Aspectos ecológicos de uma caverna granítica no sul de Minas Gerais

Abstract

Studies about communities associated to granitic caves from Brazil are scarce. This work aims to present data about species richness, populational abundance, diversity and equitability of invertebrates from a granitic cave called Gruta do Pinhão Assado, located in the region of Serra da Mantiqueira, municipality of Itamonte, Minas Gerais state. This cave presented 52 species belonging to 21 orders and 36 families. The values of equitability, diversity and ecological complexity were 0.7079, 2.783 and 3.88, respectively. The community of invertebrates is constituted mainly by troglophile species, present rather near the entrances, where there is a substantial amount of organic material carried by water and wind. Few studies mention the biology of caves formed in magmatic rocks in Brazil. Therefore, it is necessary to improve the knowledge about the fauna associated to these caves subsidizing, this way, future decisions about preservation of fauna and caves.