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- EU needs groundwater ecosystems guidelinesPublication . Di Lorenzo, Tiziana; Lunghi, Enrico; Aanei, Cristina Mihaela Tereza; Altermatt, Florian; Alther, Roman; Rosário, Isabel Amorim Do; Bancila, Raluca; Bellvert, Adrià; Blomberg, Anna; Borges, Paulo A. V.; Brad, Traian; Brancelj, Anton; Brankovits, David; Cardoso, Pedro; Cerasoli, Francesco; Chauveau, Claire A.; Crespo, Luís; Csader, Michael; Delić, Teo; Di Cicco, Mattia; Douady, Christophe J.; Duchemin, Louis; Faille, Arnaud; FIASCA, BARBARA; Fišer, Cene; Flot, Jean-François; Gabriel, Rosalina; Galassi, Diana M.P.; Garzoli, Laura; Griebler, Christian; Karwautz, Clemens; Kenesz, Marius I.; Konecny-Dupré, Lara; Lilley, Thomas; Malard, Florian; Martínez, Alejandro; Meierhofer, Melissa B.; Messana, Giuseppe; Millán, Andrés; Mizerakis, Vangelis; Mori, Nataša; Nanni, Veronica; Nicolosi, Giuseppe; Oromí, Pedro; Pallarés, Susana; Pereira, Fernando; Reboleira, Ana Sofia; Saccò, Mattia; Salussolia, Alice; Sánchez-Fernández, David; Sarbu, Serban M; S̗tefan, Andrei; Stoch, Fabio; Camillo, Agostina Tabilio Di; TAITI, STEFANO; Vaccarelli, Ilaria; Valanne, Valeria; Zagmajster, Maja; Zakšek, Valerija; Zittra, Carina; Mammola, StefanoNegotiations are underway on the new European Union (EU) Water Directive (1), which will regulate the protection and sustainable use of Europe’s water resources. However, the proposal foregoes environmental quality standards specifically tailored to sensitive groundwater species and fails to require biomonitoring for groundwater ecosystems. Despite repeated calls for consideration (2, 3) since the first Water Framework Directive in 2000 (4), groundwater ecosystems are at risk of being overlooked yet again.
- Temperature variation in caves and its significance for subterranean ecosystemsPublication . Medina, Maria J.; Antić, Dragan; Borges, Paulo A. V.; Borko, Špela; Fišer, Cene; Lauritzen, Stein-Erik; Martín, Jose L.; Oromí, Pedro; Pavlek, Martina; Premate, Ester; Puliafico, Ken P.; Sendra, Alberto; Reboleira, Ana SofiaABSTRACT: 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.
- Perspectives and pitfalls in preserving subterranean biodiversity through protected areasPublication . Mammola, Stefano; Altermatt, Florian; Alther, Roman; Rosário, Isabel Amorim Do; Bancila, Raluca; Borges, Paulo A. V.; Brad, Traian; Brankovits, David; Cardoso, Pedro; Cerasoli, Francesco; Chauveau, Claire A.; Delić, Teo; Di Lorenzo, Tiziana; Faille, Arnaud; Fišer, Cene; Flot, Jean-François; Gabriel, Rosalina; Galassi, Diana M.P.; Garzoli, Laura; Griebler, Christian; Konecny-Dupré, Lara; Martínez, Alejandro; Mori, Nataša; Nanni, V.; Ogorelec, Žiga; Pallarés, Susana; Salussolia, Alice; Saccò, Mattia; Stoch, Fabio; Vaccarelli, Ilaria; Zagmajster, Maja; Zittra, Carina; Meierhofer, Melissa; Sánchez-Fernández, David; Malard, FlorianSubterranean ecosystems (comprising terrestrial, semi-aquatic, and aquatic components) are increasingly threatened by human activities; however, the current network of surface-protected areas is inadequate to safeguard subterranean biodiversity. Establishing protected areas for subterranean ecosystems is challenging. First, there are technical obstacles in mapping three-dimensional ecosystems with uncertain boundaries. Second, the rarity and endemism of subterranean organisms, combined with a scarcity of taxonomists, delays the accumulation of essential biodiversity knowledge. Third, establishing agreements to preserve subterranean ecosystems requires collaboration among multiple actors with often competing interests. This perspective addresses the challenges of preserving subterranean biodiversity through protected areas. Even in the face of uncertainties, we suggest it is both timely and critical to assess general criteria for subterranean biodiversity protection and implement them based on precautionary principles. To this end, we examine the current status of European protected areas and discuss solutions to improve their coverage of subterranean ecosystems.