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2 results on '"karstic habitats"'

1. High genetic connectivity among large populations of Pteronotus gymnonotus in bat caves in Brazil and its implications for conservation

Author

Fernanda Ito, Thomas Lilley, Victoria G. Twort, and Enrico Bernard

Subjects
Chiroptera (bats), ddRADseq, population structure, roost network, karstic habitats, Evolution, QH359-425, Ecology, QH540-549.5
Abstract

Bat caves in the Neotropical region harbor exceptional bat populations (> 100,000 individuals). These populations play a wider role in ecological interactions, are vulnerable due to their restriction to caves, and have a disproportionate conservation value. Current knowledge of bat caves in Brazil is still small. However, systematic monitoring of some bat caves in northeastern Brazil shows that they experience strong population fluctuations over short periods of time, suggesting large-scale movements between roosts and a much broader use of the landscape than previously considered. Spatio-temporal reproductive connectivity between distant populations would change our understanding of the use of roosts among bat species in Brazil, and important gaps in knowledge of long-distance bat movements in the country would be filled. Here, we used ddRADseq data to analyze the genetic structure of Pteronotus gymnonotus across nine bat caves over 700 km. Our results indicate the lack of a clear geographic structure with gene flow among all the caves analyzed, suggesting that P. gymnonotus uses a network of bat caves geographically segregated hundreds of kilometers apart. Facing strong anthropogenic impacts and an underrepresentation of caves in conservation action plans worldwide, the genetic connectivity demonstrated here confirms that bat caves are priority sites for bat and speleological conservation in Brazil and elsewhere. Moreover, our results demonstrate a warning call: the applied aspects of the environmental licensing process of the mining sector and its impact must be reviewed, not only in Brazil, but wherever this licensing process affects caves having exceptional bat populations.

Published
2022
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2. Raznolikost zajednica puževa (Mollusca: Gastropoda) u riparijskoj zoni povremene rijeke Krčić

Author

Dorić, Valentina and Lajtner, Jasna

Subjects
krška staništa, abiotički čimbenici, PRIRODNE ZNANOSTI. Biologija, riparijska, riparian, abiotic factors, Gastropoda, NATURAL SCIENCES. Biology, karstic habitats
Abstract

Zajednice puževa (Mollusca: Gastropoda) su istraživane u riparijskim i krškim staništima duž povremene rijeke Krčić, smještene podno planine Dinare. Uzorci su sakupljani metodom lovnih posuda, na ukupno 36 postaja duž rijeke Krčić, od travnja do kraja studenog 2014. godine. Ukupno je sakupljeno 4346 jedinki puževa koje pripadaju u 49 vrsta. Pet dominantnih vrsta je zabilježeno na području riparijskih staništa, a tri na području krških. Sezonska dinamika ovih vrsta se međusobno razlikovala, što je najvjerojatnije utjecano biologijom vrste. Broj vrsta, brojnost jedinki i raznolikost su značajno veći u riparijskim staništima nego li u krškim staništima. Analiza nemetričkog multidimenzionalnog skaliranja je pokazala da ne postoji potpuno odvajanje riparijskih od krških staništa implicirajući da zajednice puževa na ovim staništima nisu međusobno izolirane. Ista analiza pokazuje da su zajednice puževa riparijskih staništa međusobno sličnije nego li zajednice puževa krških staništa. Najvjerojatnije su razlike u strukturi vegetacije i abiotičkim čimbenicima, koji su puno povoljniji za puževe u riparijskim staništima, utjecale na prostornu distribucija puževa na istraživanim staništima. Naime, vlaga zraka je značajno veća u riparijskim u odnosu na krška staništa, a temperature tla i zraka su značajno niže u riparijskim u odnosu na krška staništa. Snail (Mollusca: Gastropoda) assemblages were studied in riparian and karstic habitats along the temporary Krčić River, situated beneath the Dinara Mountain. Snails were sampled by pitfall traps at 36 sites along the Krčić River from April until the end of November 2014. In total 4,346 individuals belonging to 49 species were collected. Five dominant species were recorded in riparian and three species in karstic habitats. Different seasonal activity patterns among sampled species were probably a result of species biology differences. Species richness, abundance and diversity are significantly higher in riparian habitats than in the karstic habitats. Non-metric multidimensional scaling analysis showed that there is no complete separation between riparian and karstic habitats, implying that the snail assemblages of these habitats are not mutually isolated. The same analysis showed greater similarity between riparian snail assemblages. Spatial distribution of snails was highly likely determined by the vegetation structure and abiotic factors which are more favourable for this group of animals in the riparian habitats.Air humidity was significantly higher, whereas air and soil temperatures were significantly lower in riparian habitats than the in karstic habitats.

Published
2016

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