Environmental Research of Land Snail Diversity at Selected Rice Field in Lower Katingawan

Abstract

This study examined the variety and abundance of land snails in a specific rice field located in Lower Katingawan, Midsayap, Cotabato. Land snails are mollusks that dwell on land and possess spiral shells on their backs. Notably, no published research is available on land snails in the municipality of Midsayap, North Cotabato. The study identified three noteworthy species of land snails in the selected rice field, namely Paropeas achatinaceum, Achatina fulica, and Pomacea canaliculata, totaling 1048. The study utilized the quantitative-descriptive method and computed the diversity indices. Simpson's index was calculated, indicating a low probability of two randomly chosen individuals belonging to the same taxon. Shannon's index yielded a value indicating relatively low species richness and uneven distribution of individuals among taxa. These findings offer valuable insights into the community's structure and ecological significance, emphasizing the need for further research to comprehensively understand its diversity and dynamics. Keywords: Biology; diversity indices; shells; snails; taxonomy; terrestrial ecosystem