Open AccessGlacier caves: a globally threatened subterranean biome
Author(s) -
Francis G. Howarth
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of caves and karst studies/journal of cave and karst studies
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.262
H-Index - 40
eISSN - 2331-3714
pISSN - 1090-6924
DOI - 10.4311/2019lsc0132
Subject(s) - cave , threatened species , fauna , biodiversity , biome , endangered species , ecology , glacier , ecosystem , geography , invertebrate , geology , physical geography , habitat , biology
Caves and cave-like voids are common features within and beneath glaciers. The physical environment is harsh and extreme, and often considered barren and devoid of life. However, accumulating evidence indicates that these caves may support a diverse invertebrate fauna with species endemic to each region. As glaciers continue to disappear at an alarming rate due to global warming, they take their largely unknown fauna with them. Thus, glacier caves may harbor one of the most endangered ecosystems globally, and yet their biodiversity is among the least studied or known. Faunal surveys and ecological studies are urgently needed before all examples are lost.