Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://biore.bio.bg.ac.rs/handle/123456789/6860
Title: Temperature variation in caves and its significance for subterranean ecosystems
Authors: Medina, Maria J.
Antić, Dragan 
Borges, Paulo A. V.
Špela, Borko
Fišer, Cene
Lauritzen, Stein-Erik
Martín, Jose L.
Oromí, Pedro
Pavlek, Martina
Premate, Ester
Puliafico, Ken P.
Sendra, Alberto
Reboleira, Ana Sofia P. S.
Keywords: Ecology;;Ecosystem ecology.
Issue Date: 25-Nov-2023
Rank: M21
Publisher: NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP, LONDON, ENGLAND
Journal: Scientific Reports
Volume: 13
Start page: 20735
Abstract: 
Climate change affects all ecosystems, but subterranean ecosystems are repeatedly neglected from political and public agendas. Cave habitats are home to unknown and endangered species, with low trait variability and intrinsic vulnerability to recover from human-induced disturbances. We studied the annual variability and cyclicity of temperatures in caves vis-à-vis surface in different climatic areas. We hypothesize that cave temperatures follow the average temperature pattern at the surface for each location with a slight delay in the signal, but we found three different thermal patterns occurring in caves: (1) high positive correlation and a similar thermal pattern to the surface, (2) low correlation and a slight thermal delay of the signal from the surface, and (3) high negative correlation with an extreme delay from the surface. We found daily thermal cycles in some caves, which may potentially control the circadian rhythms of cave organisms. Our results show that caves had lower thermal amplitude than the surface, and that thermal averages within caves approximately correspond to the to the annual average of surface temperature. Caves buffer external temperature and act as refugia for biota in extreme climatic events. Likewise, temperature increases at surface will lead to increment in caves, threatening subterranean biota and ecosystem services.
URI: https://biore.bio.bg.ac.rs/handle/123456789/6860
Appears in Collections:Journal Article

Show full item record

Page view(s)

2
checked on Nov 4, 2024

Google ScholarTM

Check


Items in DSpace are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.