Cave Community Instability in the Tropics: A Case Study on Environmental Filtering and β-Diversity Partitioning of Terrestrial Invertebrates
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37002/rbesp.v2i14.2848Palavras-chave:
Environmental gradients, Species turnover, Habitat filtering, Neotropical invertebratesResumo
Ambientes subterrâneos são caracterizados por condições atmosféricas relativamente estáveis e ausência de luz; no entanto, sua complexidade morfológica pode influenciar a conectividade com a superfície, tornando-os suscetíveis a flutuações ambientais que afetam as comunidades de invertebrados. Neste estudo, examinamos a relação entre temperatura, umidade e distância da entrada da caverna ao longo de duas estações (seca e chuvosa), e seus efeitos sobre a riqueza de espécies, composição e diversidade beta (β-diversidade) de invertebrados terrestres em uma caverna calcária neotropical. A riqueza de espécies foi maior durante a estação chuvosa e em áreas mais próximas da entrada. A temperatura influenciou positivamente a riqueza de espécies, enquanto a umidade afetou principalmente a composição da comunidade. A β-diversidade temporal apresentou variação sazonal e foi impulsionada principalmente pela substituição de espécies (turnover). A distância da entrada afetou negativamente a β-diversidade espacial em ambas as estações, enquanto a temperatura teve um efeito positivo significativo apenas durante a estação seca. O particionamento da β-diversidade revelou a substituição de espécies como o principal processo por trás da diferenciação espacial das comunidades cavernícolas. Nossos resultados sugerem que tanto a heterogeneidade ambiental temporal quanto espacial molda a dinâmica das comunidades nesta caverna. Temperaturas elevadas sustentam maior riqueza de espécies, ressaltando seu papel na manutenção da biodiversidade. Além disso, a distância da entrada influencia a distribuição das espécies, refletindo gradientes de composição e riqueza ao longo do ecótono subterrâneo. De modo geral, a substituição de espécies (e não a aninhamento/nestedness) emerge como o principal mecanismo estruturador das comunidades cavernícolas, destacando a sensibilidade ecológica e a instabilidade inerente dos habitats subterrâneos frente às mudanças ambientais.
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