The 2022 UN World Water Report highlights groundwater as central to the fight against poverty, to food and water security, to socio-economic development, and to the resilience of societies and economies to climate change.
In recognition of the UN Year of Groundwater, the continued celebration of the IYCK and CaveMAB’s #Together for Caves and BRs campaign the CaveMAB Network organizes a free, interactive webinar series entitled Best Practices in Protecting and Managing Cave and Karst Waters.
Participants will hear from professionals around the globe working on water resource issues in Biosphere Reserves and other protected areas. We are excited to discuss the use of good science to support the management of UNESCO sites with vulnerable cave and karst systems.
BIODIVERSITY
Thursday, October 25 • 11AM-12PM, CDT
Spots of high diversity of subterranean aquatic faunas in Brazil: priority areas for conservation and water management.
– Eleonora Trajano, Institute of Biosciences, University of São Paulo.
Biologist, Master Degree (1977) in Zoology, Doctorate (1987) in Biological Sciences (1981) by the Institute of Biosciences of the University of São Paulo- IBUSP. Professor at USP from 1981 to 2015, Full Professor from 2006 on. Taught courses on Zoology of Vertebrates (Graduation), and Subterranean Biology and Bioethics and Conservation (Graduation and Post-graduation). Professor of Post-graduation course at the IBUSP from 1989 to 2015. Head of the Department of Zoology – IBUSP and Director of the Marine Biology Center – USP. Expertise in the field of Zoology and Subterranean Biology, with publications and supervised studies on subterranean biodiversity, taxonomy, ecology, behavior, biology and evolution of cave fishes, biology of cave invertebrates, bat ecology, conservation of subterranean systems and bioethics. Currently, coordinator of the Brazilian Program for Bat Conservation and member of the Council of the Speleological Patrimony of the State of São Paulo.
ABSTRACT
Strong ecological filters restricting effective colonization and determining particular selective regimes characterize subterranean habitats. Consequently, taxonomic diversity (species richness) is low, but divergence rates tend to be higher, leading to higher levels of phenotypic disparity. Likewise, phylogenetic and dark diversities tend to be higher in subterranean communities. Spots of total diversity (troglobites + troglophiles + trogloxenes) frequently do not overlap with spots of high diversity of troglobites. Among Brazilian karst areas, spots of high total diversity include São Domingos karst area (GO). On the other hand, the main spots of high diversity of aquatic troglobites are located in the Una Group and Serra do Ramalho (BA), and Serra da Bodoquena (MS); the most specialized troglobites live in the phreatic zone. São Domingos is also a spot of high diversity for troglobitic fishes. Highlight should also be given to the troglobitic fish population of the Carstic Area of Alto Ribeira (SP), located in the most conserved remnant of the Atlantic Forest of Brazil. These areas are included in Brazilian Biosphere Reserves, thus a priority for study, conservation and adequate management of subterranean waters.
