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Environmental factors influencing invertebrate communities in caves and surrounding habitats in the Neotropics

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 April 2025

Gabrielle Soares Muniz Pacheco ,
Marconi Souza-Silva Open the ORCID record for Marconi Souza-Silva [Opens in a new window]  and
Rodrigo Lopes Ferreira
Gabrielle Soares Muniz Pacheco
Affiliation:
Programa de pós-graduação em Ecologia Aplicada – Universidade Federal de Lavras, Lavras, Brazil Vale S.A., Espeleologia e Tecnologia de Ferrosos, rua Guamá, 60, Parauapebas, Pará, Brazil
Marconi Souza-Silva
Affiliation:
Programa de pós-graduação em Ecologia Aplicada – Universidade Federal de Lavras, Lavras, Brazil Centro de Estudos em Biologia Subterrânea (CEBS), Departamento de Ecologia e Conservação, Universidade Federal de Lavras, Instituto de Ciências Naturais, Campus Universitário, CEP 37200-900, Lavras, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Rodrigo Lopes Ferreira*
Affiliation:
Programa de pós-graduação em Ecologia Aplicada – Universidade Federal de Lavras, Lavras, Brazil Centro de Estudos em Biologia Subterrânea (CEBS), Departamento de Ecologia e Conservação, Universidade Federal de Lavras, Instituto de Ciências Naturais, Campus Universitário, CEP 37200-900, Lavras, Minas Gerais, Brazil
*
Corresponding author: Rodrigo Lopes Ferreira; Email: [email protected]
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Abstract

The connectivity between epigean and cave habitats is crucial for maintaining invertebrate communities once it can facilitate faunal movement, organic resource supply, and environmental stability. The study aimed to investigate how some spatial and temporal variations in environmental factors within caves and epigean habitats influence invertebrate species richness and composition. We found a notable difference in invertebrate species richness and composition between cave and epigean environments and between cave lithologies. Moisture and temperature significantly influenced species composition across lithologies and epigean and hypogean environments. Cave microclimatic emerged as a critical factor influencing cave fauna. The dissimilarities between epigean and cave environments underscore the selective pressures imposed by caves, challenging species to overcome such environmental filters. Despite epigean environments offering more significant variability in conditions and resources, the findings highlight the importance of local ecological context and specific situations in shaping invertebrate communities. Furthermore, spatial variability within caves emphasises the necessity for a nuanced approach to conservation, considering the heterogeneity of habitats within each cave system. The study contributes to understanding the relationship between caves and their surrounding areas, emphasising the need for tailored conservation strategies that account for regional and cave-specific factors in the context of global environmental changes.

Keywords

Cave ecologyconservationecosystemhabitat heterogeneitycave lithology
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Tropical Ecology , Volume 41 , 2025 , e8
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press

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