Demographic and spatial structure at the stage of expansion in thepopulations of some alien land snails in Belgorod city (CentralRussian Upland)

Abstract

Studying of the demographic characteristics of populations of alien species at the stage of expansion makes it possible to assess their invasive potential. Field studies of alien terrestrial gastropods Xeropicta derbentina (Gastropoda,Stylommatophora, Hygromiidae), Brephulopsis cylindrica (Gastropoda, Stylommatophora, Enidae) and Harmozica ravergiensis (Gastropoda, Stylommatophora, Hygromiidae) have been carried out in Belgorod city, the southern part of the Central Russian Upland (Russia). All studied species are native to the Black Sea region and the Caucasus; in the southern part of the Central Russian Upland, they have been registered over the past ten years. The population density, demographic structure, and spatial structure have been analyzed for three years of observations (2017, 2019, 2020). During this period, the changes in the population density have been noted for all studied species. The most pronounced changes have been observed in X. derbentina, whose population density has significantly decreased, and the spatial structure has changed from clustered type to random distribution. In addition, the age structure of X. derbentina population had a pronounced change at the beginning of the snail activity season of 2020. The expansion of the other two invaders, B. cylindrica and H. ravergiensis, is proved as more successful. At the same time, H. ravergiensis is distributed throughout the city. This species has stable population density and random type of spatial population structure on most sites. B. cylindrica has the highest population density: in 2020, it has reached 406 ind./m2 on average, with the maximum of 1215 ind./m2.Meantime, the species keeps the clustered spatial structure, which is explained by both high population density and adaptation to the arid conditions of its natural range.