DarCo

The vertical dimension of conservation: A cost-effective plan to incorporate subterranean ecosystems in post-2020 biodiversity and climate change agenda) – Biodiversa+ 

Subterranean systems host an extraordinary biodiversity of specialised and endemic organisms, representing a unique portion of global taxonomic, phylogenetic and functional diversity. Moreover, they provide crucial ecosystem services, such as the supply of drinking water for more than half of the world’s population. However, these ecosystems are systematically neglected in global policy agendas. Currently, only 6.9% of known subterranean ecosystems fall within global protected areas, and few of these consider their vertical dimension.

The DarCo project (2023-2026), financed by Biodiversa+ 2021-2022 joint call ‘Supporting the protection of biodiversity and ecosystems’, and coordinated by Stefano Mammola (IRSA-CNR, Verbania office) aims to map underground biodiversity in Europe and develop an explicit plan to integrate these ecosystems into the EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030. Through a multidisciplinary team of scientists from 11 European countries, the project is divided into four work packages in addition to the management package (WP1): the collection and analysis of data on the distribution, traits and phylogeny of the main subterranean species (WP2); the modelling of species responses to anthropogenic threats (WP3); the design of protection plans integrating climate change and existing protected areas (WP4); and the dissemination of results and stakeholder engagement (WP5).

The systems considered include caves (karstic and volcanic), fracture systems, anchialine environments, aquifers and artificial underground habitats. European subterranean biodiversity is mainly concentrated in southern mountainous regions and island volcanic systems, with hotspots in the Alps, Pyrenees, Apennines and Dinarides. The project will include data from all over the continent, with a special focus on circum-Mediterranean countries and oceanic islands.

DarCo will produce accessible scientific data to support the inclusion of subterranean ecosystems in European conservation plans, helping to fill gaps in knowledge about the sensitivity of subterranean species to climate change and habitat alterations. This project is a step towards a practical and innovative approach to protecting underground biodiversity, promoting social awareness and the integration of these ecosystems into global biodiversity plans.