LIFE NATURE
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LIFE saving snails Reduced habitat sizes and increased pressure from tourism and gull predation has led to many species of molluscs being considered endangered. LIFE projects, however, are increasing our knowledge of snail populations with a view to safeguarding their number and drawing up plans for their protection.
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Photo: Dinarte Teixeira
n the Portuguese region of Madeira, for example, the ‘Moluscos/Porto Santo - Terrestrial Molluscs of Porto Santo and the Adjacent Islets’ project (LIFE98 NAT/P/005239) gathered useful data on a group of snail species about which little was previously known. An exhaustive inventory was carried out in all islets where the target species, including several that are listed in Annex II of the Habitats Directive, are found..
Pseudocampylaea portosanctana: one of the five endemic snails on Madeira targeted by the project
The project was able to establish the distribution area for these species within the SCI; such information is invaluable for the regional authorities, which are responsible for the management of the land. The project drew up preliminary guidelines based on its findings, as well as a management plan that includes measures for controlling visitor access. Another major management problem is the prevalence of open-air landfill sites and other dumping grounds, which are directly responsible for increases in the size of the gull population. These birds feed on molluscs, though their exact impact on mollusc populations is unknown. The management plan of the project will lead to a stricter application of the Environmental Impact Assessment legislation.
made to involve local students in the project, keeping them up-to-date on findings with a view to raising their interest in the natural heritage around them. An ongoing LIFE project, ‘Life Ilhéus do Porto Sant - Halt the loss of European Biodiversity through the recovery of habitats and species of the islets of Porto Santo and surrounding marine area’ (LIFE09 NAT/PT/000041) is operating in the same region as the earlier one. It is targeting the Natura 2000 site of the Porto Santo Islets that is home to many endangered endemic species. The project is aiming to remove threats to the natural ecosystems of the site, such as from invasive plants and increasing rabbit populations. Again information gathering is central to the success of this project. From the data recorded, Action Plans for the endangered species in Porto Santo islets will be drawn up. Monitoring activities will also researchers to assess the impact of the conservation actions on the target species. The project is also aiming to expand the distribution area of this endangered mollusc. One of Porto Santo’s islets- Ilhéu de Cima - the only place in the world where the snail Discula turricula is found
The project also took steps to involve the small local community (some 5 000 inhabitants) of Porto Santo, which knew little about the mollusc communities before the start of the LIFE project. Contacts were made through the Porto Santo Municipality and the Porto Santo Delegation of the regional government, as well as through the media. A special effort was
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Photo: Carlos Freitas
Community involvement