Integrating Formal Surveys and Local Knowledge: Insights into the Subterranean Fauna of Apulia

Background The study of hypogean fauna is critical to preserve subterranean biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in spite of climate change. However, underground habitats, often hosting unique and endemic species, present significant challenges for traditional biodiversity assessments due to their inaccessibility and the specialised nature of their inhabitants, which results in paucity of academic studies. Furthermore, even when these studies exist, data is often held in personal notes and databases, which are not interoperable according to current standards, making it less usable for research purposes. Reawakening this dormant data, standardising and sharing it according to modern criteria offers enormous opportunities to expand existing knowledge and provide support for future studies. Novel Information In the Apulian region of Southern Italy, a biodiversity hotspot for subterranean life, the paucity of recent systematic surveys and the reliance on expert knowledge pose both opportunities and challenges for ecological research. By integrating data from various sources, this study provides an overview of the subterranean faunal assemblages documented in this region. Overall, the dataset is comprehensive of 109 species (29 of which are considered endemic of Apulia) and 224 sites, totalling 631 presence-only records. Since our records expand over 93 years, this dataset represents a unique resource for elucidating the characteristics of Apulian subterranean ecosystems and, potentially, their changes over time. Integrating observations already published in previous studies with unpublished records, this is the first complete data collection on Apulian subterranean fauna organised according to modern standards of data sharing.研究背景 尽管面临气候变化挑战，对地下动物群（hypogean fauna）的研究对于保护地下生物多样性及维持生态系统功能至关重要。然而，地下生境通常孕育着独特的特有物种，但由于其难以抵达的特性以及栖息物种的特化属性，传统生物多样性评估面临诸多挑战，这也导致相关学术研究较为匮乏。此外，即便已开展相关研究，其数据往往仅留存于个人笔记与私有数据库中，无法按照现行标准实现互操作，导致这些数据在科研场景中的可用性大打折扣。激活这些沉睡的数据，并按照现代标准进行标准化与共享，将为拓展现有认知、支撑后续研究提供巨大机遇。 研究亮点 意大利南部普利亚大区（Apulian region）是地下生命的生物多样性热点区域，该区域近期系统性调查匮乏且过度依赖专家知识，这为生态研究既带来了机遇也提出了挑战。本研究整合多源数据，对该区域已记录的地下动物群组合进行了全面梳理。总体而言，本数据集涵盖109个物种（其中29种被认定为普利亚大区特有物种）、224个调查点位，总计631条仅存在记录（presence-only records）。由于本次收录的观测数据跨度长达93年，该数据集成为解析普利亚大区地下生态系统特征及其潜在长期变化的独特研究资源。本数据集整合了已发表文献中的观测记录与未公开档案数据，是首个按照现代数据共享标准整理完成的普利亚大区地下动物群完整数据集。