Gastropods Diversity in Mangrove Forests of Govater Gulf in Sistan & Baluchestan
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Journal of Wildlife and Biodiversity 3(3): 49-56 (2019) (http://jwb.araku.ac.ir/) Research Article DOI: 10.22120/jwb.2019.108517.1069 Gastropods Diversity in Mangrove Forests of Govater Gulf in Sistan & Baluchestan 17 species, among which five species were 1 1 Saideh Moradi *, Afshin Danehkar , observed only in this area: Cerithiopsis sp., 2 3 Malihe Erfani , Tahereh Ardakani Melampus castaneus, Haminoea cf vitra, 1 Nassarius sp. and Umbonium vestiarium. The *Department of Environmental Sciences, gastropods had the highest species number at Faculty of Natural Resources, University of middle point belonging to 20 families, 28 Tehran, Iran, genera, and 36 species and the number of 22 2Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of species (the highest species number) was Zabol, Iran, observed only in this region. Except two 3Department of Environmental Sciences, species Cerithium sp. and Finella pupoides, Faculty of Natural Resources,University of other gastropod species of end point were also Ardakan, Iran, present in other regions. Gastropods of this *email: [email protected] region belonged to 7 families, 10 genera, and Received: 22 April 2019 / Revised: 20 May 2019 / Accepted: 23 12 species. Comparing this results with other May 2019 / Published online: 24 May 2019. Ministry of Sciences, Research and Technology, Arak University, Iran. mangrove forests shows that from the east to west the gastropods diversity has reducing Abstract trend; and the studied area is the most diverse The present study was performed to investigate region in Iran. This study recorded 13 new Gastropods diversity in mangrove forests species from Iran that wasn’t reported before. located at Chabahar Township, Sistan & Baluchestan, Iran. For this purpose some Keywords: Mangrove Forests, Gastropods, homogenous forest masses were isolated and Species Diversity, Govater Gulf, Sistan and field visits were done. In each mass, three Baluchestan Province. vertical transects were selected at the site of water contact up to land contact and sediment Introduction sampling was conducted from first (in contact Mangrove forests create distinctive habitats with the water), middle, and end points of each distinguishable by a remarkable biological transect. Three samples were collected in diversity. These forests provide the animals triplicates and during four successive seasons. with various types of niches including Of 2119 collected gastropod samples, 44 mangrove leaves, barks, dead wood, roots species were identified from 35 genera and 22 (pneumatophore), water pool and muddy or families, among which three species were sandy sediments. The animals inhibiting these identified up to family level, nine up to genus ecosystems play an important ecological role, level, and the remaining up to species level. since they are a major component of nutrient Among the species identified, Asseminea sp.2 cycling, food webs, and total energy turnover. and Asseminea sp.1 were the most abundant Several factors such as species interaction, species with 41.49% and 30.77%, respectively. animal-sediment interaction, and Species Cerithidea cingulata (11.04%) and environmental parameters (salinity, Stenothyra arabica (6.09%) were in subsequent temperature, oxygen level, pH, etc) affect rankings. The identified gastropods at the first distribution of these organisms (Shafique et al. point belonged to 13 families, 16 genera, and 50 | Journal of Wildlife and Biodiversity 3(3): 49-56 (2019) 2015). Among costal ecosystems, mangrove Sri-aroon et al. (2005) studied gastropod ecosystems need special attention not only assemblage in Gulf of Thailand. Lozouet and because of their unique habitat characteristics, Plaziat (2008) investigated gastropod diversity but also for their rich biodiversity (FAO 2007). in Bohol and Panglao Islands, central They are a proper bed for several pelagic fish Philippines. Zvonareva et al. (2015) studied and crab species migrating to sea while gastropod diversity associated with a planted maturing (Macintosh and Ashton 2002). Since and natural mangrove in Dam Bay of Vietnam several fish, crustacean, and bird species use and reported significant differences between this type of ecosystem or are dependent to it these forests. Ullah et al. (2015) showed during their life cycles, biodiversity is molluscs diversity is higher in summer and increased more in mangrove habitats (Carugati autumn and lower in spring and winter in two et al. 2018). mangrove forests along the Karachi coast of As important scavengers of benthic Pakistan . Also Ullah et al. (2015) studied environments, gastropods play a major role in vertical distribution pattern of molluscs in tidal flat habitat and ecosystem (Zvonareva these mangrove forest and proved that the and Kantor 2016). With more than half of all number of species decreased from high to low nominated mollusks, gastropods are one of the tide zone. Zvonareva and Kantor (2016) best founded and most diverse animal groups studied 65 species of gastropod which 17 of (Leal 2006). Numerous mollusks reside them are considered as predominantly mangrove habitats from which Mactra, mangrove-associated. Some of studied Hiatula, Calista, Dosinia and Chlamys are performed in mangrove forest of Iran done by some examples. Some gastropod genera Danehkar (2001) at the distance between inhabiting such ecosystems include Trochus, Khamir Port and Qeshm, Mohammadi Tahoori Clanculus, Planaxis, Natica, Conus, Thais and (2006) in Gheshm, Rouhipour (2007) in Sirik Siphonaria (El-Sorogy et al. 2016 ). High Protected Area and Ghasemi et al. (2010) at mollusk diversity in mangroves is possibly Hara Protected Area and Gaz and Hara Rivers determined by availability of a wide range of Delta mangroves. microhabitats. Mollusks occupy all food web Identification and measurement of gastropods levels of mangroves as hunters, herbivores, biodiversity and flux in mangrove forests are saprophages, and filter feeders (Cannici et al. important for recognition of their ecosystems. 2008). In a study about benthic micro fauna in As well, gastropods play an important role in Northern Queensland, Australia, among 39 mangrove ecosystem food chain. Regarding identified taxa, Plychaeta were the most the lack of sufficient data about gastropods in abundant group with 19 species and after mangrove forests of Sistan and Baluchestan them, gastropods were dominant with 9 and their population fluctuations, the present species (Dittmann 2001). In an examination of investigation was designed and performed to diversity and abundance of benthic macro identify and determine gastropods diversity as fauna along with Thalassia testudinum of in symbiotic fauna with mangrove communities Ensenada de-Reyes area of Mochima Gulf, the in mangrove forests of Govater Gulf of Sistan highest (214 samples) and lowest (79 samples) & Baluchestan. abundance were reported in October and December, respectively (Jimenez et al. 2000). Material and methods Several references have studied gastropods Study area diversity at different mangrove habitats. A The present investigation was accomplished in study performed by Macintosh et al. (2002) mangrove forests of Govater Gulf located at showed mangrove vegetation diversity is Chabahar Township of Sistan and Baluchestan correlated with gastropod diversity positively. Province, Iran. This gulf is located at 51 | Journal of Wildlife and Biodiversity 3(3): 49-56 (2019) southeastern extreme on the shores of Sistan Kalat River, Hur, and Govater Gulf, which is and Baluchestan Province (25°1’ - 25°12’N especially important because of having and 61°25’ - 61°46’ E). With an area of about mangrove forests and waterfowls. Figure 1 270 square kilometers, it is 121 kilometers far shows the location of study site at Sistan and from Chabahar, of which about 150 square Baluchestan Province. Govater Gulf is one of kilometers belong to Iran. Bahu Kalat and the most valuable habitats rich in aquatic Dasht Khur Rivers are flowing into this gulf, organisms. The flow of two important rivers which is covered by mangrove forests. With (Bahu Kalat in Iran and Nahr Dasht in complexes of aquatic systems including rivers, Pakistan) to this gulf and the entrance of marshes and gulf and with an area of about Dashtiari Region’s flood streams have 75,000 hectares, International wetland of prepered a habitat for different kinds of Govater Bay and Hur-e-Bahu are among the aquatic organisms, birds and vegetation of 24 Iranian international wetlands listed in plants. This gulf has two bays in Iranian part Ramsar International Wetlands List. This consisting of Govater and Hur-e-Bahu (Erfani wetland is 85 kilometers far from Chabahar et al. 2013) that this study was conducted in and classified in marine-coastal ponds and Govater bay. contains 60 kilometers of the length of Bahu Figure 1. Location of study area Sampling of gastropods in the study area at water contact edge, the second point at the Some homogenous and integrated forest middle of transect and the third point at the masses were isolated visually by the aid of the end of each transect) were converted into GPS satellite images of the area (IRS-LissIII). In data and the location of transects was each isolated mass at the water contact site, identified in field operation. These samplings some points were selected randomly on the were carried out during four successive image and linear transects were plotted seasons. vertically from these points to the coastal line. Fixation, isolation and identification of