Micro-invertebrates conservation: forgotten biodiversity

Abstract

The concern about the preservation of biodiversity is due, in part, to a great level of media coverage granted in the last few years to global warming and consequential climatic changes. However, there are still considerably large gaps in scientific knowledge regarding the ecological status of many species, which results in an absence of conservation strategy for most of Earth's biodiversity in need of it. The extinction of many animal and plant species can have catastrophic consequences on the ecosystems' balance and also in human well-being, resultant from the break of ecological services. To exemplify how a specific group of microscopic animals can be endangered, I have analyzed the case of the phylum Tardigrada. Tardigrades are microscopic animals that inhabit most environments: terrestrial, freshwater and marine. Even though many species are widespread and the terrestrial ones granted with cryptobiotic skills, they are adapted to each habitat type and, additionally, to local environmental patterns. This means that these tiny metazoans can be under significant environmental pressure in the various habitat types they are found in. The potential need of protective and compensatory measures aiming for appropriate conservation of these life forms is discussed, as is the need of studying for their objective elaboration.

Distribution and diversity of Tardigrada along altitudinal gradients in the Hornsund, Spitsbergen (Arctic)

“…The investigated altitudinal transects may be useful as a proxy for predicting climate change effects on tardigrade biodiversity. As hypothesized by Vicente (2010), an increase in temperatures may negatively affect exclusively limnic tardigrades which are not capable of cryptobiosis (Rebecchi et al 2009). …”

Evaluación de la diversidad en comunidades de tardígrados (Ecdysozoa: Tardigrada) en hábitats urbano y rural de la ciudad de Salta (Argentina)

“…Posiblemente, la gran exposición y el calor de las ciudades conducen a una evaporación más rápida (Glime, 2013) haciendo su microclima menos favorable para la fauna de tardígrados. A ello se le suma el avance de la urbanización que produce destrucción de microhábitats que reducen las poblaciones y la biodiversidad del grupo, ya que los tardígrados muestran una fuerte selección por el hábitat (Guil et al, 2009), pudiendo en algunos casos llegar a la extinción de algunas especies, incluso antes de que sean conocidas para la ciencia (Vicente, 2010). Es decir, el decremento de la diversidad observada en los hábitats urbanos sería el producto directo de las actividades antrópicas que producen pérdida de riqueza de especies, y de la uniformidad de las comunidades (Magurran & McGill, 2011).…”

The impact of fire on terrestrial tardigrade biodiversity: a first case-study from Portugal

“…However, for many taxonomic groups there is still little or no evidence of habitat loss affecting intrinsic biodiversity and/or population structure (Andersen and Müller, 2000;Vicente, 2010). One such group is the phylum Tardigrada.…”