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Ecotone delimitation: Epigean–hypogean transition in cave ecosystems
Author(s) -
PROUS XAVIER,
FERREIRA RODRIGO LOPES,
MARTINS ROGÉRIO PARENTONI
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
austral ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.688
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 1442-9993
pISSN - 1442-9985
DOI - 10.1111/j.1442-9993.2004.01373.x
Subject(s) - epigeal , ecotone , cave , species richness , ecology , biology , habitat
The ecotone zone between epigean and hypogean environments has been delimited for two limestone caves using a new method proposed herein. The richness and the diversity of the ecotone, epigean and hypogean environments and their similarities have also been determined. The ecotones were delimited using a similarity matrix between the inner and outer sectors of each cave. The ecotone of Dona Rita's cave was estimated to be 12 m long and the ecotone of Retiro's cave 16 m. The richness (S) of arthropods in Dona Rita's cave was higher in the ecotone (S = 131), intermediate in the epigean environment (S = 75) and lower in the hypogean system (S = 45). The invertebrate diversity (H′) was lower in the hypogean environment (H′ = 2.89) and not statistically different between the epigean environment and the ecotone (H′ = 3.56 and H′ = 3.76, respectively). The richness in Retiro's cave was higher in the ecotone (S = 86), intermediate in the epigean environment (S = 39) and lower in the hypogean system (S = 12). The invertebrate diversity was lower in the hypogean environment (H′ = 0.48), intermediate in the ecotone (H′ = 3.02) and higher in the epigean region (H′ = 3.29). Species migration patterns, differential environmental barriers and determination of accidental versus trogloxenes/troglophylous species are topics that are primarily approached by establishing ecotone zones in caves. The aim of the present paper is to establish the delimitation of theses zones.