| Title | Fundamental research questions in subterranean biology |
| Abstract | Five decades ago, a landmark paper inSciencetitledThe Cave Environmentheralded caves as ideal natural experimental laboratories in which to develop and address general questions in geology, ecology, biogeography, and evolutionary biology. Although the 'caves as laboratory' paradigm has since been advocated by subterranean biologists, there are few examples of studies that successfully translated their results into general principles. The contemporary era of big data, modelling tools, and revolutionary advances in genetics and (meta)genomics provides an opportunity to revisit unresolved questions and challenges, as well as examine promising new avenues of research in subterranean biology. Accordingly, we have developed a roadmap to guide future research endeavours in subterranean biology by adapting a well-established methodology of 'horizon scanning' to identify the highest priority research questions across six subject areas. Based on the expert opinion of 30 scientists from around the globe with complementary expertise and of different academic ages, we assembled an initial list of 258 fundamental questions concentrating on macroecology and microbial ecology, adaptation, evolution, and conservation. Subsequently, through online surveys, 130 subterranean biologists with various backgrounds assisted us in reducing our list to 50 top-priority questions. These research questions are broad in scope and ready to be addressed in the next decade. We believe this exercise will stimulate research towards a deeper understanding of subterranean biology and foster hypothesis-driven studies likely to resonate broadly from the traditional boundaries of this field. |
| Source | Biological reviews (Camb., Print) |
| Keywords | biospeleologycave biologyexpert opiniongroundwaterhorizon scanningresearch questionsstygofaunatroglobionts |
| Journal | Biological reviews (Camb., Print) |
| Editor | Blackwell Publishing, Oxford, Regno Unito |
| Year | 2020 |
| Type | Articolo in rivista |
| DOI | 10.1111/brv.12642 |
| Authors | Mammola, Stefano; Amorim, Isabel R.; Bichuette, Maria E.; Borges, Paulo A. V.; Cheeptham, Naowarat; Cooper, Steven J. B.; Culver, David C.; Deharveng, Louis; Eme, David; Ferreira, Rodrigo Lopes; Fiser, Cene; Fiser, Ziga; Fong, Daniel W.; Griebler, Christian; Jeffery, William R.; Jugovic, Jure; Kowalko, Johanna E.; Lilley, Thomas M.; Malard, Florian; Manenti, Raoul; Martinez, Alejandro; Meierhofer, Melissa B.; Niemiller, Matthew L.; Northup, Diana E.; Pellegrini, Thais G.; Pipan, Tanja; Protas, Meredith; Reboleira, Ana Sofia P. S.; Venarsky, Michael P.; Wynne, J. Judson; Zagmajster, Maja; Cardoso, Pedro |
| Text | 433321 2020 10.1111/brv.12642 ISI Web of Science WOS 000562745100001 biospeleology cave biology expert opinion groundwater horizon scanning research questions stygofauna troglobionts Fundamental research questions in subterranean biology Mammola, Stefano; Amorim, Isabel R.; Bichuette, Maria E.; Borges, Paulo A. V.; Cheeptham, Naowarat; Cooper, Steven J. B.; Culver, David C.; Deharveng, Louis; Eme, David; Ferreira, Rodrigo Lopes; Fiser, Cene; Fiser, Ziga; Fong, Daniel W.; Griebler, Christian; Jeffery, William R.; Jugovic, Jure; Kowalko, Johanna E.; Lilley, Thomas M.; Malard, Florian; Manenti, Raoul; Martinez, Alejandro; Meierhofer, Melissa B.; Niemiller, Matthew L.; Northup, Diana E.; Pellegrini, Thais G.; Pipan, Tanja; Protas, Meredith; Reboleira, Ana Sofia P. S.; Venarsky, Michael P.; Wynne, J. Judson; Zagmajster, Maja; Cardoso, Pedro Univ Helsinki; Natl Res Council CNR; Azorean Biodivers Grp; Univ Acores; Univ Fed Sao Carlos; Thompson Rivers Univ; South Australian Museum; Univ Adelaide; Univ Adelaide; Amer Univ; Museum Natl Hist Nat; IFREMER Ctr Atlantique; Univ Fed Lavras; Univ Ljubljana; Amer Univ; Univ Vienna; Univ Maryland; Univ Primorska; Florida Atlantic Univ; Univ Helsinki; Univ Lyon; Univ Milan; Texas A M Univ; Univ Alabama Huntsville; Univ New Mexico; ZRC SAZU Karst Res Inst; Univ Nova Gorica; Domen Univ Calif; Univ Copenhagen; Griffith Univ; No Arizona Univ Five decades ago, a landmark paper inSciencetitledThe Cave Environmentheralded caves as ideal natural experimental laboratories in which to develop and address general questions in geology, ecology, biogeography, and evolutionary biology. Although the caves as laboratory paradigm has since been advocated by subterranean biologists, there are few examples of studies that successfully translated their results into general principles. The contemporary era of big data, modelling tools, and revolutionary advances in genetics and meta genomics provides an opportunity to revisit unresolved questions and challenges, as well as examine promising new avenues of research in subterranean biology. Accordingly, we have developed a roadmap to guide future research endeavours in subterranean biology by adapting a well established methodology of horizon scanning to identify the highest priority research questions across six subject areas. Based on the expert opinion of 30 scientists from around the globe with complementary expertise and of different academic ages, we assembled an initial list of 258 fundamental questions concentrating on macroecology and microbial ecology, adaptation, evolution, and conservation. Subsequently, through online surveys, 130 subterranean biologists with various backgrounds assisted us in reducing our list to 50 top priority questions. These research questions are broad in scope and ready to be addressed in the next decade. We believe this exercise will stimulate research towards a deeper understanding of subterranean biology and foster hypothesis driven studies likely to resonate broadly from the traditional boundaries of this field. Published version Articolo in rivista Blackwell Publishing 1464 7931 Biological reviews Camb., Print Biological reviews Camb., Print Biol. rev. Camb., Print Biological reviews Camb., Print Biological reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society Print. 1998 Camb., Print stefano.mammola MAMMOLA STEFANO alejandro.martinezgarcia MARTINEZ GARCIA ALEJANDRO |
