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Perina G, Camacho A, Cooper SJ, Floeckner S, Blyth AJ, Saccò M. An integrated approach to explore the monophyletic status of the cosmopolitan genus Hexabathynella (Crustacea, Bathynellacea, Parabathynellidae): two new species from Rottnest Island (Wadjemup), Western Australia. SYST BIODIVERS 2023. [DOI: 10.1080/14772000.2022.2151662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Perina
- Western Australian Museum Collections and Research, 49 Kew Street, Welshpool, 6106, Western Australia, Australia
- Biologic Environmental Survey, 24-26 Wickham St, East Perth, 6004, Western Australia, Australia
- Subterranean Research and Groundwater Ecology (SuRGE) Group, Trace and Environmental DNA (TrEnD) Laboratory, School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, 6102, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Ana Camacho
- Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC), Dpto. Biodiversidad y Biología Evolutiva, C/José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, Madrid, 28006, Spain
| | - Steven J.B. Cooper
- Environment Institute and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, 5005, South Australia, Australia
- Evolutionary Genomics, South Australian Museum, North Terrace, Adelaide, 5000, South Australia, Australia
| | - Stephanie Floeckner
- Biologic Environmental Survey, 24-26 Wickham St, East Perth, 6004, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Alison J. Blyth
- The, Institute for Geoscience Research, School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, 6102, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Mattia Saccò
- Subterranean Research and Groundwater Ecology (SuRGE) Group, Trace and Environmental DNA (TrEnD) Laboratory, School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, 6102, Western Australia, Australia
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Marble Slurry’s Impact on Groundwater: The Case Study of the Apuan Alps Karst Aquifers. WATER 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/w11122462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Modern sawing techniques employed in ornamental stones’ exploitation produce large amounts of slurry that can be potentially diffused into the environment by runoff water. Slurry produced by limestone and marble quarrying can impact local karst aquifers, negatively affecting the groundwater quality and generating a remarkable environmental and economic damage. A very representative case-study is that of the Apuan Alps (north-western Tuscany, Italy) because of the intensive marble quarrying activity. The Apuan Alps region extends over about 650 km2; it hosts several quarries, known all over the world for the quality of the marble extracted, and a karst aquifer producing about 70,000 m3/day of high-quality water used directly for domestic purposes almost without treatments. In addition, Apuan Alps are an extraordinary area of natural and cultural heritage hosting many caves (about 1200), karst springs and geosites of international and national interest. During intense rain events, carbonate slurry systematically reaches the karst springs, making them temporarily unsuitable for domestic uses. In addition, the deterioration of the water quality threatens all the hypogean fauna living in the caves. This paper provides preliminary insights of the hydrological and biological indicators that can offer information about the impact of the marble quarrying activities on groundwater resources, karst habitats and their biodiversity.
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Gibson L, Humphreys WF, Harvey M, Hyder B, Winzer A. Shedding light on the hidden world of subterranean fauna: A transdisciplinary research approach. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 684:381-389. [PMID: 31154211 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.05.316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2019] [Revised: 05/18/2019] [Accepted: 05/20/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Subterranean environments contain a diverse and unique obligate fauna: either aquatic living in the groundwater or terrestrial living in voids above the water table. In the arid region of the western part of the Australian continent, a particularly rich subterranean fauna coincides with a concentration of natural resource extraction operations. Since the inclusion of subterranean fauna in assessments of environmental impact in the mid-1990s, taxonomic research in Australia on this group of mainly invertebrates has grown exponentially. However, remaining knowledge gaps continue to frustrate both environmental regulators and development proponents due to high uncertainty in the decision-making process. In early 2017, the Western Australian Biodiversity Science Institute was tasked with leading the development of a research program to improve on the current state of knowledge of subterranean fauna. To balance the diverse environmental, economic and social needs of a range of stakeholders, transdisciplinary principles were applied to program development. A clear consensus on five broad focus areas to progress include: (1) data consolidation; (2) resilience to disturbance; (3) survey and sampling protocols; (4) abiotic and biotic habitat requirements; and (5) species delineation. In the context of these focus areas; we describe the research program development, reviewing the status of knowledge within each focus area, and the research initiatives to close the gaps in knowledge. We argue that, by adopting a transdisciplinary approach, the likelihood of success of the research program, as measured by the effective translation and adoption of research findings, will be maximized. This review is timely given the ever-increasing demand on groundwater systems for water extraction worldwide. A holistic understanding of the influence of anthropogenic activities on these ecosystems, and the functional role of organisms within them, will help to ensure that their health is not compromised.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lesley Gibson
- Western Australian Biodiversity Science Institute, WA Trustees Building, Level 2, 133 St Georges Terrace, Perth, WA 6000, Australia; Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, 17 Dick Perry Avenue, Kensington, WA 6151, Australia; School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia.
| | - William F Humphreys
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia; Department of Terrestrial Zoology, Western Australian Museum, 49 Kew Street, Welshpool, Western Australia 6106, Australia
| | - Mark Harvey
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia; Department of Terrestrial Zoology, Western Australian Museum, 49 Kew Street, Welshpool, Western Australia 6106, Australia
| | - Bridget Hyder
- Department of Water and Environmental Regulation, 8 Davidson Terrace, Joondalup, Western Australia 6027, Australia
| | - Andrew Winzer
- Fortescue Metals Group Ltd, Level 2, 87 Adelaide Terrace, East Perth, Western Australia 6004, Australia
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Earthquakes trigger the loss of groundwater biodiversity. Sci Rep 2014; 4:6273. [PMID: 25182013 PMCID: PMC4152748 DOI: 10.1038/srep06273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2014] [Accepted: 08/06/2014] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Earthquakes are among the most destructive natural events. The 6 April 2009, 6.3-Mw earthquake in L'Aquila (Italy) markedly altered the karstic Gran Sasso Aquifer (GSA) hydrogeology and geochemistry. The GSA groundwater invertebrate community is mainly comprised of small-bodied, colourless, blind microcrustaceans. We compared abiotic and biotic data from two pre-earthquake and one post-earthquake complete but non-contiguous hydrological years to investigate the effects of the 2009 earthquake on the dominant copepod component of the obligate groundwater fauna. Our results suggest that the massive earthquake-induced aquifer strain biotriggered a flushing of groundwater fauna, with a dramatic decrease in subterranean species abundance. Population turnover rates appeared to have crashed, no longer replenishing the long-standing communities from aquifer fractures, and the aquifer became almost totally deprived of animal life. Groundwater communities are notorious for their low resilience. Therefore, any major disturbance that negatively impacts survival or reproduction may lead to local extinction of species, most of them being the only survivors of phylogenetic lineages extinct at the Earth surface. Given the ecological key role played by the subterranean fauna as decomposers of organic matter and “ecosystem engineers”, we urge more detailed, long-term studies on the effect of major disturbances to groundwater ecosystems.
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Menció A, Korbel KL, Hose GC. River-aquifer interactions and their relationship to stygofauna assemblages: a case study of the Gwydir River alluvial aquifer (New South Wales, Australia). THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2014; 479-480:292-305. [PMID: 24565862 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2013] [Revised: 01/28/2014] [Accepted: 02/03/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
In contrast to surface water ecosystems, groundwater ecosystems are usually considered to have relatively stable conditions and physically inert environments. However, many groundwater ecosystems undergo substantial changes through space and time, related to fluxes in groundwater flow, exchange and nutrient imports. In this study we used hydrochemical data to: 1) determine the different hydrogeological conditions in an alluvial system, the shallow Gwydir River alluvial aquifer (located in Northern New South Wales, Australia); and 2) analyze the relationship between hydrochemical conditions and the composition of stygofauna assemblages in the aquifer. Using hydrochemical modeling and multivariate analyses, four main hydrogeological situations were defined as occurring in the aquifer. Bores were classified as having either a high, low or no influence from or exchange with the river. The latter group was further subdivided into those of low and high salinity. Further analysis combining the biological and hydrochemical data identified two main groups of samples. The first group was composed mainly of samples related to the aquifer groundwater which had higher richness and abundance of fauna compared to samples in the second group which was comprised of samples affected by stream water leakage and samples related to the highest salinities. These results suggest that more stable conditions (mainly related to steadier groundwater head levels) and lower nitrate concentrations promoted a more diverse and abundant stygofauna community.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Menció
- Grup de Geologia Aplicada i Ambiental (GAIA), Centre de Geologia i Cartografia Ambientals (GEOCAMB), Àrea de Geodinàmica, Departament de Ciències Ambientals, Universitat de Girona, Campus de Montilivi, 17071 Girona, Spain.
| | - K L Korbel
- School of the Environment, University of Technology, Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia.
| | - G C Hose
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia.
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