An Overview on the Subterranean Fauna from Central Asia
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Ecologica Montenegrina 20: 168-193 (2019) This journal is available online at: www.biotaxa.org/em An overview on the subterranean fauna from Central Asia VASILE DECU1†, CHRISTIAN JUBERTHIE2*, SANDA IEPURE1,3, 4, VICTOR GHEORGHIU1 & GEORGE NAZAREANU5 1 Institut de Spéologie Emil Racovitza, Calea 13 September, 13, R0 13050711 Bucuresti, Rumania 2 Encyclopédie Biospéologique, Edition. 1 Impasse Saint-Jacques, 09190 Saint-Lizier, France 3Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia, José Beltrán 15 Martínez, 2, 46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain. E-mail: [email protected] 4University of Gdańsk, Faculty of Biology, Department of Genetics and Biosystematics, Wita Stwoswa 59, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland 5Muzeul national de Istorie naturala « Grigore Antipa » Sos, Kiseleff 1, Bucharest, Rumania E-mail: [email protected] *Corresponding author: E-mail: [email protected] Received 9 December 2018 │ Accepted by V. Pešić: 8 March 2019 │ Published online 21 March 2019. Abstract Survey of the aquatic subterranean fauna from caves, springs, interstitial habitat, wells in deserts, artificial tunnels (Khanas) of five countries of the former URSS (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tadjikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan) located far east the Caspian Sea. The cave fauna present some originalities: - the rich fauna of foraminiferida in the wells of the Kara-Kum desert (Turkmenistan); - the cave fish Paracobitis starostini from the Provull gypsum Cave (Turkmenistan); - the presence of a rich stygobitic fauna in the wells of the Kyzyl-Kum desert (Uzbekistan); - the rich stygobitic fauna from the hyporheic of streams and wells around the tectonic Issyk-Kul Lake (Kyrgyzstan); - the eastern limit of the European genus Niphargus from the sub-lacustrin springs on the eastern shore of the Caspian Sea (Kazakhstan); - the presence of cave fauna of marine origin. Approximately 96 stygobionts, 9 stygobionts/stygophiles and 3 troglobionts are recorded. Key words: karst, caves, wells, interstitial, khanas, subterranean fauna, cave fish. I Geographical setting The subterranean fauna was studied in five countries, part of the former Soviet Union (1924-1991): Kazakhstan (Asian part), Kyrghyzstan, Tadjikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Central Asia is ecologically diverse, characterized by desert basins, steppes and high mountains landscape. The area can be divided in two main zones: first, the plains of Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan: secondly, the inter- mountainous depressions, piedmonts and high mountains of the Tien Shan and Pamir (Figs. 1 and 2). Ecologica Montenegrina, 20, 2019, 168-193 DECU ET AL. Figure 1. Central Asia. Map of main karst areas, in brown. (After Klimchouk, 2003; modified). II Karsts, caves and artificial galleries (kiarizs) Several features characterize the karst of Central Asia: - Arid and ultra arid climate in relation to the continental position of Central Asia and the barriers to the influence of summer mousson. The result is the poor contemporary development of limestone karst; - A specific central Asia arid karst: - epikarst characterized by scarcity of dolines and density of fissures near the surface; - development of evaporate karst (gypsum, salt, with spectacular evaporate karsts; - Hydrothermal or sulfuric acid generation of much caves. Caves of these types are reported from the Tien Shan, Pamir, Kopetda; - Caves developped in some mountainous zones where local conditions create higher precipitations; The relief range from lowlands near the Caspian, to the high plateau of Pamir and the highest mountains of the Tien Shan. Central Asia can be divided in four large regions: the Turansky plain, - the plains and low mountains of central Kazakhstan, - the Caledonian and Hercynian mountains of the Tien Shan, - the Alpin mountains of the Kopetdag and Pamir (Klimchouk, 2004). The Turansky Plain is a vast desert region which contents carbonates and evaporates of Mesozoïc and Cenozoïc ages. It is occupied by the large sand deserts of Kara-Kum, Kyzyl-Kum and Mujunkum. Some small caves are present: the longest is Sarykamyshskaya (200 m long) and the deepest is the shaft Bolojuk (-120 m). In the eastern part of the Turansky Plain, carboniferous gypsum and limestone karst are reported in the Betpak-Dala desert and the Chujsky region. Ecologica Montenegrina, 20, 2019, 168-193 169 SUBTERRANEAN FAUNA FROM CENTRAL ASIA Figure 2. Central Asia. Collecting sites of subterranean fauna. Map A: numbers 1 = Kendyrli Bay; 2 = Kushka. a and b = Two detailed mountain ranges: A Kuldzhuktau Mountains, b - Nuratau Mountain range: H = Pit for hyporheic fauna; K = Kanat, artificial subterranean gallery groundwater collector and conveyer; W = Well (after A. I Jankowskaya, 1972, modified). Aral Sea in 2010. B 3 = Cholpon-Aty river and the Biological Station at Cholpon-Aty; 4 = Aksu and Dzhirgalan rivers, affluents Issyk-Kul lake; 5 = Vannovka; 6 = Shimkent; 7 = Fergana valley; 8 = Urgut; 9 = Bakhmal; 10 = Khaydarkan; 11 = Varzob; 12 = Khodzhambass; 13 = Gaurduk; 14 = Kaptar-Khana cave; 15 = Cupp-Coutunn cave system; 16 = Kugitangtau Mountains; 17 = Fergansky Mts; 18 = Alaiskiy Mts; 19 = Surkhob River; 20 = Gissarkiy (Hissarkiy) Mts; 21 = Kyzyl-Ravata. 170 DECU ET AL. The Central Kazakhstan consists of plains and low hills broken by wide valleys and depressions. Most of the territory consists of dry steppes, with salt lakes in the northern region, and deserts to the west and south. Deposits of bauxite and phosphorites are associated with the Upper Devonian and Carboniferous limestones, often heavily karstified at depth, with high level of porosity and karst water. In the eastern region, larges caves were formed by sulfuric acid dissolution. Figure 3. Drawing out water from a well with a ram skin (~100 l, volume), south of Kyzyl-Kum desert (Photo A. Jankowskaya, 1972). The Tien Shan is a block folded region during the Caledonian and Hercynian orogenies, regenerated during the Alpine cycle. It strechtes east to west for around 3,000 km through Uzbekistan, Tadjikistan, Kyrghyzstan and north-western China. The highest peaks exceed 7,000 m. Thick and extensive Paleozoic carbonated rocks are widespread, Mesozoic and Cenozoic sediments fill depressions. Caves To the north of the Fergansky depression (Fig. 2B: 17), karst and caves are described from the Ugamsky and Pskemsky ranges; the largest caves are: the Zajdmana Cave 830 m length, - 506 m depth, the Uluchurskaya Cave, 1,500 m and – 280 m. Many karst massifs lie south and southwest of the Fergansky depression. There are many small hydrothermal caves and some larger such as: Kun-Ee-Gout (3,000 m long), Pobednaja Cave (1,480 m long), and Fersman’Cave (-220 m deep). Numerous caves are reported from the salt and gypsum karst in the Kysyl Dzhar Mountains. Over 100 shafts and the Kievskaya Cave (-990 m deep) were explored in the Kyrktau plateau, a karst of the southern Tien Shan. The limestone escarpement of Bajuntau and Chul’ bear rises to 3,000 m a.s.l., and important caves are reported there: the Bojbulok (14,270 m of development and – 1,475 m deep), the deepest cave, the Festival’naja-Ledopadnaya system (13,000 m and - 625 m). In the Kugitangtau range lies the Cupp-Coutunn cave system (Fig. 2B: 15) which exceed 80 km of passages (see Turkmenistan) (Bernabei & De Vivo, 1992; Klimchouk, 2004). The Pamir Mountains are mainly situated in Tadjikistan. The eastern part is a high upland with arid climate, the floor of valleys at 3,600/4,000 m a.s.l., the mountains rising 6,000 m a.s.l. The western part is a series of ranges that rise to 1,500/3,500 m above the bottoms of valleys at 1,500/2,500 m. The highest peaks rise to over 7,000 m in the central and northern mountains. Ecologica Montenegrina, 20, 2019, 168-193 171 SUBTERRANEAN FAUNA FROM CENTRAL ASIA Limestones of Silurian, Devonian, Carboniferous and Triassic ages have extensive outcrops. The most notable site is Rangkulskaya Cave in Triassic limestones at 4,600 m a.s.l., 2,050 m of passages mapped, with remnants of an underground glacier. Gypsum karst is known at several high altitude and gypsum caves in the Petra Pervogo range. Salt karst is known on the Khodja-Mumyn dome which rises up 900 m above the surrounding plain. Several caves are reported in the dome: Dnepopretovskaya (2,500 m length), Komsomolskaya (1,800 m), Chjudo (870 m) and Vershinnaja (338 m) (Klimchouk, 2004). Figure. 4 Schematic diagram showing the kiariz (khana) concept. 1 = Mother well; 2 = excavation debris (soil crater); 3 = vertical shafts; 4 = kiariz gallery; 5 = land surface; 6 = outlet; 7 = storage tank; 8 = irrigation land (After Jankowskaja, 1972; modified). Kiarizs are present in Tadjikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. They are artificial subterranean galleries dug in desert zones to reduce evaporation. They collect water from mountains or foot hills, for alimentation or irrigation. Khana wells are 1.1 to 22 m depth, the water from 0.5 to 9 m depth, the temperature from 12 to 22°C, the pH of 7.2/7.5; water Na Cl or Na-SO4 type. Kazakhstan Kazakhstan lies on two continents as it extends across both sides of the Ural river and range. It has a total area of 2,700 000 km2 but only the Asian part is concerned here. It shares borders of 6,800 km with Russia, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrghyzstan and China. Its Asian terrains extend from Ural to the Altai mountains, and north to south from the plains of western Siberia to the oases and deserts of Central Asia. The Kazakh steppe covers one-third of the country, with large areas of grasslands and sandy region. The Syr Darya River, around 2,000 km long, is one of the important river of the central Asia that flows through the Khazakhstan. Several lakes are present (Balkhash, Zaysan), and a part of the rest of Aral Sea. The Charyn river and its canyon are located in northern Tien Shan. The climate is continental, arid to semi-arid, with warm summers and cold winters.