Distributional patterns of cave Collembola (Hexapoda) in association with habitat conditions, geography and subterranean refugia in the Western Carpathians

A study of 28 caves in the Western Carpathians, including UNESCO World Heritage Sites Aggtelek Karst and Slovak Karst, reveals that southern and central karst regions serve as critical glacial refugia for subterranean fauna. The research identified 90 Collembola species, with 13 troglobiotic (obligate cave-dwelling) species concentrated in the southern and southeastern parts of the region. Species diversity correlated positively with internal air temperature but negatively with elevation and latitude, indicating environmental and geographic influences on distribution. Non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMS), cluster, and indicator value analyses further demonstrated distinct geographic patterns in Collembola communities, with northern areas showing lower diversity and no troglobiotic taxa.

Kováč, Ľ., Parimuchová, A., & Miklisová, D. (2015). Distributional patterns of cave Collembola (Hexapoda) in association with habitat conditions, geography and subterranean refugia in the Western Carpathians. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 119(3), 571–592. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1111/bij.12555