Biodiversity of Mammoth Cave

The first cave-limited species found in Mammoth Cave was described in 1842 by DeKay. By 1888, 19 stygobionts and troglobionts were known. At present, there are 32 described troglobionts (terrestrial obligate cave dwellers) and 16 stygobionts (aquatic obligate cave dwellers) from Mammoth Cave. It is the third richest cave worldwide in terms of terrestrial species. Globally, the aquatic species richness is unremarkable, but it is one of the most diverse aquatic caves in the USA. Possible reasons for the high terrestrial species richness include high levels of available organic matter, a unique geographic position at the intersection of several major cave fauna regions, and its immense size. In comparison with Vjetrenica, a global hot spot of terrestrial species richness in Bosnia and Herzegovina, taxonomic diversity in Mammoth Cave is similar, although Vjetrenica has more families of beetles.