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A troglobite (or, formally, troglobiont) is an animal species, or population of a species, strictly bound to underground habitats, such as caves.These are separate from species that mainly live in above-ground habitats but are also able to live underground (eutroglophiles), and species that are only cave visitors (subtroglophiles and trogloxenes). [1]
Caves that are close to the surface, such as lava tubes, often have tree roots hanging from the cave roof, which provide nutrients for sap-feeding insects. [1] [2] Other important food sources in underground habitats are animals being decomposed and bat guano, [3] [4] [5] that creates large invertebrate communities in such caves. [6] [7]
Caves or caverns are natural voids under the Earth's surface. [1] Caves often form by the weathering of rock and often extend deep underground. Exogene caves are smaller openings that extend a relatively short distance underground (such as rock shelters). Caves which extend further underground than the opening is wide are called endogene caves ...
Talus caves are usually short, although the longest have up to several kilometers of explorable passages. [1] Examples of long talus caves include Bodagrottorna [] in Hälsingland, Sweden, with 2,600 metres (8,500 ft) of passage, [8] [5] the Touchy Sword of Damocles cave in New York, United States with over 4,000 metres (13,000 ft) of passage, [2]: 55 [9] and Merrills-Barn Door-And-The Hole ...
A solutional cave, solution cave, or karst cave is a cave usually formed in a soluble rock like limestone (Calcium carbonate CaCO 3). It is the most frequently occurring type of cave. It can also form in other rocks, including chalk, dolomite, marble, salt beds, and gypsum. [1]
Speleology (from Ancient Greek σπήλαιον (spḗlaion) 'cave' and -λογία 'study of') is the scientific study of caves and other karst features, as well as their composition, structure, physical properties, history, ecology, and the processes by which they form (speleogenesis) and change over time (speleomorphology).
Troglofauna are small cave-dwelling animals that have adapted to their dark surroundings. Troglofauna and stygofauna are the two types of subterranean fauna (based on life-history). Both are associated with subterranean environments – troglofauna is associated with caves and spaces above the water table and stygofauna with water.
Speleogenesis is the origin and development of caves, the primary process that determines essential features of the hydrogeology of karst and guides its evolution. It often deals with the development of caves through limestone, caused by the presence of water with carbon dioxide dissolved within it, producing carbonic acid which permits the dissociation of the calcium carbonate in the limestone.