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Spots of high diversity of troglobites in Brazil: the challenge of measuring subterranean diversity

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Abstract

Subterranean ecosystems are among the most fragile and threatened worldwide. Among organisms living in the subterranean domain, source populations restricted to subterranean habitats are called troglobites, generally distinguished by sets of morphological, physiological, and ecological specializations. The singularities at both systemic (high dark and phylogenetic diversities) and species levels greatly contribute to regional and global biodiversity. However, good descriptive and interpretative knowledge about this diversity, which is important as a basis for effective conservation policies, is lacking especially for tropical areas. We describe and characterize Brazilian karst areas recognized as spots of high diversity of troglobites, highlighting particularly important cave systems. We considered not only taxonomic richness but also indicators of phylogenetic (e.g., presence of relictual taxa) and genetic diversities, the latter based on degree of specialization of individual species, i.e., accumulation of autapomorphies. For this, we used available literature and our own data, both published and unpublished. Only identifications validated by a taxonomist were considered, while all data based on parataxonomy were disregarded. We propose hypotheses based on models of origin of troglobites aiming to explain the differences between karst areas.

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Acknowledgments

We are deeply grateful to the numerous colleagues, biologists, speleologists and field guides that helped us in the field and with laboratory work throughout the last decades. Without their valuable cooperation, it would be impossible to gather the large body of knowledge constituting the basis for the present paper. We are also indebted to Rosely Rodrigues, Mary Andriani and Editage by revision of the English style; to Diego Monteiro von Schimonsky for maps confection; to Adriano Gambarini, Danté Fenolio and Pedro Pereira Rizzato for photographs of Plate 1.The Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo—FAPESP and the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento científico e Tecnológico—CNPq supported us through grants and fellowships. To Instituto de Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade - ICMBIO for collection permits.

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  1. Departamento de Ecologia e Biologia Evolutiva, Laboratório de Estudos Subterrâneos, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, Rodovia Washington Luis, Km 235, São Carlos, São Paulo, 13565-905, Brazil

    Eleonora Trajano, Jonas Eduardo Gallão & Maria Elina Bichuette

  2. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Comparada, Faculdade de Filosofia Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

    Jonas Eduardo Gallão

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  1. Eleonora Trajano
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  3. Maria Elina Bichuette
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Correspondence to Eleonora Trajano.

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Communicated by Dirk Sven Schmeller.

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Trajano, E., Gallão, J.E. & Bichuette, M.E. Spots of high diversity of troglobites in Brazil: the challenge of measuring subterranean diversity. Biodivers Conserv 25, 1805–1828 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-016-1151-5

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