Karst regions, covering 21.8% of Europe, are rich in unique biodiversity but are notoriously difficult to monitor due to their inaccessibility and the need for specialized equipment. While some European countries have developed cave monitoring protocols, there is no standardized method for tracking rare species or trends in subterranean biodiversity.
Dr. Maja Zagmajster, from the University of Ljubljana (Biotechnical Faculty, Department of Biology), presented on the first day of the ICSB conference the Sub-BioMon project, which aims to revolutionize the way we monitor biodiversity in karst ecosystems.
Officially launched in April this year (2024), the Sub-BioMon project brings together six partner organizations under the European Commission’s Biodiversa Plus program, which is financed by national research agencies from participating countries and project partner.
The central focus of Sub-BioMon is the unique biodiversity found in caves. These subterranean habitats are home to specialized species, and EU countries are required to maintain and promote a favourable conservation status of subterranean habitats (caves) under the EU Habitats Directive. However, monitoring these ecosystems to determine their health and identify changes remains a significant challenge.
Dr. Zagmajster explains: “Caves host a unique fauna, but we currently lack effective methods to monitor the condition of these ecosystems. Without standardized monitoring tools, we can’t reliably assess whether these environments are stable, improving, or experiencing negative impacts due to surface activities or other changes.”
The project aims to address this gap by developing standardized protocols for long-term monitoring of subterranean biodiversity. The goal is to create reliable methods that will allow researchers to detect changes in cave ecosystems and respond effectively to any negative developments. “If you don’t have a method to monitor it, you’re always in a state of uncertainty,” Dr. Zagmajster adds. “We need standardized methods, not only to identify when things go wrong but also to confirm when things are stable or improving.”
The Sub-BioMon project stands out because it brings together diverse experiences from six different countries, enriching the research and allowing for a more comprehensive approach to monitoring karst ecosystems. The team will also employ cutting-edge techniques such as eDNA and DNA barcoding to identify species in the field, aiming to find the most efficient and accurate methods to monitor these habitats in a short amount of time.
Dr. Zagmajster emphasized that the success of the project relies on collaboration and the sharing of knowledge, as well as the development of practical, standardized tools that can be implemented across different regions. “Our challenge is to bring all the existing knowledge together in one place, verify it, and establish a standardized approach that can be used across Europe to monitor subterranean biodiversity effectively.”
The Sub-BioMon project is committed to using the latest technologies to ensure the best results, creating a solid foundation for long-term conservation efforts in karst ecosystems.
To follow the progress of the project and access the latest results, visit the project’s website: https://www.sub-biomon.net
This data paper collects information on multiple surface and subterranean populations of Speleomantes obtained throughout a four-year monitoring period. The high-quality pictures are supplied with additional information on individuals such as weight, presence of malformations and parasite load.
Title: Four years monitoring of the endangered European plethodontid salamanders
In this article we further studied the trophic niche of two sympatric salamanders: the Fire salamander Salamandra salamandra and the Italian cave salamander Speleomantes italicus. We here collected data on the autumnal diet and, besides comparing that of the two species, for each species we also evaluated seasonal divergences.
Title: Variability of Seasonal Trophic Niche in Two Sympatric Salamanders: Italian Cave Salamanders and Fire Salamanders
Authors: Fabio Cianferoni, Milos Di Gregorio, Claudia Corti, Enrico Lunghi
In this article we assessed the consistency of individual diet specialization of three populations of Speleomantes ambrosii throughout a period of three years. We found evidence of significant variation of the proportion of specialized individuals between different seasons, and between different years when considering the same season.
Title: Yearly variation in individual diet specialization: Evidence from cave salamanders
Authors: Enrico Lunghi, Gentile Francesco Ficetola, Raoul Manenti, Giorgio Mancinelli
Members from University of L’Aquila and University of Calabria started to collect soil samples from caves. A nice “dirty” activity we enjoyed for a couple of weeks on Apennines. We sampled soil inside and outside 17 caves located in Tuscany, Umbria, Marche, Abruzzo.
In this article we analyzed the abundance of three facultative cave species inhabiting the transition zone between surface environment and deep cave areas. Speciefically, we examined the abundance of two spiders and one snail, identifying which are the environmental and biological factors affecting the number of observed individuals.
Title: Microclimatic Influences on the Abundance of Three Non-Troglobiont Species
In this article we analyzed the telomere length in both cave and surface form of Astyanax mexicanus. Our results identifies longer telomeres in surface fish compared to cavefish, while no effect of aging was detected within sampled individuals. We hypothesize that telomere lenght likely shortened in cave form as adaptation to the lower stressful environment.
Title: Telomere length and dynamics in Astyanax mexicanus cave and surface morphs
We are pleased to inform that the collection of articles published in the special issue “Salamanders: Distribution, Diversity, and Conservation” edited by Dr. Lunghi is now available as a book. You can download the pdf for free from the link below.
Title: Salamanders: Distribution, Diversity, and Conservation
We are pleased to inform that the collection of articles published in the research topic “Adaptations to Subterranean Environments” edited by Dr. Lunghi, Prof. Niemiller and Dr. Bilandzija is now available as ebook. You can download the pdf for free from this link.
We collected 13 papers, 8 research articles and 5 reviewes. Below our editorial.
Title: Adaptations to Subterranean Environments
Editors: Enrico Lunghi, Matthew Niemiller, Helena Bilandzija
