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The Nature Conservancy’s Planning for Subterranean Invertebrates of the Interior Low Plateaus Julian J. Lewis Biological Consultant to The Nature Conservancy 217 W Carter Avenue Clarksville, IN 47129 F. Allen Pursell The Nature Conservancy Abstract The Nature Conservancy is developing a series of large-scale conservation plans based on eco-regional boundaries for the entire U.S. These plans are designed to identify the best remaining occurrences of globally rare species and communities within and among ecological regions. During the planning process for the Interior Low Plateaus Ecological Region, subterranean invertebrates became a primary focus. Since in some cases these animals are poorly known they presented particular challenges for conservation plan- ning. To address the lack of centralized knowledge regarding the distribution of subterranean organisms a systematic approach was developed wherein the Interior Low Plateaus was subdivided into faunal units based in part on endemism. Nine major subdivisions were created, three containing addi- tional subunits. For most of these faunal areas a comprehensive subterra- nean species inventory does not exist. For others, for example the Mammoth Cave fauna of Kentucky, Blue River fauna of Indiana, and Huntsville fauna of Alabama, the fauna is better known. Where the fauna was generally well documented, three sites for each globally rare invertebrate were identified for conservation. For poorly known areas, general guidelines were put forth to conserve a set of subterranean communities representative of the area in hope of securing protection for fauna that is not yet well known. In the end, sites containing over 300 species of globally rare cave invertebrates were recommended for conservation status. The Nature Conservancy is developing a se- poorly known, with the possibility of hundreds ries of large-scale conservation plans based on of species remaining undescribed. Thus, the ecoregional boundaries for the entire U.S. subterranean invertebrates of the Interior Low These plans are designed to identify the best Plateaus presented particular challenges for remaining occurrences of globally rare species conservation planning. and communities within and among ecological To address the lack of centralized knowl- regions. During the planning process for the edge regarding the distribution of subterra- Interior Low Plateaus Ecological Region, sub- nean organisms a systematic approach was terranean invertebrates became a primary fo- developed wherein the Interior Low Plateaus cus. The Interior Low Plateaus includes was subdivided into faunal units based in part northern Alabama, central Tennessee and Ken- on endemism. The following list includes nine tucky, southern Indiana, southern Illinois and major faunas, of which four contain smaller the southwestern corner of Ohio. Dozens of faunal subunits. This analysis is based on the troglobitic species have been described from zoogeographic works of Barr (1968), Peck this region, which includes well known caves (1989), Peck & Lewis (1978), and Lewis (1983). like Cumberland Caverns (Tennessee), Mam- In each area examples are given of endemic moth Cave (Kentucky) and Wyandotte Cave troglobites. The examples were taken from the (Indiana). In some cases these animals are works of Barr (1959, 1960, 1962a, 1962b, 1979, 110 1999 National Cave and Karst Management Symposium Lewis & Pursell 1980; & Peck 1966), Causey (1959), Cooper, et Endemic: Pseudanophthalmus illinoisen- al. (1974, 1997), Christiansen & Bellinger sis, Pseudotremia undescribed species (1998), Ferguson (1981), Hobbs, Jr. et al.(1972, 1977), Hoffman (1956; & Lewis Shawnee Hills Fauna - southern Illinois west 1997), Lewis, (1982a, 1982b, & Bowman of Hicks Dome fault area, Pope, Johnson, Un- 1981), Loomis (1939, 1943), Malcolm & Cham- ion, and Jackson counties berlin (1961), Muchmore (1965, 1976, 194, Endemic: unknown 1995, 1996), Peck (1973, 1974, 1984), and Shear (1973). (2) Central Lowland Fauna - glaciated areas of the Central Lowland Province included here (1) Pennyroyal Fauna - Pennyroyal Plateau in the Interior Low Plateaus ecoregion, with of central and western Kentucky, as well as the karst buried under till; subterranean fauna of extensions north of the Ohio River in Illinois this area primarily phreatobitic in nature as (Shawnee Hills) and Indiana (Mitchell Plain); caves are unavailable as habitats. the Muscatatuck region included in the Blue- grass by Barr (1968) is switched into the Pen- Illinois Basin Fauna – central Illinois nyroyal section here due to the Muscatatuck’s Endemic: Caecidotea beattyi faunal affinities with the Mitchell Plain. Scottsburg Lowland Fauna – south-central Bedford Fauna - Indiana, Monroe County Indiana south to central Orange County Endemic: Caecidotea teresae Endemic: Pseudanophthalmus leonae, Apochthonius indianae, Arrhopalites bimus (3) Bluegrass Fauna - north-central Ken- tucky (Lexington region) Blue River Fauna - south central Indiana, Endemic: Caecidotea barri, Pseudanop- including Harrison, Crawford, Washington, thalmus horni and southern Orange County Endemic: Pseudanophthalmus eremita, (4) Cumberland Plateau (Edge) Fauna - Pseudotremia indianae, Rheocyclops indi- Huntsville, Alabama north through Tennessee ana to Adams County, Ohio) Muscatatuck Fauna - southeastern Indiana, Adams Fauna - southeastern Ohio, physiog- Clark to Decatur counties raphic extension of western escarpment of Endemic: Pseudanophthalmus barri, Cumberland Plateau Pseudotremia nefanda, Hesperochernes Endemic: Caecidotea filicispeluncae, Pseu- holsingeri danophthalmus ohioensis Breckinridge Fauna - Kentucky from the Carter Fauna - northeast Kentucky in Carter Hart County Ridge north to the Ohio River at County Meade County Endemic: Pseudotremia carterensis, Pseu- Endemic: Pseudanophthalmus cnephosus, danophthalmus krameri Pseudotremia amphiorax Powell Fauna - eastcentral Kentucky in Pow- Mammoth Cave Fauna - Kentucky from Hart ell, Jackson, Lee & Estill counties County Ridge south to north-central Tennes- Endemic: Pseudanophthalmus exiguus see, west to Warren County, Kentucky Endemic: Palaemonias ganteri, Antriades- Rockcastle Fauna - east central Kentucky mus fragilis, Pseudanophthalmus striatus south to north east/central Tennessee Endemic: Pseudotremia unca, Nelsonites Hopkinsville Fauna - Warren County, Ken- jonesi, Kleptochthonius erebicus tucky, west to the Ohio River, dips into north- west Tennessee Caney Fork Fauna - eastern Highland Endemic: Pseudanophthalmus loganensis, Rim/edge of Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee Litocampa jonesi Endemic: Orconectes incomptus, Antriades- mus mollis, Nelsonites walteri Hardin Fauna - southern Illinois east of Hicks Dome fault area, Hardin, eastern Pope, Huntsville Fauna (east) - southern terminus and Saline Counties of edge of the Cumberland Plateau in 1999 National Cave and Karst Management Symposium 111 Lewis & Pursell Huntsville, Alabama area and adjacent Tennes- For poorly known areas, general guidelines see were put forth to conserve a set of subterra- Endemic: Palaemonias alabamae, Tetra- nean communities representative of the area in cion jonesi, Pseudanophthalmus inter- hope of securing protection for fauna that is medius not yet well known. In the end sites containing over 300 species of globally rare cave inverte- Huntsville Fauna (west) - transition zone brates were recommended for conservation between terminus of Cumberland edge and status. It is hoped that this identification of southern Highland Rim caves and other karst features based solely on Endemic: Procambarus pecki, Batrisodes the presence of globally rare species can pro- jonesi, Speoplathyrhinus poulsoni vide a reasonable and cost-effective approach for conserving not only globally-rare subterra- (5) Cumberland Saddle Fauna - southcen- nean animals but other species that share the tral Kentucky between eastern and western same habitats as well. sinkhole plains Literature Cited Greensburg Fauna - Greensburg area in- cluding parts of Adair, Metcalfe, Green & Hart Barr, Thomas C., Jr. 1959. “New cave beetles counties (Carabidae, Trechini) from Tennessee and Endemic: Pseudotremia merops, Pseudano- Kentucky.” Journal Tennessee Academy of phthalmus darlingtoni Science, 34 (1): 5-30. Tompkinsville Fauna Tompkinsville area in- Barr, Thomas C., Jr. 1960. “A synopsis of the cluding parts of Barren, Metcalfe, Cumberland, cave beetles of the genus Pseudano- Monroe counties phthalmus of the Mitchell Plain in southern Endemic: Pseudanophthalmus cerberus Indiana (Coleoptera, Carabidae).” American Midland Naturalist, 63: 307-320 (6) Central Basin Fauna - Nashville Basin area of northcentral Tennessee Barr, Thomas C., Jr. 1962a. The robustus group of the genus Pseudanophthalmus (Coleop- Endemic: Pseudanophthalmus insularis, tera: Carabidae) Coleopterists Bulletin,16: Ptomaphagus barri 109-118 (7) Western Tennessee River Valley Barr, Thomas C., Jr. 1962b. “The blind beetles Fauna - western Highland Rim/western valley of Mammoth Cave, Kentucky.” American of Tennessee Midland Naturalist, 68: 278-284. Endemic: Pseudanophthalmus occidentalis Barr, Thomas C., Jr. 1979. The taxonomy, dis- tribution, and affinities of Neaphaenops, (8) Western Coal Field - western Kentucky with notes on associated species of Pseu- and adjacent part of southern Indiana, not danophthalmus (Coloptera, Carabidae). karst. No known subterranean fauna in this American Museum Novitates, 2682, 1-20. area Barr, Thomas C., Jr. 1980. New species groups (9) Western Illinois Sinkhole Plain - ex- of Pseudanophthalmus