Recreational caving impacts of visitors in a high-altitude cave in Bolivian Andes: main effects on microhabitat structure and faunal distribution

The cave’s physical environment can be affected by tourism activities but only a few studies evaluated how recreational use may affect the cave fauna, mainly in caves with low number of visitors per year. To test hypothesis that led to changes habitat structure and invertebrate diversity, distinct scales along were analyzed. Distinct areas without human visitation analyzed transects (10 x 3 m) quadrats (1 1 used access communities environmental traits. Thirty-two species recorded, among which six are troglobitic. similarity non- troglobitic differed between visited non-visited areas. Substrate composition inside two differences higher percentage matrix rock fine sediments. distance from entrance influenced non-troglobitic while fauna responded proportion sandy sediment. Inside quadrats, both sediments species. Similarity area was explained quadrats. cobbles area. richness quadrants positively related amount guano, wood, sediment, boulders, cobbles, rock, sand plant debris. Differentiation faunal seems an effect spatial heterogeneity, not activities.