The project “Elba underground”In its first phase, has the aim of exploring and documenting the hypogean biodiversity of the island of Elba. In collaboration with the University of Turin, the World Biodiversity Association Onlus and the Tuscan Archipelago National Park, the research focuses on the fauna of the natural and artificial underground environments of the island.
Elba underground: goal and study
The island of Elba, rich in natural environments, houses a unique biodiversity but the underground fauna still remains little studied. To date, the research has limited themselves to sporadic reports of some species such as the Baccettii Protoleptoneta spider, a jurssical boreotropic forest wreck and some underground beetles such as Otiorhynchus Bartolozzii, Otiorhynchus Giustii and Lathrobium Lottii, known for single hypogean or superficial underground locations.
There is no overall investigation into the underground biodiversity of the island, nor an in -depth study on surface underground environments or on the artificial cavities such as mines and tunnels.
The aim of the project is therefore to provide a preliminary picture of the hypogean fauna composition of Elba, studying the three main types of underground habitats: natural caves, artificial cavities and the surface underground environment (MSS).
Traps installed to start the first operational phase
The project came alive with the installation of traps for monitoring underground fauna, an essential step to collect data on the presence and distribution of species. The sampling techniques used include:
- Pitfall Trapping: fall traps with attractions, positioned in caves and mines to intercept a wide range of organisms.
- Pitfall Trapping, or fall traps with attraction and pre -frequent solution, positioned in caves and mines to intercept a wide range of organisms;
- Visual research, through the manual collection of arthropods through tools such as aspirators and tweezers;
- MSS traps, specific devices for the surface underground environment, positioned in areas of fractured rocks or near natural cavities to intercept little known fauna.
A project that will continue until July 2025
The field activities will continue until July 2025, with two main shipments: the first dedicated to the preparation of the traps and the preliminary evaluation of the sites, the second intended for the collection of samples and the analysis of the fauna found.
The results of the research will be analyzed in the laboratories ofUniversity of Turin and at the Nat-Lab, where experts will identify the species found, including spiders, pseudoscorpions, beetles and vegetables.
Depending on the results, the possibility of continuous monitoring during the following year will be evaluated. The results obtained will contribute not only to the conservation of the underground ecosystems of the island, but also to scientific dissemination.
The importance of conservation of underground ecosystems
The project “Elba underground” It represents a unique opportunity to explore a still unknown part of the ecosystem of the island of Elba and to raise public awareness of the importance of the conservation of underground environments. These habitats, rich in hidden life, are essential for global biodiversity and deserve greater attention and protection. The support of the Tuscan Archipelago National Park He demonstrates the importance of this project for the conservation of the island.