Fauna subterrânea do Estado do Rio Grande do Norte: caracterização e impactos

Abstract

There is a lack of studies concerning the cave fauna in Northeastern Brazil. The information related to Brazilian cave fauna was mainly provided by studies performed in the Southeast region of the country. The aim of this study is to provide data related to the richness, structure of communities, and biological relevance of some caves located in the state of Rio Grande do Norte. A total of 91 families of invertebrates, distributed among 36 orders, were sampled from 17 caves. It was also observed 3 species of fish and 8 species of bat in these caves. From the sampled organisms, 23 presented troglomorphic traits. Some of the troglobites (cave dwelling) are relicts of previous oceanic sea life, therefore, being evidence of oceanic introgressions and regressions that occurred in the past of the area. Since the area is extremely important in the national speleological context, conservation strategies must be defined to protect the caves and their life.