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Distribution, movement, and microhabitat use of the introduced predatory snail E uglandina rosea in H awaii: implications for management
Author(s) -
Meyer Wallace M.,
Cowie Robert H.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
invertebrate biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.486
H-Index - 42
eISSN - 1744-7410
pISSN - 1077-8306
DOI - 10.1111/j.1744-7410.2011.00243.x
Subject(s) - biology , snail , ecology , land snail , habitat , population , range (aeronautics) , endangered species , materials science , demography , sociology , composite material
The purposeful introduction of the land snail E uglandina rosea , which feeds exclusively on snails and slugs, has been implicated as a major factor in the decline of diverse P acific island land snail faunas. We report on the distribution, movement patterns, and microhabitat preferences of E . rosea in a gulch in the W aianae M ountains, O ahu, H awaii, because such data will help focus management actions at a local scale to protect native snail populations in areas where E . rosea is established. The W aianae M ountains harbor many endangered or threatened snails, most currently found in isolated habitat patches near the ridges. Conversely, most living individuals (28/29) and shells (46/56) of E . rosea were collected within the gulch, which supported higher densities of other native and non‐native snails, and was cooler and more moist than the ridges. Thirteen individuals of E . rosea were tracked (eight directly using a bobbin and thread method, and five indirectly by mark–recapture); most (10/13) moved on average <2.5 m per week (range 0.1–25.21 m), and all stayed within the gulch. Members of E . rosea preferred leaf litter over open, fern/shrub, or wood microhabitats. There were large differences in the population density of E . rosea over small spatial scales, indicating that there may be places where native snail populations could persist even in areas where populations of E . rosea are established. Identifying areas with differing population densities of E . rosea is critical for not only understanding why some native snail species may be more vulnerable to extinction, but also to locate areas where predation pressure is low and conservation efforts will be most likely to succeed.