A conservation roadmap for the subterranean biome

J Judson Wynne ,Stefano Taiti ,Marconi Souza‐Silva ,Samuel M Gon ,Bruce W Miller ,Maria Elina Bichuette ,Francis G Howarth ,Michael P Venarsky ,Sebastián Yancovic Pakarati ,Jayant Biswas ,Paul A Racey ,Rodrigo Lopes Ferreira ,Pedro Cardoso ,Isabel R Amorim ,Cene Fišer ,Naowarat Cheeptham ,Forough Goudarzi ,William A Shear ,Maja Zagmajster ,Aron D Katz ,Stuart Halse ,Ľubomír Kováč ,Louis Deharveng ,Raoul Manenti ,Arnaud Faille ,Hannelore Hoch ,Shirish Manchi ,Cory W Blackeagle ,Thomas M Lilley ,Christian Griebler ,Oana Teodora Moldovan ,C M Phillips-Lander ,Alberto Sendra ,Žiga Fišer ,Diana M P Galassi ,David Sánchez‐Fernández ,Celso Poot ,Melissa B Meierhofer ,Stefano Mammola ,Chaichat Boonyanusith ,Tiziana Di Lorenzo ,Danté B Fenolio ,Thaís Giovannini Pellegrini ,David Eme ,Tanja Pipan ,Penelope J Boston ,Rodrigo A Medellín ,Reynold N Cal ,Paulo A V Borges ,Alejandro Martínez ,Mingyi Tian ,Enock Kale ,Matthew L Niemiller ,Stewart B Peck ,Ana Z Miller ,Yahui Zhao

doi:10.1111/conl.12834

Abstract

AbstractThe 15th UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) (COP15) will be held in Kunming, China in October 2021. Historically, CBDs and other multilateral treaties have either alluded to or entirely overlooked the subterranean biome. A multilateral effort to robustly examine, monitor, and incorporate the subterranean biome into future conservation targets will enable the CBD to further improve the ecological effectiveness of protected areas by including groundwater resources, subterranean ecosystem services, and the profoundly endemic subsurface biodiversity. To this end, we proffer a conservation roadmap that embodies five conceptual areas: (1) science gaps and data management needs; (2) anthropogenic stressors; (3) socioeconomic analysis and conflict resolution; (4) environmental education; and (5) national policies and multilateral agreements.

Highlights

As the upcoming Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) meeting will be held in the South China Karst, a region supporting the highest diversity of subterranean-adapted fishes, beetles, and millipedes globally, we provide this roadmap for conserving the world’s subterranean resources
A multilateral effort to robustly examine, monitor, and incorporate the subterranean biome into future conservation targets will enable the CBD to further improve the ecological effectiveness of protected areas by including groundwater resources, subterranean ecosystem services, and the profoundly endemic subsurface biodiversity
As the upcoming CBD meeting will be held in the South China Karst, a region supporting the highest diversity of subterranean-adapted fishes, beetles, and millipedes globally, we provide this roadmap for conserving the world’s subterranean resources

Summary

Introduction

As the upcoming CBD meeting will be held in the South China Karst, a region supporting the highest diversity of subterranean-adapted fishes, beetles, and millipedes globally (and likely to emerge as a subterranean biodiversity hotspot), we provide this roadmap for conserving the world’s subterranean resources. CBDs and other multilateral treaties have either alluded to or entirely overlooked the subterranean biome.

Results

Conclusion