experiments in the future, facilitating better and more detailed research into this topic.
{"title":"Microbially-mediated carbonate dissolution and precipitation; towards a protocol for ex-situ, cave-analogue cultivation experiments","authors":"V. Johnston, A. Martín-Pérez, S. Skok, J. Mulec","doi":"10.5038/1827-806X.50.2.2372","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5038/1827-806X.50.2.2372","url":null,"abstract":"Subterranean calcite dissolution and precipitation are often considered as strictly geochemical processes. The active involvement of microbes in these processes is commonly underestimated in the literature due to general oligotrophic conditions in caves, except in particular cave conditions, such as sulfidic caves and moonmilk deposits, where the presence of microbes likely plays a key role in mineral deposition. Here, we study the possible involvement of microbes from Postojna Cave, Slovenia, in carbonate dissolution (litholysis) and precipitation (lithogenesis). Microbes were sampled from small pools below hydrologically diverse drip sites and incubated on polished limestone tablets at 10 and 20°C for 2 and 14 weeks under cave-analogue conditions. The tablets were then observed under scanning electron microscope to investigate microbe–rock interactions. Our experiments showed the presence of various microbial morphotypes, often associated with extracellular polymeric substances, firmly attached on the surfaces. Unfortunately, our surface sterilization method using 96% and 70% ethanol could not establish the complete aseptic conditions in deep natural cracks in the experimental limestone tablets. Nonetheless, our results emulate the interaction of environmental microbes with limestone rock. Conspicuous calcite dissolution and precipitation were observed in association with these microbes. Furthermore, we show evidence of entombment of microbes in a Si-rich precipitate during nutrient-depleted growth conditions and we suggest that microbial involvement in silica mobilization under ambient conditions may be a widespread and often overlooked phenomenon. Our findings have important implications for microbial-mediation of cave carbonate dissolution and precipitation, including the preservation of past climate proxy signals in speleothems and prehistoric cave art. Improvements to the methodology and further work are suggested to enable more robust ex-situ cultivation experiments in the future, facilitating better and more detailed research into this topic.","PeriodicalId":56286,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Speleology","volume":"50 1","pages":"137-155"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2021-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41319267","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-04-01DOI: 10.5038/1827-806X.50.2.2375
E. Kaminsky, Lukas Plan, Thomas Wagner, B. Funk, P. Oberender
Karst aquifers are highly vulnerable to contamination due to quick water flow through conduits. Their high heterogeneity and the poorly known infiltration effect of the vadose zone make quantification of recharge processes difficult. This study characterizes the water flow and storage in the upper vadose zone with almost four years monitoring of a permanent stream in a vadose shaft (Furtowischacht). Its small catchment of 4,500 m² is located in a former glaciated high Alpine environment (Hochschwab, Austria). High discharge fluctuations between 0.002 and 19 l/s, relatively high hydrograph recession coefficients, and transit velocities between 0.0015 and 2.4 m/s estimated with salt tracer experiments indicate a highly dynamic discharge behavior. A fast point infiltration through open karren and dolines could be observed for rainfall events and indicates a highly karstified network with a rapid water transmission. Snowmelt periods show only a slower flow component and diffuse infiltration. However, condensation within the conduit system is likely superimposed to this signal. A lumped-parameter rainfall-runoff model is used to simulate the discharge with a dual porosity approach. It indicates a low storage volume, which is in accordance with the estimated storage of 22 m³ (or 5 mm), deduced from the recession analyses. In contrary, the physicochemical parameters argue for some storage capability: 1) After an increase of discharge, electric conductivity reacts with an average delay of 50 min; 2) Partly a piston flow can be recognized. These amounts of water may be stored in the partial soil cover alone and therefore the presence of a hydrologically significant epikarst layer is unclear.
{"title":"Flow dynamics in a vadose shaft – a case study from the Hochschwab karst massif (Northern Calcareous Alps, Austria)","authors":"E. Kaminsky, Lukas Plan, Thomas Wagner, B. Funk, P. Oberender","doi":"10.5038/1827-806X.50.2.2375","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5038/1827-806X.50.2.2375","url":null,"abstract":"Karst aquifers are highly vulnerable to contamination due to quick water flow through conduits. Their high heterogeneity and the poorly known infiltration effect of the vadose zone make quantification of recharge processes difficult. This study characterizes the water flow and storage in the upper vadose zone with almost four years monitoring of a permanent stream in a vadose shaft (Furtowischacht). Its small catchment of 4,500 m² is located in a former glaciated high Alpine environment (Hochschwab, Austria). High discharge fluctuations between 0.002 and 19 l/s, relatively high hydrograph recession coefficients, and transit velocities between 0.0015 and 2.4 m/s estimated with salt tracer experiments indicate a highly dynamic discharge behavior. A fast point infiltration through open karren and dolines could be observed for rainfall events and indicates a highly karstified network with a rapid water transmission. Snowmelt periods show only a slower flow component and diffuse infiltration. However, condensation within the conduit system is likely superimposed to this signal. A lumped-parameter rainfall-runoff model is used to simulate the discharge with a dual porosity approach. It indicates a low storage volume, which is in accordance with the estimated storage of 22 m³ (or 5 mm), deduced from the recession analyses. In contrary, the physicochemical parameters argue for some storage capability: 1) After an increase of discharge, electric conductivity reacts with an average delay of 50 min; 2) Partly a piston flow can be recognized. These amounts of water may be stored in the partial soil cover alone and therefore the presence of a hydrologically significant epikarst layer is unclear.","PeriodicalId":56286,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Speleology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2021-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48812541","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-03-01DOI: 10.5038/1827-806X.50.1.2370
G. Nicolosi, S. Mammola, Salvatore Costanzo, G. Sabella, R. Cirrincione, G. Signorello, M. Isaia
Human activities in subterranean environments can affect different ecosystem components, including the resident fauna. Subterranean terrestrial invertebrates are particularly sensitive to environmental change, especially microclimatic variations. For instance, microclimate modifications caused by the visitors may directly affect local fauna in caves opened to the public. However, since numerous factors act synergistically in modulating the distribution and abundance of subterranean species, it remains challenging to differentiate the impact of human intervention from that of other factors. Therefore, evidence of the impact of tourism on cave invertebrate fauna remains scarce. Over a year and with approximately two visits a month, we investigated the effects of the presence of visitors on the subterranean endemic woodlouse Armadillidium lagrecai in the strict natural reserve of Monello Cave (Sicily, Italy). We found that natural microclimatic fluctuations, and not direct human disturbance, were the main factors driving the distribution of A. lagrecai. Specifically, A. lagrecai select for more climatically stable areas of the cave, where the temperature was constantly warm and the relative humidity close to saturation. We also observed a significant temporal effect, with a greater abundance of A. lagrecai in summer and a gradual decrease during the winter months. The number of visitors in the Monello Cave had no effect on the abundance and distribution of A. lagrecai. However, considering the high sensitivity of the species to microclimatic variations, it seems likely that a significant increase in the number of visitors to the cave could indirectly affect this species by altering local microclimate. Constant monitoring of the environmental parameters within the cave is therefore recommended.
{"title":"Microhabitat selection of a Sicilian subterranean woodlouse and its implications for cave management","authors":"G. Nicolosi, S. Mammola, Salvatore Costanzo, G. Sabella, R. Cirrincione, G. Signorello, M. Isaia","doi":"10.5038/1827-806X.50.1.2370","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5038/1827-806X.50.1.2370","url":null,"abstract":"Human activities in subterranean environments can affect different ecosystem components, including the resident fauna. Subterranean terrestrial invertebrates are particularly sensitive to environmental change, especially microclimatic variations. For instance, microclimate modifications caused by the visitors may directly affect local fauna in caves opened to the public. However, since numerous factors act synergistically in modulating the distribution and abundance of subterranean species, it remains challenging to differentiate the impact of human intervention from that of other factors. Therefore, evidence of the impact of tourism on cave invertebrate fauna remains scarce. Over a year and with approximately two visits a month, we investigated the effects of the presence of visitors on the subterranean endemic woodlouse Armadillidium lagrecai in the strict natural reserve of Monello Cave (Sicily, Italy). We found that natural microclimatic fluctuations, and not direct human disturbance, were the main factors driving the distribution of A. lagrecai. Specifically, A. lagrecai select for more climatically stable areas of the cave, where the temperature was constantly warm and the relative humidity close to saturation. We also observed a significant temporal effect, with a greater abundance of A. lagrecai in summer and a gradual decrease during the winter months. The number of visitors in the Monello Cave had no effect on the abundance and distribution of A. lagrecai. However, considering the high sensitivity of the species to microclimatic variations, it seems likely that a significant increase in the number of visitors to the cave could indirectly affect this species by altering local microclimate. Constant monitoring of the environmental parameters within the cave is therefore recommended.","PeriodicalId":56286,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Speleology","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2021-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"70465458","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-03-01DOI: 10.5038/1827-806X.50.1.2343
Ethige Isuru P. Silva, P. Jayasingha, S. Senanayake, A. Dandeniya, D. Munasinghe
The emergence of antibiotic resistance is a global health crisis, thus the search for novel antimicrobial compounds has become a continuous necessity. Underexplored and extreme environments, such as cave ecosystems, have been identified as a promising potential source for the discovery of novel microorganisms with novel antimicrobial compounds (AMC). This study presents the first cave microbiological investigation in Sri Lanka, with a special preference for bioprospecting of novel AMC. The cave sediment characterization demonstrated the presence of close to strong acidic conditions (pH 3.1 – 3.3) and thus indicates the possibility of isolating acidophilic microorganisms. Eight cave wall/ceiling fungal strains were isolated from Sthreepura Cave - Kuruwita and identified using both morphological and ribosomal Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) region sequence analysis. Interestingly, four fungal isolates (Penicillium panissanguineum, P. cremeogriseum, Aspergillus bertholletius and Trichoderma yunnanense) were found to be the first records in Sri Lanka. Of these eight isolates, three showed antimicrobial activity (AMAs) against at least one of the five tested human pathogens in preliminary screening, while A. fumigatus (SKW 404) strain showed the highest AMA against Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 11778) assessed by agar culture plug method on Muller Hinton Agar (MHA). Crude Ethyl Acetate (EtOAc) fraction of both mycelial and Potato Dextrose Broth (PDB) extracts of A. fumigatus demonstrated similar bioactive metabolic profiles with four corresponding chemical fractions [Rf = 0.47, 0.56, 0.65, 0.82; EtOAc: Hexane (4:1, v/v)] in TLC: agar overlay bioassay. The present study indicates that there is potential for discovering novel Sri Lankan deep cave microorganisms and bioprospecting of their novel bioactive compounds. Hence, further island-wide in-depth cave microbiological investigations are required for a better understanding of the Sri Lankan cave microbiology.
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Pub Date : 2021-03-01DOI: 10.5038/1827-806X.50.1.2380
L. Galli, F. Janžekovič, P. Kozel, T. Novak
*loris.galli@unige.it Citation:
*loris.galli@unige.it引文：
{"title":"Protura (Arthropoda: Hexapoda) in Slovenian caves","authors":"L. Galli, F. Janžekovič, P. Kozel, T. Novak","doi":"10.5038/1827-806X.50.1.2380","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5038/1827-806X.50.1.2380","url":null,"abstract":"*loris.galli@unige.it Citation:","PeriodicalId":56286,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Speleology","volume":"50 1","pages":"65-74"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2021-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48668164","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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