Continental Mollusca under Global Change

A special issue of Diversity (ISSN 1424-2818). This special issue belongs to the section "Biodiversity Loss & Dynamics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2022) | Viewed by 13131

Special Issue Editors

Laboratory of Macroecology & Biogeography of Invertebrates, Saint Petersburg State University, 199034 Saint Petersburg, Russia
Interests: freshwater Mollusca; taxonomy; evolutionary theory; history of zoology and biological systematics; popular science writing / communicating science
Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington, New Zealand
Interests: land snails; birds; science communication; Ancient Egypt; Dungeons & Dragons and other geek stuff

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Even though continental (i.e., land and freshwater) mollusks do not constitute the majority of the species belonging to the phylum Mollusca, their ecosystem roles as well as species diversity in some natural environments are enormous. Unfortunately, the current rate of extinction of these animals is much higher than the rate among marine mollusks and exceeds the tempos of disappearance observed in most animal taxa. On the other hand, many species of terrestrial and freshwater snails and bivalves have become very successful invaders that are able to conquer other continents and prey upon or outcompete aboriginal species. All of these facts render continental Mollusca a good focus group for zoological and ecological research on the impacts of the human-caused changes that our planet is currently experiencing. Climate change, deforestation, water and soil pollution, biological invasions and urbanization are some of the main challenges facing continental Mollusca. The main aim of this Special Issue of Diversity is to gather contributions from researchers working in different countries and different fields of malacology (or adjacent disciplines), with strong emphasis on themes related to the above-mentioned problems. We welcome publications on biodiversity, ecology, biogeography and conservation of continental Gastropoda and Bivalvia, as well as case studies on their taxonomy, phylogeny, physiology and paleontology, provided that these research studies are placed in a global change context. Both direct human impacts on continental Mollusca and other indirect natural factors can be discussed within this Special Issue. In other words, almost every aspect of current malacology can find its place under the ‘umbrella’ of this Special Issue’s main theme. 

Prof. Dr. Maxim V. Vinarski
Dr. Rodrigo Salvador
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • land Mollusca
  • freshwater Mollusca
  • global change biology
  • diversity
  • ecology
  • biogeography
  • invasive species
  • distributions

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

Jump to: Review

20 pages, 8378 KiB  
Article
Multidisciplinary Study of the Rybachya Core in the North Caspian Sea during the Holocene
by Alina Berdnikova, Elena Lysenko, Radik Makshaev, Maria Zenina and Tamara Yanina
Diversity 2023, 15(2), 150; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/d15020150 - 21 Jan 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1791
Abstract
Mollusk fauna is an important component of the Caspian Sea ecosystem alongside ostracods and diatoms. These faunal proxies are essential indicators of hydrological shifts reflecting global and regional climate changes. Adding lithological, geochemical, and geochronological (radiocarbon) data, we revealed paleogeographic events of different [...] Read more.
Mollusk fauna is an important component of the Caspian Sea ecosystem alongside ostracods and diatoms. These faunal proxies are essential indicators of hydrological shifts reflecting global and regional climate changes. Adding lithological, geochemical, and geochronological (radiocarbon) data, we revealed paleogeographic events of different scales recorded in the sequence of the Rybachya core from the North Caspian Sea. Here, we present the reconstruction of Mangyshlak paleovalley sediments during the Holocene multi-stage Neocaspian transgression, reflecting global and regional climate changes varying in scale and direction. The determined age of paleovalley-fill sediments, 8070 ± 110 cal yr BP and 7020 ± 140 cal yr BP, suggests that sedimentation processes with extended warming and humidification started later and lasted longer than was assumed earlier. Biological proxies indicate quasi-cyclic variability and shifts from brackish to freshwater conditions throughout the studied interval. Rybachya core was obtained from the early Khvalynian deposits. The Mangyshlak flow formed the depression and eroded the late Khvalynian deposits, which we did not observe in the core structure. It possibly collapsed into paleodepression and acted as a host material for the freshwater lentic faunal association. During the Holocene, we detected a transition from a tranquil water regime to a more dynamic one during the paleovalley gradual filling, followed by marine conditions typical for the modern Caspian Sea. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Continental Mollusca under Global Change)
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19 pages, 4492 KiB  
Article
Towards a Sustainable World: Diversity of Freshwater Gastropods in Relation to Environmental Factors—A Case in the Konya Closed Basin, Türkiye
by Burçin Aşkım Gümüş, Pınar Gürbüzer and Ahmet Altındağ
Diversity 2022, 14(11), 934; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/d14110934 - 31 Oct 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1744
Abstract
The Konya Closed Basin (KCB) in Türkiye plays a key role in agricultural production and freshwater supply. However, the basin is impacted by humanly derived nitrogenous compounds and toxic metals. Keeping the water quality at a potable level in the basin is compulsory. [...] Read more.
The Konya Closed Basin (KCB) in Türkiye plays a key role in agricultural production and freshwater supply. However, the basin is impacted by humanly derived nitrogenous compounds and toxic metals. Keeping the water quality at a potable level in the basin is compulsory. This study was part of a project yielding monitoring of water quality in KCB in accordance with the Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC). Eleven stations, except Beyşehir Lake and Mamasın Dam, were sampled for the first time for freshwater molluscs. Community structure indexes and multivariate statistical analyses were applied to determine the microhabitats of gastropods and their responses to environmental changes. The structure and distribution of gastropod assemblages differed depending on total phosphate, total nitrogen, dissolved oxygen, and pH. This study revealed that most of the gastropods in KCB are relatively tolerant to biodegradable pollution. However, there is a strong observed decline in population size requiring intensive future monitoring; measures have to be taken to preserve the remaining populations. Two endemic species need an urgent action plan to protect their habitats: Theodoxus anatolicus of Çeltik Canal and Bithynia pseudemmericia of Beyşehir Lake; a re-assessment of their extinction risk according to the IUCN rules is needed (2022). The results of this study will be useful for comparison with future studies to document potential improvements or continued ecological regression in the quality of aquatic ecosystems in the watershed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Continental Mollusca under Global Change)
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8 pages, 1655 KiB  
Article
The Rapid Expansion of the Jumping Snail Ovachlamys fulgens in Brazil
by Rafael Masson Rosa, Rodrigo Brincalepe Salvador, Larissa Teixeira, Marcos Ricardo Bornschein and Daniel Caracanhas Cavallari
Diversity 2022, 14(10), 815; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/d14100815 - 29 Sep 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1960
Abstract
The exotic Japanese jumping snail, Ovachlamys fulgens, was first recorded in Santa Catarina state, Brazil, in 2013. Based on data gathered from the literature, natural history collections, field samplings, and the iNaturalist platform, we assess its current distribution in the country. Our [...] Read more.
The exotic Japanese jumping snail, Ovachlamys fulgens, was first recorded in Santa Catarina state, Brazil, in 2013. Based on data gathered from the literature, natural history collections, field samplings, and the iNaturalist platform, we assess its current distribution in the country. Our data show that the jumping snail has had a dramatic range expansion since its introduction, reaching six other states from the southern region of the country toward the Midwest. The affected locations are mostly urban but also include three biological reserves and protected areas, and possibly more. We discuss the consequences of this rapid invasion, its means of introduction, its local ecology, and prospects for monitoring and control. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Continental Mollusca under Global Change)
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16 pages, 6811 KiB  
Article
How Will the Distributions of Native and Invasive Species Be Affected by Climate Change? Insights from Giant South American Land Snails
by Wanderson Siqueira Teles, Daniel de Paiva Silva, Bruno Vilela, Dilermando Pereira Lima-Junior, João Carlos Pires-Oliveira and Marcel Sabino Miranda
Diversity 2022, 14(6), 467; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/d14060467 - 11 Jun 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3072
Abstract
Climate change and invasive species are critical factors affecting native land snail diversity. In South America, the introduced Giant African Snail (Lissachatina fulica) has spread significantly in recent decades into the habitat of the threatened native giant snails of the genus [...] Read more.
Climate change and invasive species are critical factors affecting native land snail diversity. In South America, the introduced Giant African Snail (Lissachatina fulica) has spread significantly in recent decades into the habitat of the threatened native giant snails of the genus Megalobulimus. We applied species distribution modeling (SDM), using the maximum entropy method (Maxent) and environmental niche analysis, to understand the ecological relationships between these species in a climate change scenario. We compiled a dataset of occurrences of L. fulica and 10 Megalobulimus species in South America and predicted the distribution of the species in current and future scenarios (2040–2060). We found that L. fulica has a broader environmental niche and potential distribution than the South American Megalobulimus species. The distribution of six Megalobulimus species will have their suitable areas decreased, whereas the distribution of the invasive species L. fulica will not change significantly in the near future. A correlation between the spread of L. fulica and the decline of native Megalobulimus species in South America was found due to habitat alteration from climate change, but this relationship does not seem to be related to a robust competitive interaction between the invasive and native species. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Continental Mollusca under Global Change)
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27 pages, 7847 KiB  
Article
Keyhole into a Lost World: The First Purely Freshwater Species of the Ponto-Caspian Genus Clathrocaspia (Caenogastropoda: Hydrobiidae)
by Vitaliy V. Anistratenko, Dmitry M. Palatov, Elizaveta M. Chertoprud, Tatyana Y. Sitnikova, Olga Y. Anistratenko, Catharina Clewing and Maxim V. Vinarski
Diversity 2022, 14(4), 232; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/d14040232 - 22 Mar 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1928
Abstract
The species of the Ponto-Caspian gastropod genus Clathrocaspia Lindholm, 1930 have been recorded so far from the Caspian Sea Basin only from marine waters, whereas they inhabit the estuarine areas as well as the purely freshwater environments in the Azov–Black Sea Basin. This [...] Read more.
The species of the Ponto-Caspian gastropod genus Clathrocaspia Lindholm, 1930 have been recorded so far from the Caspian Sea Basin only from marine waters, whereas they inhabit the estuarine areas as well as the purely freshwater environments in the Azov–Black Sea Basin. This genus has recently been assessed as putatively extinct in the Caspian Sea. A new purely freshwater species Clathrocaspia laevigata sp. n. from the water-flows of the Samur River delta in Dagestan, Russia, is described. A morphological comparison of the new species with C. brotzkajae (Starobogatov in Anistratenko & Prisjazhnjuk, 1992) from the Caspian Sea and C. knipowitschii (Makarov, 1938) inhabiting the Azov–Black Sea Basin shows their overall similarity. The major difference is that C. laevigata sp. n. almost completely lacks the reticulate teleoconch sculpture, whereas it is well-developed in all known Clathrocaspia species. The molecular data revealed probable sister relationships between the new species and C. knipowitschii. All Dagestan populations are ecologically and spatially isolated from the open sea and and are very locally restricted. We suggest to consider newly described snail species as retained in a pure freshwater refuge located in the coastal area of the Caspian Sea. The discovery of such a refuge sheds more light on the origin, current state and the future of the unique Ponto-Caspian aquatic biota under global change and increasing anthropogenic impact. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Continental Mollusca under Global Change)
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Review

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17 pages, 2435 KiB  
Review
Aliens and Returnees: Review of Neobiotic Species of Freshwater Mollusks in Siberia from the Kazakhstan Steppe to the Arctic Tundra
by Evgeny S. Babushkin, Ivan O. Nekhaev, Maxim V. Vinarski and Liubov V. Yanygina
Diversity 2023, 15(3), 465; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/d15030465 - 21 Mar 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1457
Abstract
This article reviews all available information on the species composition, current distribution, and origins of the neobiotic (non-indigenous and restoring the lost range) freshwater mollusks in Siberia. An extensive literary search has been carried out, and virtually all existing publications of recent decades [...] Read more.
This article reviews all available information on the species composition, current distribution, and origins of the neobiotic (non-indigenous and restoring the lost range) freshwater mollusks in Siberia. An extensive literary search has been carried out, and virtually all existing publications of recent decades on the findings of freshwater mollusk species new to Siberia were taken into account. We examined extensive malacological collections of some of Russia’s and Kazakhstan’s scientific organizations. The core of the examined material is our own observations and collections made in various parts of Siberia and adjacent areas. An annotated checklist of neobiotic species of mollusks reliably recorded in Siberia is presented, and probable mechanisms and “corridors” of infiltration of these species into the region are discussed. Most of the discovered snail species belong to a group popular among aquarists, and their source of introduction is obvious. Another large portion of species infiltrate into the region with the development of fish farming. A classification of species of neobiotic freshwater mollusks of Siberia was proposed and a forecast was made for changes in the Siberian freshwater malacofauna for the coming decades. In our opinion, at present it is possible to accept the newest stage in the genesis of the freshwater malacofauna of Siberia, occurring in conditions specific to the Anthropocene. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Continental Mollusca under Global Change)
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