Conservation and Invasion Ecology of Terrestrial Gastropods

Terrestrial gastropods, comprising land snails and slugs, are integral to nutrient cycling, soil formation and as prey for a range of vertebrates and invertebrates. Yet they are among the most imperilled animal groups, facing habitat destruction, climate change, pollution and invasive species. Conservation ecology seeks to understand the population biology, habitat requirements and demographic risks of endemic and threatened species, often employing ex situ breeding, habitat restoration and protected-area networks. Invasion ecology examines the pathways, establishment and impacts of non-native gastropods and their predators, with a focus on human-mediated jump dispersal, urban heat island effects and horticultural trade. The interplay between climate change and urbanisation can create novel thermal refugia favouring both natives and invaders. Contemporary research combines field surveys, citizen science databases and miniaturised sensors with species distribution modelling and genetic tools to predict range shifts and inform management. Globally, invasive gastropods impose agricultural and quarantine challenges, while native species serve as indicators of ecosystem health. Effective strategies integrate biosecurity measures, public engagement, targeted eradication of unwelcome species and proactive conservation of critical habitats such as solar refugia for threatened tree snails.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Innovative use of miniaturised solar sensors has revealed that a rare tree snail survives by exploiting sunlit forest edges where higher albedo confers a thermal advantage over its alien predator. By measuring incident radiation at millimetre scales, researchers demonstrated that this solar refuge allows the snail to persist despite heavy predation elsewhere. The study underscores the importance of fine-scale habitat features in conservation planning and highlights the potential of in situ sensor technology to elucidate microclimatic refugia for endangered invertebrates.

Conservation and Invasion Ecology of Terrestrial Gastropods publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in conservation and invasion ecology of terrestrial gastropods across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Jump dispersal: rapid long-distance movement of individuals, often facilitated by human transport, leading to sudden range expansions.

Solar refuge: a microhabitat with favourable thermal conditions that enable species to avoid predators or withstand climatic extremes.

Species distribution modelling: computational methods predicting a species’ potential geographic range based on environmental variables.

Ex situ conservation: management of species outside their natural habitats, such as captive breeding programmes.

Ecological niche: the range of environmental conditions under which a species can persist and reproduce.

References

1. Millimeter-sized smart sensors reveal that a solar refuge protects tree snail Partula hyalina from extirpation. Communications Biology (2021).
2. Climate Change and Jump Dispersal Drive Invasion of the Rosy Wolfsnail (Euglandina rosea) in the United States. Sustainability (2024).
3. Distribution patterns of established alien land snail species in the Western Palaearctic Region. NeoBiota (2023).
4. How Will the Distributions of Native and Invasive Species Be Affected by Climate Change? Insights from Giant South American Land Snails. Diversity (2022).