We wanted to make this information available to state wildlife management agencies. Nearly 1,000 species, mostly crustaceans, insects and arachnids, live exclusively in caves within the continuous 48 states. About 95 percent of the species are listed as vulnerable or imperiled by The Nature Conservancy, yet few are listed under the Endangered Species Act. Because obligate cave species are concentrated in less than 2 percent of the continental United States, mostly in the southeastern states, Culver and colleagues were able to identify key areas of biodiversity. The information may be an important resource in future conservation efforts.
Some species occur in only one or two places.
Protecting caves is not enough to save cave species. Wildlife managers must also protect the land above the caves. Caecidotea sp., a blind, aquatic, asellid isopod from Texas, is another cave-dwelling species Nearly all cave species are vulnerable to disruptions of vegetation and drainage basins that surround caves. Deforestation near caves can decrease bat and rat populations, reducing the scat that many cave species depend on. Because caves usually contain water, protecting the surrounding watershed is also important, Culver said.