韦拉克鲁斯中部的山区,墨西哥拥有尚未开发的大型岩溶和火山洞穴系统。特别是,居住在这些地下生态系统中的脊椎动物是未知的。这项研究评估了哺乳动物的多样性,鸟,爬行动物,两栖动物,和三种环境中的鱼类(富营养,disphotic,沿海拔梯度(300-2400ma.s.l.)分布的16个不同地质起源的洞穴(12个岩溶洞穴和4个火山洞穴)。我们发现了丰富的242种脊椎动物(184只鸟类,30种哺乳动物,15只爬行动物,12个两栖动物,和1条鱼),总共有11,323个个体(4,969个哺乳动物,6,483只鸟,36只爬行动物,27个两栖动物,和5条鱼)。喀斯特所有脊椎动物种类的丰富度高于火山洞穴。在600-899ma.s.l之间的中等高度,脊椎动物的多样性也较高。鸟类和爬行动物的丰富度在富营养环境中更高,而哺乳动物和两栖动物的多样性在失足环境中更高。脊椎动物物种组成的相似性不取决于岩溶和火山洞穴之间的距离。火山和喀斯特洞穴平均占脊椎动物物种的70%和55%,这表明只有30%和45%的物种,分别,每个洞穴类型都不同。鉴于这些地下生态系统的脆弱性和脆弱性,以及它们所包含的重要多样性,我们建议将韦拉克鲁斯中部地区的洞穴纳入地方政府和社区的保护议程。基于社区的保护可以帮助确保该地区洞穴中存在脊椎动物物种。
The mountain region of central Veracruz, Mexico hosts a large system of karst and volcanic
caves that are unexplored. In particular, the vertebrates that inhabit these subterranean ecosystems are unknown. This study evaluated the diversity of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish in three environments (euphotic, disphotic, and aphotic) of 16
caves of different geological origin (12 karst
caves and 4 volcanic
caves) distributed along an altitudinal gradient (300-2400 m a.s.l.). We found a richness of 242 vertebrate species (184 birds, 30 mammals, 15 reptiles, 12 amphibians, and 1 fish) and an abundance of a total of 11,323 individuals (4,969 mammals, 6,483 birds, 36 reptiles, 27 amphibians, and 5 fish). The richness of all vertebrate classes was higher in karst than in volcanic
caves. Vertebrate diversity was also higher at mid-altitudes between 600-899 m a.s.l. Diversity varied between environments, where bird and reptile richness was higher in the euphotic environment, while mammal and amphibian diversity was higher in the aphotic environment. The similarity in the composition of vertebrate species does not depend on the distance between karstic and volcanic caves. Volcanic and karst caves shared on average up to 70% and 55% of vertebrate species, which indicates that only 30% and 45% of species, respectively, is different in each cave type. Given the vulnerability and fragility of these subterranean ecosystems, as well as the important diversity that they contain, we recommend including the caves of the central region of Veracruz in the conservation agenda of local governments and communities. Community-based conservation can help ensure the presence of vertebrate species in the
caves of this region.