METALCAVE: A new project on pollution in subterranean environments

We recently got funds for this project, which aims to assess the presence of trace metals in cave soil and whether they are stored in animals tissues. The project will start in December 2024. Here a breif description.

Subterranean environments are widespread on Earth, yet we have a poor knowledge of their biota. These environments are characterized by peculiar characteristics that make them unique but also extremely sensitive to human induced effects. Nonetheless, they hold a very rich and unique biodiversity. A few studies focused on assessing the potential pollutants of different nature into subterranean environments; surprisingly those focusing on metal contaminants are quite scarce. Furthermore, the majority of those studies analysed groundwater, while cave soil has been usually neglected.

With this project we aim to perform the first assessment of metal contaminants in soil and organisms from different caves, as well as from surface soil in the proximity of each cave entrance, in order to evaluate the flux and accumulation of these contaminants across environments and trophic webs. To reach this goal, we will assess patterns of metal accumulation and gene expression in two facultative cave species living in highly polluted and lowly polluted (i.e., control) caves of the Apennines: the Italian cave salamander Speleomantes italicus (Amphibia; Plethodontidae) and the Laetitia’s cave cricket Dolichopoda laetitiae (Insecta; Rhaphidophoridae).
These two species often live in syntopy and occupy different positions in the subterranean trophic web; cave salamanders are top predators, while cave crickets are saprophagous that occupy the lowest trophic level.

We will choose 20 caves (at least 10 inhabited by each target species) and measure the concentration of multiple metal contaminants in cave soil, as well as in the soil from the surroundings of the cave entrance. Caves are chosen according to their vicinity to pollution sources (e.g., quarry, roads). To assess the effects of metal pollution, we will analyse the metal-tissue burden and gene expression differences in both S. italicus (n=24) and D. laetitiae (n=24) living in two highly polluted and two lowly polluted caves (6 individuals per species from each cave). For each salamander, we will analyse gene expression differences by transcriptomics analysis (RNAseq) of three key tissues involved in metal uptake (skin) and metal storage and detoxification (muscle and liver). For the same tissues, we will measure the concentration of the biologically-available and potentially toxic metals by Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). For crickets the metal burden and transcriptomic differences will be assessed on the whole-body tissue.

Results from this project will elucidate the metal contaminants fluxes across the interface between surface and subterranean ecosystems, and their potential impacts on biodiversity, including the patterns of bioaccumulation among cave organisms and across trophic webs, and the mechanisms used by organisms to deal with chronic metal exposure.

New article published in Animals on foraging behaviour of Speleomantes

New article published in Animals on foraging behaviour of Speleomantes

In this article we performed a fine-scale analysis of the gut contents obtained from all Speleomantes species, including hybrids. Identifying prey with higher taxonomic resolution and considering their ecology, we were able to infer on potential foraging behaviour of these salamanders, paving the way for future studies to test these new hypotheses.

Title:

Inferring on Speleomantes Foraging Behavior from Gut Contents Examination

Authors: Fabio Cianferoni, Enrico Lunghi

Journal: Animals

Link to the article Inferring on Speleomantes Foraging Behavior from Gut Contents Examination

Special Issue: Predator-Prey Interactions in Amphibians and Reptiles

New article published in Animals on the monitoring of Speleomantes sarrabusensis

New article published in Animals on the monitoring of Speleomantes sarrabusensis

In this article we provided the data deriving from two monitoring scheme interesting four populations (three epigeous and one from artificial springs) of the Sette Fratelli cave salamander Speleomantes sarrabusensis.

Title: Species diversity and distribution of amphibians and reptiles in Sardinia, Italy

Authors: Roberto Cogoni, Milos Di Gregorio, Fabio Cianferoni, Enrico Lunghi

Journal: Animals

Link to the article Monitoring of the Endangered Cave Salamander Speleomantes sarrabusensis

Special Issue: Salamanders: Distribution, Diversity, and Conservation

New article published in Acta Herpetologica on distribution of Sardinian herpetofauna

New article published in Acta Herpetologica on distribution of Sardinian herpetofauna

In this article we show an updated database on the distribution of herp species in Sardegna, with an analysis on the environmental variables that promote higher species abundance.

Title: Species diversity and distribution of amphibians and reptiles in Sardinia, Italy

Authors: Claudia Corti, Marta Biaggini, Valeria Nulchis, Roberto Cogoni, Ilaria Maria Cossu, Salvatore Frau, Manuela Mulargia, Enrico Lunghi, Lara Bassu

Journal: Acta Herpetologica

Link to the article Species diversity and distribution of amphibians and reptiles in Sardinia, Italy

New article published in Scientific Reports on the trophic niche of Speleomantes italicus

New article published in Scientific Reports on the trophic niche of Speleomantes italicus

In this article we investigated the trophic niche of multiple populations of the Italian cave salamander, Speleomantes italicus, throughout a year. We found a discrepancy in the foraging activity of the populations located in different areas, and temporal and spatial variability in the body condition of individuals. Our study highlighted a remarkably high spatial and temporal divergence in the trophic habits of conspecific populations.

Title: The trophic niche of subterranean populations of Speleomantes italicus

Authors: Enrico Lunghi, Fabio Cianferoni, Claudia Corti, Yahui Zhao, Raoul Manenti, Gentile Francesco Ficetola and Giorgio Mancinelli

Journal: Scientific Reports

Link to the article: The trophic niche of subterranean populations of Speleomantes italicus

New article published in Natural History Sciences on the first observation of Golden jackal in Tuscany

New article published in Natural History Sciences on the first observation of Golden jackal in Tuscany

In this article we report the first observations of the Golden jackal on the Tuscan Apennines (Italy).

Title: The golden jackal Canis aureus L. 1758 (Carnivora: Canidae) on the Tuscan Apennines

Authors: Bacci Francesco and Enrico Lunghi

Journal: Natural History Sciences

Link to the article: The golden jackal Canis aureus L. 1758 (Carnivora: Canidae) on the Tuscan Apennines

New article published in the special issue “Salamanders: Distribution, Diversity, and Conservation” of Animals

New article published in the special issue “Salamanders: Distribution, Diversity, and Conservation” of Animals

In this article we studied the trophic niche of two sympatric salamanders, the fire salamander Salamandra salamandra and the Italian cave salamander Speleomantes italicus. We found that the Italian cave salamander mostly consumed flying prey with a hard cuticle, while the fire salamander preferred worm-like and soft-bodied prey. We hypothesize that in our case, the two species of salamanders did not have to change their prey preference in order to avoid competition, but divergences in metabolism and behavioral traits likely worked as natural deterrent.

Title: The Trophic Niche of Two Sympatric Species of Salamanders (Plethodontidae and Salamandridae) from Italy

Authors: Enrico Lunghi, Claudia Corti, Marta Biaggini, Yahui Zhao and Fabio Cianferoni

Journal: Animals

Link to the article: The Trophic Niche of Two Sympatric Species of Salamanders (Plethodontidae and Salamandridae) from Italy