DOI: 10.5061/dryad.m0cfxppbx
title: Environmental predictors and invertebrate morphotypes in caves of Iuiú, Bahia, Brazil

description: In caves, the absence of natural light in deeper regions starkly contrasts
 with the entrance areas, which still exhibit a light gradient extending
 into the cave interior. This interplay with the structural gradient of the
 environment potentially exerts distinct influences on invertebrate
 communities residing in different cave light zones. To investigate this,
 we formulated a hypothesis positing that communities within distinct cave
 light zones respond differently to habitat structure and microclimatic
 conditions. Our approach involved a spatial multi-scale sampling of
 invertebrates and the application of statistical analyses to contrast the
 responses of communities inhabiting photic and aphotic zones. Photic zone
 richness is influenced by factors such as air moisture, resource
 availability, root presence, and shelter diversity. In contrast, the
 richness of communities in aphotic zones is shaped by resource
 availability, the presence of roots, branches, and distance from the cave
 entrance. As expected, the richness in the photic zone surpasses that of
 the deeper regions, highlighting the challenges faced by invertebrates
 attempting to establish themselves in the aphotic zone. The species
 composition of faunal communities varied predictably from the entrance to
 the aphotic zone, and the three most important factors driving this
 variation were geographic distance, humidity, and distance from the
 entrance. The composition between these cave zones differs significantly,
 primarily due to the high number of obligate cave species predominantly
 inhabiting the aphotic region. Indeed, communities associated with
 different cave zones exhibit distinct responses to resource,
 microclimatic, and structural variables.
description: # Environmental predictors and invertebrate morphotypes in caves of Iuiú,
 Bahia, Brazil
 [https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.m0cfxppbx](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.m0cfxppbx) Spreadsheets detailing the variables and invertebrate species collected in limestone caves in the Iuiú region, Bahia, Brazil, organized by scale and light zone. The morphotypes were sampled during the dry season across two expeditions in 2021 and 2022. ## Description of the data and file structure Spreadsheets presenting the variables and species collected in caves in the Iuiú region, Bahia, Brazil. The spreadsheets are organized by scale and light zone. **Sector.scale.csv** = A spreadsheet containing all the sampled morphotypes and the measured predictors at the mesoscale (sector). **Aphotic_quad.scale.csv** = A spreadsheet containing the sampled morphotypes and the measured predictors at the microscale (quadrant) in the aphotic cave zone. **Photic_quad.scale.csv** = A spreadsheet containing the sampled morphotypes and the measured predictors at the microscale (quadrant) in the photic cave zone. Abbreviations: * Quad - Quadrant number; * Temp. - Temperature (ºC); * Humid. - Humidity (%); * Subs_Diversity - Substrate diversity (Shannon index H'); * Resource_Diversity - Resource diversity (Shannon index H'); * Shelter_Diversity - Shelter diversity (Shannon index H'); * Shelter_avail. - Shelter availability (Sum of the classes); * Resource_avail. - Resource availability (Sum of the classes). All the other predictors were measured as percentages, while the morphotypes indicate their abundance.