Endemic land molluscs in Georgia (Caucasus): how well are they protected by existing reserves and national parks?

Abstract

The globally significant Caucasus hotspot of biological diversity holds a rich and largely endemic fauna of land molluscs. Georgia holds the majority of these regional endemics. Land molluscs are particularly sensitive indicators of habitat quality and faunal diversity. In this study, we examine the extent to which the existing network of protected areas (PAs) within Georgia captures the hotspots of endemic molluscan diversity. We collected and mapped the records of Georgian and Caucasian endemic species onto a 20 � 20 km 2 UTM grid to identify the most important endemic areas in Georgia. We related these to the existing network of PAs. Less than half of the richest grid cells included significant PAs. Although those endemics with the smallest known ranges were better protected than the remainder, the incomplete state of knowledge means that our estimates of existing protection are surely optimistic. To date, the designation of PAs in Georgia has not used distributional data for invertebrates, although elsewhere they have been shown to be an effective aid to planning and management for conservation. Further surveys of molluscs and their monitoring in existing PAs can and should inform a systematic conservation strategy in Georgia.