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Understanding and preserving genetic diversity is vital for ensuring species persistence, particularly in the face of pervasive threats such as global climate change and habitat loss. This is especially true for groundwater fauna, whose ranges are often restricted and populations highly vulnerable to extinction. Population genetic studies of subterranean species often reveal cryptic species complexes, which further elevate conservation concerns by revealing even smaller ranges and population sizes than previously recognized.
Within the Upper Floridan Aquifer, the Georgia Blind Salamander (Eurycea wallacei) and Dougherty Plain Cave Crayfish (Cambarus cryptodytes) are iconic yet threatened taxa that often co-occur at many sites across the Marianna Lowlands and Dougherty Plain of Florida and Georgia. These species provide a unique opportunity to examine how groundwater connectivity shapes population structure and to test for cryptic diversity in co-occurring groundwater specialists. Here, we combine mitochondrial DNA, population genetic, and nuclear genomic (UCE) approaches to assess levels of genetic diversity within and among populations of both species.
Our analyses reveal patterns of genetic structure that reflect both local hydrogeologic conditions and broader regional aquifer connectivity. By identifying population boundaries, levels of connectivity, and potential cryptic lineages, this study fills critical knowledge gaps in the biology of two imperiled subterranean species. These results provide a foundation for adaptive conservation and management strategies not only for E. wallacei and C. cryptodytes, but also for groundwater biodiversity in general.
Jacob A. Schaefer, Eric Maxwell, Teddy Garlock, Dante B. Fenolio, and Matthew L. Niemiller