Shallow Subterranean Habitats

Shallow subterranean habitats (SSHs) are areas of habitable space that are less than 10 m in depth from the surface. These range from large areas such as shallow caves and lava tubes, to tiny areas such as cracks in ceilings, or spaces in soil. Whilst being very different in many ways, they are often bound together by shared characteristics of the habitats and their faunas, and their study can help us to understand subterranean habitats in general. Shallow Subterranean Habitats concentrates on the more typical SSHs of intermediate size (seepage springs, spaces between rocks, cracks in lava etc.), describing the habitats, their fauna, and the ecological and evolutionary questions posed. Similarities and differences between the habitats are considered and discussed in a broader ecological and evolutionary context. Shallow Subterranean Habitats is mainly aimed at students and researchers in the field of subterranean biology, but will also be of interest to a wider range of ecologists, evolutionary biologists, freshwater biologists, and conservationists. There will also be an audience of environmental professionals.

1: The shallow subterranean domain
2: Seepage springs and the hypotelminorheic habitat
3: Epikarst: the soil-rock interface in karst
4: Intermediate-sized terrestrial shallow subterranean habitats
5: Calcrete aquifers
6: Interstitial habitats along rivers and streams
7: Soil
8: Lava tubes
9: The role of light in shallow subterranean habitats
10: Environmental fluctuations and stresses in shallow subterranean habitats
11: Organic carbon and nutrients in shallow subterranean habitats
12: Evolution of morphology in shallow subterranean habitats
13: Colonization and dispersal in shallow subterranean habitats
14: Phylogeny in shallow subterranean habitats
15: Conservation and protection of shallow subterranean habitats
16: Epilogue and prospects