Effect of soil conditions and landscape factors on macro-snail communities in newly created grasslands of restored landfill sites in the UK. Issue 4 (1st October 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Rahman, Md Lutfor; Tarrant, Sam; Ollerton, Jeff; McCollin, Duncan
• Is Part Of: Zoology and ecology. Volume 26:Issue 4(2016)
• Page Start: 275
• Page End: 281
• Publication Date: 2016-10-01
• Subjects: Land snail -- waste ground -- restoration -- grassland -- landfill; Zoology -- Periodicals; Ecology -- Periodicals; 590.5
• DOI: 10.1080/21658005.2016.1216102
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2165-8005

Abstract

Abstract: Though restored landfill sites provide habitat for a number of taxa, their potential for land snails remains unexplored. In this study, large-sized land snails (>5 mm) were surveyed using transect sampling at nine restored landfill sites and nine corresponding nature sites in the East Midlands region of the UK, during 2008. The effect of restoration was investigated by examining the composition, richness and diversity (Shannon index) of land snail species in relation to habitat and landscape structure. Thirteen macro-snail species were recorded in total, and rarefied species richness and diversity at restored landfill sites was not found to be statistically different from that of reference sites. One third of the snail species at restored landfill sites accounting for 30% of their total abundance were non-native species. Soil electrical conductivity was the strongest predictor of richness and diversity of land snails. Road density was found to be positively related to snail species diversity. Given the high percentage of introduced species at study sites, further research is needed to elucidate management implications of restored landfill sites and dynamics of native vs. non-native species.