Fifty years of cave arthropod sampling: techniques and best practices

Abstract

Ever-increasing human pressures on cave biodiversity have amplified the need for systematic, repeatable, and intensive surveys of cave-dwelling arthropods to formulate evidence-based management decisions. We examined 110 papers (from 1967 to 2018) to: (i) understand how cave-dwelling invertebrates have been sampled; (ii) provide a summary of techniques most commonly applied and appropriateness of these techniques, and; (iii) make recommendations for sampling design improvement. Of the studies reviewed, over half (56) were biological inventories, 43 ecologically focused, seven were techniques papers, and four were conservation studies. Nearly one-half (48) of the papers applied systematic techniques. Few papers (24) provided enough information to repeat the study; of these, only 11 studies included cave maps. Most studies (56) used two or more techniques for sampling cave-dwelling invertebrates. Ten studies conducted ≥10 site visits per cave. The use of quantitative techniques was applied in 43 of the studies assessed. More than onethird (42) included some level of discussion on management. Future studies should employ a systematic study design, describe their methods in sufficient detail as to be repeatable, and apply multiple techniques and site visits. This level of effort and detail is required to obtain the most complete inventories, facilitate monitoring of sensitive cave arthropod populations, and make informed decisions regarding the management of cave habitats. We also identified naming inconsistencies of sampling techniques and provide recommendations towards standardization.

Distributional dynamics of a specialized subterranean community oppose the classical understanding of the preferred subterranean habitats

“…It is worth noting that abundance and richness data deriving from baited pitfall‐trapping must be carefully considered since these results might differ in comparison to other methods (Culver & Pipan, ; Juberthie, ; Kozel et al, ; Kuštor & Novak, , ; Poulson & Culver, ; Weinstein & Slaney, ; Wynne et al, ). However, in previous studies (Kozel et al, ; Novak et al, ), we showed that a monthly two‐day setting of the traps 3–4 m apart provides enough data for many statistical analyses, along with any detectable influence on the depletion of the fauna.…”

“…The fauna was recorded by visual inspection and by pitfall trapping. We applied simultaneously two sampling methods, since it is documented that complementary sampling approaches maximize the detection and completeness of diversity assessments of cave‐dwelling arthropods (Kozel et al, ; Wynne et al, ; Wynne et al, ).…”

“…For details on the traps, see Kozel et al (). Counts deriving from visual inspection and pitfall trapping were merged in the analysis (Wynne et al, ).…”

Cave-dwelling pseudoscorpions of China with descriptions of four new hypogean species of Parobisium (Pseudoscorpiones, Neobisiidae) from Guizhou Province

“…From 29 July to 5 August 2019, researchers conducted direct intuitive searches (sensu Wynne et al 2019) in the estimated deep zone of each cave by examining bat guano, dead insects, edges of pools and streams, flood detritus, and mud floors (Figs 19B,20C). Two observers spent approximately two hours searching in Zharou Cave, four hours searching in Biyun cave, and four observers spent about three hours searching Sanlou Cave.…”

Trogloregions: delimiting subterranean faunistic identities in Afrotropics and Neotropics

“…We de ned three criteria for the selection of articles used to build the database, which limited considerably the inclusion of caves. Such criteria were: a) Articles in which the emphasis was clearly on surveying fauna or ecological studies involving the entire invertebrate community; b) Articles that provided georeferenced locations of the inventoried caves; c) Articles in which the methodology also indicated active collection (direct intuitive search 67 ), where the collection team searches the entire cave in search of organisms. Having met all the criteria, we used the data on the occurrence of invertebrate families of these caves.…”