Gastropod Surveys For
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Surveys for terrestrial gastropods at risk in southeastern British Columbia, July – September 2007 Prepared for BC Ministry of Environment, Victoria, BC Prepared by Kristiina Ovaska and Lennart Sopuck Biolinx Environmental Research Ltd. 1759 Colburne Place, Sidney, B.C., Canada V8L 5A2 tel: 250 656-8981; fax: 250 655-4679; e-mail: [email protected] December 2007 i ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This study was funded by the BC Ministry of Environment. We thank Jenny Heron for her support. Dana Diotte of the Integrated Land Management Bureau in Nelson provided a map of land ownership in the study area. Ted Antifeau of the BC Ministry of Environment in Nelson provided a recent report on gastropods in relation to a hydro transmission line project in the Elk River area. Robert Forsyth provided unpublished information on gastropod distributions. Cover photograph: Pygmy slug, Kootenaia burkei, in mixed cottonwood and coniferous floodplain habitat near Yahk, BC, September 2007. ii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Terrestrial gastropods of southeastern British Columbia are poorly known but contain numerous species of conservation interest. Distributions of additional species found in northern Idaho and northwestern Montana may also extend to British Columbia. In July and September 2007, we surveyed 63 sites in southeastern British Columbia, focusing on habitats for species listed as being at risk federally or provincially. The sampling sites were mainly on BC crown lands and distributed among five biogeoclimatic zones (ICH, MS, IDF, ESSF, PP) and six broad habitat categories (upland coniferous forest, riparian coniferous forest, sub-alpine coniferous forest, riparian cottonwood-deciduous forest, upland deciduous forest, rocky slope). Most of the sampling effort was in the ICH and MS biogeoclimatic zones and within riparian deciduous or coniferous forest and in upland coniferous forest. In total, we detected 32 species of terrestrial gastropods, including five species of introduced slugs. We found five provincially listed species: Pale Jumping-slug (Hemphillia camelus) at six sites, Magnum Mantleslug (Magnipelta mycophaga) at one site, Rocky Mountainsnail (Oreohelix strigosa) at 23 sites, Subalpine Mountainsnail (O. subrudis) at one site, Banded Tigersnail (Anguispira kochi) at five sites, and Coeur d'Alene Oregonian (Cryptomastix mullani) at one site. In addition, we found the Pygmy Slug (Kootenaia burkei) at two sites, representing first records of the species in Canada. The Rocky Mountainsnail (blue-list; G5, S3S4) was widely distributed within the study area and was most abundant in lower elevation riparian, cottonwood-dominated floodplain habitats. These locality records are within the known general range of the species but add many new locations, especially in the East Kootenay region. We found the Subalpine Mountainsnail (blue-list; G5, S3S4) only at one location but surveyed just four sites in subalpine habitats. There is much variability in shell shape, proportions and size, and unique populations, ecotypes, or even new species of both species of mountainsnails may exist in British Columbia. Of particular conservation interest are the Magnum Mantleslug (G3, S2S3) and the Pygmy Slug (G2; unrated in BC) because of their high global ratings and few known occurrences in British Columbia. We found the Magnum Mantleslug within the splash zone of a creek in subalpine habitat south of Mt. Fernie. This record represents the easternmost locality for the species in the province. We found the Pygmy Slug in moist riparian forest at two sites about 100 km apart, east and west of Creston. Further surveys are needed to delineate the distribution of the Magnum Mantleslug, Pygmy Slug, and other species of conservation interest more accurately. We also recommend more extensive surveys of rocky slopes and subalpine habitats, which in adjacent areas in Montana and Idaho harbour interesting faunas and unique populations of gastropods. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgments ............................................................................................................ i Executive Summary .........................................................................................................ii List of Tables...................................................................................................................iv List of Figures..................................................................................................................iv List of Appendices........................................................................................................... v Colour Plates...................................................................................................................vi 1.0 Introduction ............................................................................................................... 1 2.0 Objectives ................................................................................................................. 1 3.0 Study Area ................................................................................................................ 2 4.0 Methods .................................................................................................................... 5 4.1 Survey methods ..................................................................................................... 5 4.2 Search effort........................................................................................................... 6 4.3 Identification of specimens and data recording ...................................................... 7 5.0 Results and Discussion ............................................................................................. 7 5.1 Overview of gastropods found................................................................................ 7 5.2 Species potentially at risk..................................................................................... 11 Mountainsnails (Oreohelix strigosa and O. subrudis; blue-list; G5, S3S4) .............. 11 Coeur d'Alene Oregonian, Cryptomastix mullani (blue list; G4; S3S5).................... 18 Banded Tigersnail, Anguispira kochi (blue-list; G5, S3)........................................... 18 Pale Jumping-slug, Hemphillia camelus (blue list; G3G4; S3) ................................ 19 Magnum Mantleslug, Magnipelta mycophaga (blue-list; G3, S2S3)........................ 22 Pygmy Slug, Kootenaia burkei (G2) ........................................................................ 22 6.0 Recommendations .................................................................................................. 23 7.0 Literature Cited........................................................................................................ 24 APPENDICES ............................................................................................................... 26 iv LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Terrestrial gastropods of conservation interest that occur or might occur in southeast British Columbia. ..................................................................................... 2 Table 2. Habitats sampled for gastropods in 2007. ......................................................... 4 Table 3. Distribution of survey effort (number of sites and search time in person-hours) among BEC zones and habitats for terrestrial gastropod surveys in southeastern British Columbia in 2007. ......................................................................................... 6 Table 4. Terrestrial gastropod species and localities where they where found during surveys in southeastern British Columbia in 2007.................................................... 8 Table 5. Number of species of terrestrial gastropods found in different habitats during surveys in southeastern BC in 2007....................................................................... 11 Table 6. Observations of the Rocky Mountainsnail, Oreohelix strigosa, and the Subalpine Mountainsnail, Oreohelix subrudis, during surveys in southeastern British Columbia in 2007. ....................................................................................... 12 Table 7. Frequency of detection of the Rocky Mountainsnail in different BEC zones and habitats. ................................................................................................................. 16 Table 8. Observations of the Coeur d'Alene Oregonian, Cryptomastix mullani, during surveys in southeastern British Columbia in 2007.................................................. 18 Table 9. Observations of the Banded Tigersnail, Anguispira kochi, during surveys in southeastern British Columbia in 2007................................................................... 19 Table 10. Observations of the Pale Jumping-slug, Hemphillia camelus, during surveys in southeastern British Columbia in 2007................................................................... 20 Table 11. Observations of the Magnum Mantleslug, Magnipelta mycophaga, during surveys in southeastern British Columbia in 2007.................................................. 22 Table 12. Observations of the Pygmy Slug, Kootenaia burkei, during surveys in southeastern British Columbia in 2007................................................................... 23 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Map of localities surveyed for terrestrial gastropods in southeastern British Columbia in 2007. Numbers next to locality correspond to those in Appendix A. .... 3 Figure 2. Proportion of sites surveyed where