Terrestrial fauna from cavities in northern and central Slovenia, and a review of systematically ecologically investigated cavities

Abstract

In the years 1977-2001, the fauna of and ecological conditions in 55 cavities - caves and artificial tunnels - in northern and central Slovenia were systematically investigated. Zoogeographically, this is the meeting point of the Alpine, Pannonian and Dinaric biome. This article lists 321 terrestrial genera, 456 species and 100 subspecies belonging to 183 families, that had been recorded by 2005 in cavities of this region in the course of our own investigations, and that have been cited in the references. This taxonomical review serves as a foundation for understanding ecological and other treatise on the terrestrial fauna in the hypogean habitats of northern and central Slovenia, those that have been published ones, as well as those in preparation. The overview of the systematically investigated cavities, and the review of the methods and techniques used has been added to provide general information about the morphology of these caves, and the ecological research within them.