Terrestrial Gastropods: Survey and Relationships between Land Snail Assemblage and Soil Properties

Abstract

Terrestrial gastropods (snail and slug) species were studied concerning their occurrence survey and population density in 25 localities representing five districts of Kafr EL-Sheikh Governorate, during September 2015 to August 2016. An attempts to obtain basic information concerning their relationships between land snail species assemblage and soil properties .Ten herbivorous species, eight land snails and two land slugs' species belonging to three families Helicidae, Succinidae, Limacidae of order Stylomatophora were found on different crops. Population density of Land snails and slug species varied in their incidence and level of infestation according to each locality and host type. Soil samples were taken from five districts due to analytical chemically and assess the relationships between low or high snail population density and soil component. There is positive relation between terrestrial gastropods population and soil calcium content. Organic matter, soil PH and salinity (EC, electric conductivity) with low and high density in all districts were average [(1.2 and 2.9), (7.54 and 9.01) and (1.54 and 4.52)] respectively. It is clearly that Organic matter, soil PH and EC had negative correlation with land gastropods low or high densities. However, the quantitative species composition of the land snail assemblage is related to soil properties to a lower degree than snail density and species richness, and other habitat characteristics such as vegetation can be important for species abundance.