Abstract
Cuba has one of the richest land snail faunas of the world. This important fact has promoted different kind of studies on this group to promote conservation programs, from which many studies have directed their efforts to inventories, and population and community ecology. To contribute with this population knowledge, we studied land snails assemblages in three karstic elevations at the "Escaleras de Jaruco-Tapaste-Cheche" Natural Protected Landscape, Mayabeque, Cuba. We aimed to analyze the variation of the composition and structure of the assemblages between the rainy and little rainy months. The study was conducted from August to November 2009 and from January to April, 2010, in ten permanent square plots (9 m2) separated for over 20 m, on each elevation (Beluca, La Chirigota and La Jaula). In each plot, only live individuals were registered (physiologically active and at rest) to obtain species richness and abundance; besides, temperature (degree C) and relative humidity (%) were also considered in each plot. A total of 4248 individuals were observed which comprised two subclasses, five orders, 11 families, 20 genera and 21 species of terrestrial molluscs. From the total, 19 were Cuban endemics and eight were exclusive from Mayabeque, Matanzas. The Jaula showed the greater riches with 19 species, followed of Beluca with 17, and The Chirigota with 15. In the rainy months, La Jaula, showed individual's greater abundance with 1707, followed of Beluca with 1305 and La Chirigota with 1236. We observed differences in the population density in the three elevations between the rainy and little rainy months, which can be due to the climatic adverse conditions that are shown at the little rainy months. Additionally, during the survey we observed dominance of prosobranch species over the pulmonates. The specific abundance curves showed a steep slope, although was major in the rainy months in relation to the little rain months, which indicates the presence of dominant, common and rare species in the assemblages. In this study, it was demonstrated than the riches and the abundance of land snails in all three elevations, was favored for the elevated relative humidity and the air temperature during the rainy months. These environmental conditions resulted fundamental for the survival of these terrestrial gastropods, as the reproduction and search of food were favored.
Highlights
La fauna de moluscos terrestres y marinos registrada en Cuba es una de las más diversas del mundo, con más de 3 000 especies, a pesar del origen relativamente reciente del archipiélago
De acuerdo con las curvas de acumulación de especies, se logró inventariar gran parte de la malacofauna presente en las tres elevaciones estudiadas, si se tiene en cuenta que los estimadores no paramétricos de diversidad utilizados son apropiados para muestras pequeñas (Colwell & Coddington, 1994)
Low reproductive output of isolated, self-fertilizing snails: inbreeding depression or absence of social facilitation? Proceedings the Royal Society London, 259, 131-136
Summary
Área de estudio: El trabajo se realizó en el Paisaje Natural Protegido “Escaleras de Jaruco-Tapaste-Cheche”, provincia Mayabeque ubicado entre las coordenadas geográficas: 23°00’00” N - 82°01’27” W y 23°03’27” N. El presente estudio se realizó en el complejo de vegetación de mogote, que se encuentra sobre las elevaciones cársicas. Muestreo: Dentro del complejo de vegetación de mogote, se estudiaron tres elevaciones cársicas: Beluca (23°01’31” N - 82°04’59” W) con 254m.s.n.m., La Chirigota (23°02’52” N - 82°06’02” W) con 250m.s.n.m., y La Jaula (23°00’59” N - 82°05’15” W) con 257m.s.n.m. En cada elevación se seleccionaron al azar 10 parcelas de 9m2 separadas unas de otras por más de 20m. Los muestreos se efectuaron mensualmente, cuatro meses del período lluvioso y cuatro meses del período poco lluvioso para un total de ocho meses en cada elevación. Dentro de cada parcela se registraron solamente los individuos vivos (fisiológicamente activos y en reposo), el estudio fue de observación/trabajo de campo. En cada parcela se midió la temperatura (°C) y la humedad relativa (%) con un Higro-termómetro de marca EXTECH con un error de
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