ED001. Differences in invertebrate species composition in caves of Napo province, Ecuador

Abstract

In Ecuador there is a large number of caves, especially east of the Andean Mountains. However, knowledge about their fauna is scarce and dispersed. The objective of this study is to determine if there are differences among invertebrate communities that inhabit caves with different levels of speleotourism. Preliminary field trips were made from October 2016 to June 2017 to learn about the diversity of invertebrates. Subsequently, quantitative data of richness and abundance of species was taken in the months of October, November and December of 2017, using pitfall traps in three caves of the Napo province: Templo de Ceremonia, El Toglo and Mayanchi. 3004 individuals belonging to 55 morphospecies were collected, of which six are possibly troglobites. The non-metric multidimensional scaling and the Morisita-Horn index revealed differences in community structure that could be due to: the differences in frequency and intensity of flooding of the rivers that cross the caves, bat diversity, the amount of guano available and presence of geographical barriers between the caves. This study provides a baseline for the characterization of the invertebrate community of the Napo caves and highlights the need to continue sampling the invertebrate community to find new species, verify the state of conservation of the caves in the long term, and support with the training of guides and property owners to practice speleotourism in the caves in a sustainable and responsible manner.