2007 NSS CONVENTION ABSTRACTS SELECTED ABSTRACTS FROM THE 2007 NATIONAL SPELEOLOGICAL SOCIETY CONVENTION MARENGO, INDIANA BIOSPELEOLOGY Palpigradida (1), Araneae (6), Opiliones (2), Pseudoscorpiones (3), Copepoda (5), Ostracoda (2), Decapoda (4), Isopoda (7), Amphipoda THE SUBTERRANEAN FAUNA OF INDIANA (12), Chilopoda (2), Diplopoda (4), Collembola (4), Diplura (1), Julian J. Lewis and Salisa L. Lewis Thysanura (1), Coleoptera (14), and Vertebrata (1). Vjetrenica is also Lewis & Associates LLC, Cave, Karst & Groundwater Biological Consulting; 17903 the type locality for 37 taxa, including16 endemics and 3 monotypic State Road 60, Borden, IN 47106-8608, USA,
[email protected] genera: Zavalia vjetrenicae (Gastropoda), Troglomysis vjetrenicensis Within Indiana are two distinct cave areas, the south-central karst (Crustacea) and Nauticiella stygivaga (Coleoptera). Some groups have containing most of the state’s 2,000+ caves, and the glaciated southeastern not yet been studied or described (Nematoda, Oligochaeta, Thysanura). karst. Field work from 1971 to present resulted in sampling over 500 caves Due to changes in hydrology, highway building, intensive agriculture, for fauna. Approximately 100 species of obligate cavernicoles have been garbage delay, local quarrying, and lack of state protection mechanisms, discovered, with over 70 of these occurring in the south-central karst area. Vjetrenica is strongly endangered. Besides continuing research, protection Dispersal into the southeastern cave area was limited to the period after of the whole drainage area, along with sustainable cave management, is the recession of the Illinoian ice sheet, accounting for the paucity of fauna, necessary. with only 30 obligate cavernicoles known. The fauna of southeastern Indiana is believed to have dispersed into the area during the Wisconsin MARK-RECAPTURE POPULATION SIZE ESTIMATES OF THE MADISON glaciation, whereas the south-central karst has been available for CAVE ISOPOD, ANTROLANA LIRA colonization over a longer time.