Global ecosystem typology

Alternative site for the Global ecosystem typology with additional information for ecosystem profiles and indicative maps.

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S1.1 Aerobic caves

Biome: S1. Subterranean lithic biome

Contributors:
(texts)

These air-filled voids beneath the ground are simple low-productivity ecosystems limited by an absence of solar energy, except around their openings to the surface. Food chains consequently lack plants and herbivores. Microbes in biofilms are the dominant life forms, but some caves have invertebrate detritivore and predators, or temporary vertebrate inhabitants. Their limited energy comes from organic material imported by seepage or animal movements, and bacteria that synthesise chemical energy from rocks. They are found on all major land masses, most commonly in carbonate rocks or lava tubes.

Key Features

Dark dry or humid geological cavities with microbial chemoautotrophs, detrivores, decomposers, endemic invertebrates & no photoautotrophs.

Overview of distribution

Scattered globally throughout land masses.

Profile versions

Main references

Selected references for this functional group:

  • Gibert J, Deharveng L (2002) Subterranean ecosystems: a truncated functional biodiversity BioScience 52, 473-481 DOI:10.1641/0006-3568(2002)052[0473:seatfb]2.0.co;2

  • Engel AS (2010) Microbial diversity of cave ecosystems Geomicrobiology: Molecular and environmental perspective (Eds. LL Barton, M Mandl, A Loy), pp219-238. Springer, Dordrecht

Diagrammatic assembly model

Diagrammatic assembly model of S1.1 Aerobic caves. See general notes on diagrams. Open image full size.

Maps

Maps are indicative of global distribution patterns are not intended to represent fine-scale patterns. The maps show areas of the world containing major (coloured red) or minor occurrences (coloured yellow) of each ecosystem functional group. See general notes on maps.

There are 2 alternative versions of the indicative map for this functional group, please compare description and sources below.

S1.1.IM.orig_v1.0

Datasets

  • Carbonate-rocks-3.0

Map references

  • Williams P, Ting Fong Y (2016) World map of carbonate rock outcrops v3.0 The University of Auckland, Auckland. Webpage

S1.1.web.orig_v1.0

Distributions of Aerobic caves were based on mapped area of carbonate rock outcrop (Williams & Ting Fong 2016). This. provides an upper limit on the area of exposed karst terrain, as not all carbonate rocks are karstified. Lava tubes and other rocks that may contain these ecosystem functional groups are not shown on this indicative map, but are less extensive than those in carbonate rock. Open image full size.

Datasets

  • Carbonate-rocks-3.0

Map references

  • Williams P, Ting Fong Y (2016) World map of carbonate rock outcrops v3.0 The University of Auckland, Auckland. Webpage

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