Differing trophic niches of three French stygobionts and their implications for conservation of endemic stygofauna

Groundwater ecosystems represent the greatest proportion of unfrozen freshwater on Earth and harbour high numbers of rare taxa with restricted distributions. Stygofaunal abundance, species richness, and ecology play essential roles in groundwater ecosystem services and functioning, as well as providing an important contribution to global biodiversity. However, as global depletion and contamination of groundwater pose serious and often irreversible threats to stygofauna, more information is urgently needed about the ecology of rare groundwater species to guide effective strategies for their conservation or restoration. In this study, analyses of carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes were used to compare and evaluate trophic niches and diets of a vulnerable stygobiont isopod, Gallasellus heilyi living in sympatry in French groundwater ecosystems with the isopod Caecosphaeroma burgundum and the amphipod Niphargus ladmiraulti. Stable isotope results showed trophic niche partitioning among the three stygobiont species and indicated that G. heilyi and C. burgundum occupy the role of primary consumers and N. ladmiraulti that of predator. Moreover, although G. heilyi and C. burgundum were shown to rely on the same food sources, indicating similar diets, and their trophic niches did not overlap, suggesting trophic specialization. The results suggest that detritus (i.e. decaying organic material) is an important food source for G. heilyi, and its availability could determine the survival of this endangered species. As a practical conservation measure for G. heilyi and the whole stygofauna community, we suggest reconnecting surface and subterranean ecosystems, as they probably were before natural sinks and many wells were filled up or closed.