Stygofauna

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Stygofauna is the name generally given to any fauna that live within groundwater systems, such as caves and aquifers. More specifically, it often refers to small, aquatic groundwater invertebrates, though terrestrial air-breathing subterranean animals are also sometimes included. Stygofauna can live within freshwater aquifers and within the pore spaces of limestone, calcrete or laterite, but are also found in marine caves and wells along coasts.

Extensive research has been done into the stygofauna of the USA, France, Slovenia and numerous other European countries, due to easy accessibility of caves and wells in these regions, as well as the high diversity and numbers of animals present here. Many species of stygofauna, especially obilgate stygofauna, are endemic to particular regions or even particular caves. This makes them focal points for conservation of groundwater systems.

[edit] Conservation

An Australian Perspective

As Australian stygofauna are a relatively poorly understood, new classification of animals, and live in a poorly understood environment, much effort is being put into understanding their ecology, life cycle and how to protect their habitat.

Many species of Australian stygofauna have been found only in Australia or in particular regions within the country. This has restricted extraction of groundwater, drilling of new holes and excavations within their aquifer habitat. This protection is currently challenged by mining and pastoral interests.

Stygofauna have been used as environmental bargaining chips, as reasons to delay or prevent mining operations by various environmental groups and proponents of stygofauna research and taxonomy, arguing that stygofauna are, by dint of their habitat in restricted aquifers, extremely biologically important.

Mining companies and pastoralists are opposed to classification of stygofauna as endangered species as no causal link between mining operations and stygofauna extinction has been proven. They further argue that in the extremely arid Australian landscape the stygofauna must be able to weather drought conditions. This is questioned by stygofauna researchers, who identify groundwater habitats as refuges for many species that would not survive in the otherwise arid environment. Furthermore, the ecological value of stygofauna is unknown in Australia, as is the theory of their restricted occurrence, because little thorough research has been done into all species of stygofauna present. Additionally, studies have tended to focus on only easily accessible or highly sampled areas of Australia, so overall patterns of distribution and endemicity are not known.

It is not practical or possible to conserve all stygofauna habitats in Australia, because drilling of new holes, extraction of groundwater and excavations must take place to sustain the human population. It has been suggested by other researchers from overseas to identify 'hotspots' of stygofaunal biodiversity and endemicity, so that the most biologically important areas or systems can be conserved. This is currently difficult in Australia due to the poor knowledge of many classes of organisms that reside in groundwater habitats. Further research is required to identify the most important groundwater areas to look after, as has been done with surface waters like rivers and lakes.