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The depths of the Earth conceal an infinite and mysterious world, unknown to most of us. This is the world of subterranean waters, extensive and all-pervading, on which the whole of humanity depends for its survival. Yet this invisible eco-kingdom is like a jewel casket, containing hidden truths. It is rich in many forms of life, from the simplest to the most complex, in an obscure environment with no green plants, where animal organisms prevail.
Research has recently opened this treasure trove of biodiversity and revealed a little of its biological wealth. Not a day passes without new discoveries: species, genera, families, whole classes unknown to science. And yet the organisms which live in these dark depths, the stygobes, together with their entire ecosystem, are not protected (with the single exception of the olm), either in Italy or internationally, because their ecological value has not yet been recognised.
Stygobe fauna, together with bacteria and fungi, are self-purifying, and thus essential for the maintenance and quality of groundwater which, it should be emphasised, is the most important source of drinking-water for mankind.
Uncontrolled pumping, pollution and climate change have triggered mechanisms which are not only damaging the quality and quantity of groundwater, but also leading to a decline in its extraordinary biodiversity. This Habitats volume aims at enhancing knowledge of this scientific and economic wealth and at making the public and environmental policy-makers more aware of its importance to us all.
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