The Never Spoken Poignant Connection Between Cuban Tree Snails and Carpentry/Crafts/Art: the case of Polymita and Liguus

Abstract

The extinction of endemic Cuban tree snail colonies are shown to be directly caused by habitat fragmentation due to deforestation. Hardwood extraction and exploitation started in the 16 th century and has steadily increased throughout the Cuban archipelago. This article is the first investigation into the connection between overexploitation of natural resources by local communities and the extinction of Cuban tree snail colonies. The authors have compiled a list of 345 hardwood trees species, many of which have been clear cut and over used by Cuban farmers, carpenters, artists and crafts people. Of those hardwood tree species, 84 species are known to be host plants for endemic Cuban Liguus and Polymita tree snails. Since the late 1960s, there has been an accelerated demand for hardwood for traditional craftworks. That demand became more aggressive after the opening of the country to international tourism in the 1990s. This desire for exotic hardwoods has endangered both the precious hardwood tree species and the endemic tree snail species that inhabit them. It is our hope that with the development of field guides on endemic Cuban hardwood tree species that educators can raise awareness of this issue while discouraging unmanaged or uncontrolled harvesting of these hardwoods in Cuba. Encouraging artists and crafts people to create miniature wood sculptures could be an alternative sustainable solution.