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Cave lithology determining the structure of the invertebrate communities in the Brazilian Atlantic Rain Forest

Biodiversity and Conservation volume 20, pages 1713–1729 (2011)Cite this article

Abstract

In Brazil, only limestone caves and a few caves in sandstone, iron ore and granite rocks had their invertebrate communities evaluated. Being such, the present study aimed to promote a comparative analysis of the structure of the invertebrate communities in caves associated to carbonatic, magmatic, siliciclastic and ferruginous rocks of the Brazilian Atlantic forest. Significant differences in the relative richness, abundance and diversity were observed between lithologies. The average relative richness was higher in the ferruginous caves (0.53 spp). The total number of troglomorphic species was significantly different among caves and the highest average richness occurred at ferruginous caves (5.79 spp/cave). Siliciclastic, carbonatic and magmatic caves presented a higher quantitative similarity of the fauna. Ferruginous caves revealed communities with a fauna composition different from the other lithologies. The total richness of invertebrates correlated significantly and positively with the linear development in the siliciclastic caves (Rs = 0.67, P < 0.05), carbonatic (Rs = 0.71, P < 0.05) and ferruginous (Rs = 0.74, P < 0.05). The rock type in which the cave is inserted can determine differences in the richness of invertebrate troglophyles and troglobites. Therefore, on creating value attributes, the size of the caves should always come related to their lithology by the fact that same sized caves associated to different lithologies, possess communities with quite diverse structures.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank the Critical Ecossystem Partnership Fund (CEPF), Aliança para a conservação da Mata Atlântica, Conservação Internacional (CI), IBAMA-CECAV, Sociedade Brasileira de espeleologia (SBE), S.O.S. Mata Atlântica, Grupo de Espeleologia Centro da Terra, Empresa de Assistência Técnica e Extensão Rural (Emater, MG), Estação de Biologia Marinha Ruschi, Grupo de Estudos Ambientais da Serra do Mar (Gesmar), Instituto Estadual de Florestas (IEF), and Instituto de Defesa Agropecuária e Florestal (IDAF, ES). We would also like to thank those who helped in collections, data analyses and fauna identification (Felipe, Maysa, Danielle, Marcela, Vanessa, Érika, Leopoldo, Thaís do Carmo, Thais Pellegrini, Paulo Pompeu, Xavier, Robson, and Marcus Paulo).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Núcleo de Pesquisa em Saúde e Biológicas do Centro Universitário de Lavras/Fundação Educacional de Lavras, Rua Padre José Poggel, 506 Centenário, CP.3037, Lavras, MG, 37200-000, Brazil

    Marconi Souza Silva

  2. Departamento de Biologia, Centro de Ciências, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Campus do PICI, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil

    Rogério Parentoni Martins

  3. Laboratório de Ecologia Subterrânea, Departamento de Biologia/Setor de Zoologia, Universidade Federal de Lavras, Campus Universitário, CP.3037, Lavras, MG, CEP 37200-000, Brazil

    Rodrigo Lopes Ferreira

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  1. Marconi Souza Silva
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  2. Rogério Parentoni Martins
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  3. Rodrigo Lopes Ferreira
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Correspondence to Rodrigo Lopes Ferreira.

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Silva, M.S., Martins, R.P. & Ferreira, R.L. Cave lithology determining the structure of the invertebrate communities in the Brazilian Atlantic Rain Forest. Biodivers Conserv 20, 1713–1729 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-011-0057-5

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Keywords

  • Caves
  • Invertebrates
  • Diversity
  • Litology
  • Atlantic Forest

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