belize sei2011forweb
DESCRIPTION
A report on field work from the Subterranean Ecology Institute, Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation. http://cavelife.orgTRANSCRIPT
The 2011 Belize Biospeleology Expedition
The Subterranean Ecology Institute, Inc.
© SJTaylor/SEI 2011http://cavelife.org/
In April 2011, an expedition to southern Belizewas undertaken by a team which
included 3 professional biospeleologistsand other experts who set out to
document previously unstudiedsubterranean biodiversity
© JKKrejca/SEI 2011http://cavelife.org/
Fieldwork focusedon caves and karst
in the Toledo Districtof southern Belize
the team members
Steve Taylor Mike Slay Jean Krejca
Christy Slay Geoff Hoese JoAnn Jacoby
http://cavelife.org/
© GHoese/SEI 2011http://cavelife.org/
Led by local Mayan guides, we visited several
caves over a period of about two weeks
© GHoese/SEI 2011http://cavelife.org/
Along the way, we admired many natural wonders of the jungle
http://cavelife.org/ © CMSlay/SEI 2011
Some of the caves have large skylights, with trees growing in them. These skylights also function as natural pitfall traps, bringing energy into the caves to feed the organisms that live in the darkness, with little access to other energy sources.
http://cavelife.org/ © CMSlay/SEI 2011
This is a baited bottle trap, being placed in a pool in a cave in hopes of catching some aquatic troglobites.
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Cave inhabiting crickets, such as this one, were common inhabitants of the twilight zone of the caves. They probably exit the cave at night to forage on the forest floor.
Family Gryllidae: Subfamily Phalangopsinae: Tribe Luzarini: Subtribe Amphiacustina: Mayagryllus sp.
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Each place we stopped to sample in the caves, we collected data on light availability, temperature, wind, relative humidity, and substrate. These data are carefully recorded on field sheets, and are associated with numbered sample jars.
HumidityMeter
Diplura: Campodaeidae
Isopoda: Trichoniscidae
© GHoese/SEI 2011http://cavelife.org/
Two small cave invertebrates we found feeding on a piece of debris
Amblypygids, tailless whip scorpions, arelarge arachnids. They were common in the caves, but likely are not cave-limited species.
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This harvestman (Opiliones) is a troglobitic,or cave-limited, species. It has a small eyespot,visible in this image, but it is much reduced in comparison to closely related surface species.It is amost certainly an undescribed species –our first discovery!
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The delicate webs of larval fungus gnats, or webworms (Diptera: Mycetophilidae) were present in many of the caves. We are unsure of which adult fly species these larvae are associated with. In temperate North America, there are other species of these flies whose larvae make a web with a somewhat different construction.
© GHoese/SEI 2011http://cavelife.org/
© GHoese/SEI 2011http://cavelife.org/
Looking into one of the cave entrances, you can see from the size of the four people, that the passage was often quite large.
© GHoese/SEI 2011http://cavelife.org/
A tiny fungus found growing on a piece of organic debris in one of the caves. Fungi play an important role in cave ecosystems, helping to break down organic debris, and providing food for other inhabitants.
One of our team closely examines an amblypygid (tailless whip scorpion).
© GHoese/SEI 2011http://cavelife.org/
© GHoese/SEI 2011http://cavelife.org/
We spend many hours doing just this, closely examining all surfaces in search of tiny cave invertebrates, and carefully recording our findings on field forms.
This animal represents one of the most exciting new discoveries from our trip. This is a Schizomid, or Shorttailed whipscorpion, and is an
undescribed new species discovered during our bioinventory. It is a distant relative of spiders, mites, ticks, scorpions.
http://cavelife.org/ © SJTaylor/SEI 2011
http://cavelife.org/ © JKKrejca/SEI 2011
We spent a lot of time trying to photo-document our trip, so we can better explain what we found, and why it is important. We were fortunate to have several good photographers on the trip.
http://cavelife.org/ © JKKrejca/SEI 2011
In the lush jungle, cave entrances were sometimes hard to see!
This tiny trichoniscid isopod is an
eyeless troglobite, distantly related
to “pillbugs.”
It is likely a new, undescribed
species.
http://cavelife.org/ © SJTaylor/SEI 2011
Another one of the more exciting discoveries was this tiny, cave adapted and undescribed new pseudoscorpion species.
http://cavelife.org/ © SJTaylor/SEI 2011
A cave-adapted millipede (Diplopoda), likely an undescribed species.
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http://cavelife.org/ © JKKrejca/SEI 2011
One of the many kinds of spiders that were collected. Some of these will likely turn out to be new species, once we’ve had them examined by
appropriate experts.
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Although this, and several other scorpions, were found in the caves, none appeared to be cave-limited, or cave adapted, species.
© GHoese/SEI 2011http://cavelife.org/
Big, beautiful passage, deep within a cave in southern Belize.
http://cavelife.org/ © MESlay/SEI 2011
Fruit bats are important pollinators in the tropics. The plants they pollinate include fruit trees utilized by humans. Caves provide critical shelter needed for the bats to rear their young. Here, an adult is roosting with four younger individuals. The feces of these bats, in turn, provides a rich food source for the invertebrates living in the caves.
http://cavelife.org/ © MESlay/SEI 2011
We sometimes made rather extreme efforts to locate cave
animals in unusual habitats. This cave pool is more than 15 feet
deep.
http://cavelife.org/ © MESlay/SEI 2011
http://cavelife.org/ © JKKrejca/SEI 2011
In addition to sampling the caves, we also attempted to collect groundwater invertebrates by using a baited trap lowered down into several water wells.
© GHoese/SEI 2011http://cavelife.org/
Using heat and light, tiny invertebrates were extracted from leaf litter collected at the caves using this device, called a Berlese funnel.
© GHoese/SEI 2011http://cavelife.org/
A typical hike back from the caves.
http://cavelife.org/ © MESlay/SEI 2011
Prior to conducting our fieldwork, we worked closely with the Belizian Institute of Archeology to obtain research permits, as they are responsible for all research activities in the caves. We also worked with the Belize Forest Department to obtain a collecting permit. Finally, we work with customs in both Belize and the USA, as well as US Fish & Wildlife, to obtain final clearance and approval to bring materials back to the laboratory where we are now sorting and studying our findings.
© GHoese/SEI 2011http://cavelife.org/
Bruno Kuppinger, a local licensed tour guide, proved indispensible in providing
logistical support and helping us arrange for local
guides.
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Cooling off at the end of the day after a long hike
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We thank:Dr. John Morris, Director of Research, Belize Institute of ArcheologyDr. Jaime J. Awe, Director, Belize Institute of Archaeology Mr. Hector Mai, Belize Forest DepartmentBruno Kuppinger, Toledo Cave & Adventure ToursShirley & the staff at Sun CreekDr. Keith Prufer, University of New MexicoPhil Walker & Alan Braybrooke of SWCCIra TaylorJason ValdesAll of our Mayan guides
Belize Institute of ArcheologyBelize Forest DepartmentSubterranean Ecology InstituteNational Speleological FoundationIllinois Natural History SurveyUniversity of Illinois The Nature ConservancyZara Environmental, LLCUniversity of ArkansasSouth Wales Caving Club (SWCC)Billy Valdes Custom House Brokers
http://cavelife.org/ © MESlay/SEI 2011
The 2011 Belize Biospeleogy Expeditionreceived major support
from the
as well as a grant from theNational Speleological Foundation
International Exploration Fund© GHoese/SEI 2011http://cavelife.org/