The mollusc fauna from Vincheto di Celarda Nature Reserve

RESEARCH ON THE NATURAL HERITAGE OF VINCHETO DI CELARDA AND VAL TOVANELLA (BELLUNO PROVINCE, ITALY) – QUADERNI CONSERVAZIONE HABITAT – 5/2008: 79-88.
The mollusc fauna from Vincheto di Celarda Nature
Reserve (Mollusca: Gastropoda, Bivalvia)
Cesare DALFREDDO
ABSTRACT
During a short survey conducted in the Vincheto di Celarda Nature Reserve, 54 species of Mollusca Gasteropoda and four specie of Bivalvia, for
a total of 58 species belonging to 28 families, were recorded. Among the 16 species of freshwater molluscs, Gyraulus albus (O.F. Müller, 1774) is
a new record for Belluno province. The invasive mollusc Potamopyrgus antipodarum (Gray, 1843) lives in the spring habitats of the reserve; this
species is potentially harmful for the native Sadleriana fluminensis (Küster, 1853) and Emmericia patula (Brumati, 1838).
The terrestrial and aquatic malacocoenosys recorded in the stations classified as a Natura 2000 Habitats are discussed, due to their relevance for
future ecological studies on the mollusc fauna.
Key words: molluscs, malacocoenosys, Vincheto di Celarda Nature Reserve, North-Eastern Italy, Veneto, Belluno.
RIASSUNTO ESTESO
Durante una breve indagine condotta nella Riserva Naturale Vincheto di Celarda sono state osservate 54 specie di Molluschi Gasteropodi e quattro
specie di Molluschi Bivalvi, per complessive 58 specie, appartenenti a 28 famiglie. Fra i Molluschi d’acqua dolce (16 specie), è nuova per la Provincia di
Belluno Gyraulus albus (O.F. Müller, 1774). Negli ambienti di risorgiva della riserva vive il mollusco invasivo Potamopyrgus antipodarum (Gray, 1843)
potenzialmente deleterio per le specie autoctone di maggior interesse Sadleriana fluminensis (Küster, 1853) ed Emmericia patula (Brumati, 1838).
Si sottolinea la scarsità dei dati pregressi per l’area del Vincheto di Celarda, la buona qualità dei suoi ambienti di risorgiva, come evidenziato da
alcune specie indicatrici e l’importanza di questa zona umida come habitat d’elezione per i Molluschi d’acqua dolce all’interno della Provincia
di Belluno.
Sono stati studiati i seguenti ambienti terrestri classificati come Habitat Natura 2000: il greto con arbusti, il prato arido, il prato magro da sfalcio,
il bosco igrofilo alluvionale e il bosco misto ripariale. Per ognuno di questi ambienti si segnalano le malacocenosi osservate in quanto ritenute utile
per futuri studi ecologici sulla componente a Molluschi.
INTRODUCTION
The Vincheto di Celarda Nature Reserve, which covers an area of 133 ha, consists of a mosaic of managed
habitats and habitats developing without human intervention. The water that flows in the Piave River,
the Torrente Caorame, the Rio Celarda, and the Rio
Caoramello define the borders of the reserve; freshwater habitats are also represented by old oxbows lakes,
and by additional wetlands fed by the aquifer which
is emerging in numerous sites. It is surprising that
the mollusc fauna from a wetland like Vincheto di
Celarda has never been studied before, even though
the multitude of habitats, some which are protected
under the Habitats Directive, seem particularly suitable for studies on the biodiversity and ecology of
the mollusc fauna. However, only a single freshwater species of this systematic group was known from
the reserve prior to this study. The investigation on
the molluscs of the Vincheto di Celarda Nature Re-
serve presented here was funded by the LIFE Project
LIFE04NAT/IT/000190.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The habitats with the highest naturalistic value, most
of them recorded in the Habitat Natura 2000 list
(tab. 1), were investigated on eight dates from June
2005 to October 2006. This short paper follows a
recently published book chapter (Dalfreddo 2007).
Samples were collected in the selected habitats by
manually collecting the living molluscs or their shells
from all the microhabitats during the first hours of
the day. Sampling was conducted using a pair of
soft tweezers to pick up the smallest shells, a garden
shovel to move the litter, and a benthos kick net for
aquatic habitats.
Grassy areas were swept with a fine-meshed sieve of
15 cm diameter; this technique is particularly ef79
CESARE DALFREDDO
ficient to collect small-sized species if the sampling
conditions are favourable (grass not taller than 10-15
cm, dewy, and molluscs in activity on the grass tips).
Visual collections were integrated with the collection of substrate (leaf-litter, organic matter and grass
bunches) from the different habitats. This material
was dried and sieved in a graded mesh series until it
was possible to sort the shells manually.
Material was determined by examining the shells
under a stereomicroscope and comparing them with
reference material and with the identification manual by Kerney et al. (1999) for terrestrial molluscs,
and by Castagnolo et al. (1980), Giusti & Pezzoli
(1980) and Girod et al. (1980) for freshwater specimens. Some groups were identified after examining
the anatomy of the dissected genital apparatus.
All material was prepared either dry or in 75%
ethanol, and deposited in the author’s collection.
Nomenclature follows the Checklist of the Italian
Fauna: Bodon et al. (1995), Castagnolo (1995),
Manganelli et al. (1995), and later updates (Manganelli et al. 1998, 2000). I also took into account the
publication by Falkner et al. (2002).
The chorotypes used in this work are defined according to Vigna Taglianti et al. (1993, 1999), and Stoch
& Vigna Taglianti (2005). The freshwater malacofauna is presented in tab. 2, where the taxonomy,
biogeography and data regarding this study are listed
for each species.
The following classes were used to define the malacocoenosys abundance categories: 1 (1-3 specimens),
2 (4-9 specimens), 3 (10-29 specimens), 4 (30-99
specimens) and 5 (more than 100 specimens).
Tab. 1. Sampling stations and corresponding habitats. In the stations marked with an asterisk visual collections were integrated with substrate samples. (*: Nature 2000 Habitats).
Station number Habitat
Habitat code*
Elevation
U.T.M.
Municipality
Date
1*
Colesei spring
not existing
225 m
QS2899
Feltre
20.VI.05
2*
Rio Celarda
3260
216 m
QS2999
Feltre
15.IX.05; 19.IX.06
3*
233 m
QS3001
Feltre
18.IX.06
220 m
QS2999
Feltre
20.VI.05; 13.X.06
5
Torrente Caorame
3240
Ditch with thicket and /or
not existing
buildings
Rio Caoramello near deer paddock not existing
219 m
QS3099
Feltre
13.X.06
6*
Spring on Piave riverbank
3220
216 m
QS3099
Feltre
19.IX.05
7
Spring “Risorgiva del Tasso”
not existing
219 m
QS3099
Feltre
19.IX.05
8*
Wetland near aquaculture plant
not existing
219 m
QS2999
Feltre
19.IX.06
9*
Wetland near Rio Celarda
3150
216 m
QS3099
Feltre
15.IX.05
10
Ditch near Prà Bocche
not existing
216 m
QS3099
Feltre
16.IX.05
11
Pond near deer paddock
not existing
219 m
QS3099
Feltre
13.10.06
12
Pond near “Apiario”
not existing
230 m
QS3001
Feltre
18.IX.06
13
Pond “Laghetto verde dell’isola”
not existing
225 m
QS3000
Feltre
13.10.06
14
Pond “Laghetto della Colonia”
3150
222 m
QS3099
Feltre
19.IX.05
15
Pond “Laghetto della palude”
not existing
220 m
QS3099
Feltre
19.IX.05
16
Pond “Laghetto delle Gallinelle”
Vegetated riverbank near Prà
Bocche
Dry grassland north of “Laghetto
verde dell’isola”
Lowland hay meadow near
buildings
Lowland hay meadow (Prà
Bocche)
Hygrophilous alluvial wood near
wetland
Mixed riparian wood east of
“Apiario”
Norway Spruce row near Prà
Bocche
not existing
220 m
QS2999
Feltre
19.IX.05
3240
218 m
QS3099
Feltre
15.IX.05
6210
225 m
QS3000
Feltre
18.IX.06
6510
220 m
QS2999
Feltre
16.IX.05
6510
218 m
QS3099
Feltre
16.IX.05
91E0
216 m
QS3099
Feltre
19.IX.05
91F0
230 m
QS3001
Feltre
18.IX.06
not existing
218 m
QS3099
Feltre
19.IX.05
4*
17*
18*
19*
20*
21*
22*
23
80
THE MOLLUSC FAUNA FROM VINCHETO DI CELARDA NATURE RESERVE (MOLLUSCA: GASTROPODA, BIVALVIA)
Wetland near Rio Celarda
Ditch near Prà Bocch
6
7
8
9
10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Sadleriana fluminensis (Küster, 1853)
ALDI
Potamopyrgus antipodarum (J.E. Gray, 1843) SCO
20° 26
29
Bythinella opaca (M. von Gallenstein, 1848) ALP
5°
Emmericia patula (Brumati, 1838)
ALDI
Valvata piscinalis (O.F. Müller, 1774)
ASE
Haitia acuta (Draparnaud, 1805)
COS
Galba truncatula (O.F. Müller, 1774)
PAL
Radix auricularia (Linnaeus, 1758)
OLA
Radix peregra (O.F. Müller, 1774)
EUR
Gyraulus albus (O.F. Müller, 1774)
OLA
Gyraulus laevis (Alder, 1838)
OLA
Ancylus fluviatilis O.F. Müller, 1774
WPA
Oxyloma elegans (Risso, 1826)**
OLA
Succinea putris (Linnaeus, 1758)**
SIE
Pisidium amnicum (O.F. Müller, 1774)
WPA
Pisidium casertanum (Poli, 1791)
COS
Pisidium personatum Malm, 1855
Pisidium subtruncatum Malm, 1855
WPA
OLA
Total number of species for each station
Ppond “Laghetto delle Gallinelle”
Wetland near aquaculture plant
5
Ppond “Laghetto della palude”
Spring “Risorgiva del Tasso”
4
Pond “Laghetto della Colonia”
Spring on Piave riverbank
3
Pond “Laghetto verde dell’isola”
Rio Caoramello near deer paddock
2
Pond near “Apiario”
Ditch with thicket near buildings
1
Pond near deer paddock
Torrente Caorame
COR
Rio Celarda
SPECIES LIST
Colesei Spring
STATION
Tab. 2. Abundance of freshwater habitats-related molluscs in Vincheto di Celarda. (°: pre-existing data from Decet & Fossa (1993, 2001);
*: stations where no living specimens were collected; **: terrestrial species with amphibious ecology. Chorotype: ALP = Alpine; ALDI =
Alpine-Dinaric; EUR = European; SIE = Sibero-European; ASE = Asiatic-European; WPA = W-Palearctic; OLA = Holarctic; PAL= Palearctic; SCO = Sub-cosmopolitan; COS= Cosmopolitan).
5
5
15
15
7°
1*
99
4
1*
4
7
4
15
3
7
7
12°
1
6
10
3
4
1
2
14
3
8
1*
19
5
5
52
1
2
5
6
13
7
4
4
3
1
7
14
8
1
2
9
3
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
A total of 18 species of freshwater-related molluscs
are recorded for Vincheto di Celarda, 16 of which
are aquatic and two terrestrial amphibious, belonging
to nine families (tab. 2). Forty-one more species, belonging to 19 families, live in the terrestrial habitats
6
3
7
6
1
6
1
5
3
5
8
1
30 18
18
6
5
3
6
6
4
7
4
1
1
1
1
of the reserve (tabs. 4-6). A total of 58 species belonging to 28 families are so far recorded for Vincheto
di Celarda Nature Reserve (tab. 3); Hygromiidae is
the family with the highest number of species (9).
However, more research is necessary to complete the
species and families list, which is presented here in
systematic order.
Tab. 3. Checklist of the families and species of molluscs from Vincheto di Celarda Nature Reserve.
1- Cochlostomatidae
2- Aciculidae
1- Cochlostoma s. septemspirale (Razoumowsky, 1789)
2- Renea veneta (Pirona, 1865)
3- Hydrobiidae
3- Sadleriana fluminensis (Küster, 1853)
4- Potamopyrgus antipodarum (Gray, 1843)
5- Bythinella opaca (M.V. Gallenstein, 1848)
4- Emmericiidae
6- Emmericia patula (Brumati, 1838)
5- Valvatidae
7- Valvata piscinalis (O.F. Müller, 1774)
81
CESARE DALFREDDO
6- Physidae
8- Haitia acuta (Draparnaud, 1805)
7- Lymnaeidae
9- Galba truncatula (O.F. Müller, 1774)
10- Radix auricularia (Linnaeus, 1758)
11- Radix peregra (O.F. Müller, 1774)
8- Planorbidae
12- Gyraulus (Gyraulus) albus (O.F. Müller, 1774)
9- Ancylidae
14- Ancylus fluviatilis O.F. Müller, 1774
13- Gyraulus (Torquis) laevis (Alder, 1838)
10- Succineidae
15- Succinea (Succinea) putris (Linnaeus, 1758)
16- Succinella oblonga Draparnaud, 1801
17- Oxyloma elegans (Risso, 1826)
11- Cochlicopidae
18- Cochlicopa lubrica (O.F. Müller, 1774)
12- Vertiginidae
19- Vertigo (Vertigo) pygmaea (Draparnaud, 1801)
20- Vertigo (Vertilla) angustior Jeffreys, 1830
21- Truncatellina callicratis (Scacchi, 1833)
22- Truncatellina cylindrica (Férussac, 1807)
13- Orculidae
23- Sphyradium doliolum (Brughière, 1792)
24- Pagodulina s. subdola (Gredler, 1856)
14- Chondrinidae
25- Granaria illyrica (Rossmässler, 1837)
15- Pupillidae
26- Pupilla (Pupilla) muscorum (Linnaeus, 1758)
16- Valloniidae
27- Vallonia costata (O.F. Müller, 1774)
28- Vallonia pulchella (O.F. Müller, 1774)
29- Acanthinula aculeata (O.F. Müller, 1774)
17- Punctidae
30- Punctum pygmaeum (Draparnaud, 1801)
18- Arionidae
31- Arion lusitanicus Mabille, 1868
19- Vitrinidae
32- Vitrinobrachium breve (Férussac, 1821)
20- Zonitidae
33- Aegopinella cisalpina Riedel, 1983
34- Oxychilus (Oxychilus) mortilleti (Pfeiffer, 1859)
21- Limacidae
35- Limax maximus Linnaeus, 1758
22- Agriolimacidae
36- Deroceras agreste (Linnaeus, 1758)
37- Deroceras reticulatum (O.F. Müller, 1774)
23- Euconulidae
38- Euconulus (Euconulus) fulvus (O.F. Müller, 1774)
24- Clausiliidae
39- Cochlodina (Cochlodinastra) c. comensis (Pfeiffer, 1850)
40- Macrogastra (Macograstra) attenuata (Rossmässler, 1835)
41- Macrogastra (Macograstra) plicatula (Draparnaud, 1801)
25- Bradybaenidae
42- Fruticicola fruticum (O.F. Müller, 1774)
26- Hygromiidae
43- Trochulus hispidus (Linnaeus, 1758)
44- Petasina (Edentiella) lurida (Pfeiffer, 1828)
45- Candidula u. unifasciata (Poiret, 1801)
46- Xerolenta o. obvia (Menke, 1828)
47- Hygromia (Hygromia) cinctella (Draparnaud, 1801)
48- Monachoides incarnata (O.F. Müller, 1774)
49- Euomphalia strigella (Draparnaud, 1801)
50- Monacha (Eutheba) cantiana (Montagu, 1803)
51- Helicodonta obvoluta (O.F. Müller, 1774)
27- Helicidae
52- Chilostoma (Faustina) i. illyricum (Stabile, 1864)
53- Cepaea (Cepaea) nemoralis (Linnaeus, 1758)
54- Helix (Helix) pomatia Linnaeus, 1758
28- Sphaeriidae
55- Pisidium amnicum (O.F. Müller, 1774)
56- Pisidium casertanum (Poli, 1791)
57- Pisidium personatum Malm, 1855
58- Pisidium subtruncatum Malm, 1855
82
THE MOLLUSC FAUNA FROM VINCHETO DI CELARDA NATURE RESERVE (MOLLUSCA: GASTROPODA, BIVALVIA)
Tab. 4. Malacocoenosys recorded in vegetated riverbanks and dry grasslands (stations 17 and 18) within Vincheto di Celarda Nature
Reserve. (N. spec.: number of specimens, Ab.: abundance category).
Vegetated riverbanks - Habitat code 3240
Species
Xerolenta obvia
Candidula u. unifasciata
Monacha cantiana
Cepaea nemoralis
Helix pomatia
Trochulus hispidus
Macrogastra attenuata
Monachoides incarnata
Helicodonta obvoluta
N. spec.
105
39
18
6
2
3
1
1
1
Ab.
5
4
3
2
1
1
1
1
1
Dry grasslands - Habitat code 6210
Species
Granaria illyrica
Candidula u. unifasciata
Truncatellina callicratis
Fruticicola fruticum
Vallonia pulchella
Petasina lurida
Vertigo pygmaea
Euconulus fulvus
Punctum pygmaeum
Helix pomatia
Cepaea nemoralis
Helicodonta obvoluta
N. spec.
40
9
6
4
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
Ab.
4
2
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
Tab. 5. Malacocoenosys recorded in lowland hay meadows (stations 19 and 20) within Vincheto di Celarda Nature Reserve. (N. spec.:
number of specimens, Ab.: abundance category).
Lowland hay meadows - Habitat code 6510
Species
Vertigo pygmaea
Pupilla muscorum
Deroceras agreste
Cochlicopa lubrica
Vallonia costata
Truncatellina cylindrica
Vallonia pulchella
Monacha cantiana
Arion lusitanicus
N. spec.
31
6
1
5
3
3
2
1
2
Ab.
4
2
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
Species
Pupilla muscorum
Trochulus hispidus
Deroceras agreste
Vertigo pygmaea
Vallonia costata
Deroceras reticulatum
Truncatellina callicratis
Succinella oblonga
Cochlicopa lubrica
Truncatellina cylindrica
Monacha cantiana
Monachoides incarnata
Fruticicola fruticum
Helix pomatia
Arion lusitanicus
N. spec.
27
20
8
6
3
7
7
4
1
1
1
1
1
2
3
Ab.
3
3
2
2
1
2
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
Tab. 6. Malacocoenosys recorded in hygrophile alluvial woods and mixed riparian woods (stations 21 and 21) within Vincheto di Celarda
Nature Reserve. (N. spec.: number of specimens, Ab.: abundance category).
Hygrophile alluvial woods - Habitat code 91E0
Species
N. spec.
Macrogastra attenuata
15
Cocholostoma s. septemspirale
8
Monachoides incarnata
7
Limax maximus
3
Aegopinella cisalpina
3
Cochlodina c. comensis
2
Hygromia cinctella
1
Cepaea nemoralis
3
Fruticicola fruticum
2
Helix pomatia
1
Euomphalia strigella
1
Trochulus hispidus
1
Arion lusitanicus
3
Ab.
3
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
Mixed riparian woods - Habitat code 91F0
Species
Macrogastra plicatula
Cocholostoma s. septemspirale
Cochlodina c. comensis
Macrogastra attenuata
Aegopinella cisalpina
Monachoides incarnata
Cepaea nemoralis
Petasina lurida
Helix pomatia
Sphyradium doliolum
Helicodonta obvoluta
Vitrinobrachium breve
Fruticicola fruticum
Acanthinula aculeata
Oxychilus mortilleti
Arion lusitanicus
Vertigo angustior
N. spec.
31
14
13
12
8
8
6
6
5
5
3
3
3
1
1
1
1
Ab.
4
3
3
3
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
83
CESARE DALFREDDO
Analisys of freshwater species
The following species are new records for Belluno
province:
- Gyraulus albus: species with Holarctic chorotype,
widespread in lentic habitats, such as Caldonazzo
and Levico lakes in Trentino (Dalfreddo & Maiolini 2004), but never recorded before in Belluno
province. A large population was recorded in the
reserve, confined to the wetland south of the fish
tanks.
The following species have high biogeographical importance:
- Emmericia patula: species with Alpine-Dinaric
chorotype, originates from the area between
Dalmatia, Slovenia and eastern Veneto, later on
introduced in other areas of Italy and Europe
(Cianfanelli et al. 1991; Bodon et al. 2005).
Crenophilic species, recorded in the reserve with a
small population (Rio Celarda, wetland near Rio
Celarda, and Laghetto della palude).
- Sadleriana fluminensis: species with Alpine-Dinaric chorotype, originally from the area between the
Padano-Veneto Plain and Slovenia. Krenophilic
species, recorded in the reserve with a large population in the Colesei spring (west of Vincheto)
and in Rio Celarda; this species lives also in the
Spring “Risorgiva del Tasso”.
- Pisidium subtruncatum: species with Holarctic
chorotype, widespread in Europe and Italy. In Belluno province this species was previously recorded
only in Alleghe Lake (Bodon et al. 2005).
Allochthonous species, which are ecological competitors:
- Potamopyrgus antipodarum species with sub-cosmopolite chorotype, originates from New Zealand, rapidly spreading in almost all European
countries, North America, Tasmania and southeastern Australia (Favilli et al. 1998, Bodon et al.
2005), already recorded in Belluno province near
Limana (Decet & Fossa 2001) and recently near
Mosigo Lake in S. Vito di Cadore (Decet 2007).
This prosobranch mollusc was recorded in 2005
in the Rio Celarda and in the spring on the riverbank of the Piave River and, due to quick parthenogenetic reproduction, it can be harmful to
the most valuable autochthonous species of the
reserve, such as Emmericia patula and Sadleriana
fluminensis, because it shares their habitats.
Finally, the presence of living populations of Valvata
piscinalis and Gyraulus leavis in the area needs to be
confirmed; in fact, only shells of these species were
collected. Santa Croce Lake is the site closest to Vincheto where Valvata piscinalis lives, whereas Gyraulus
84
laevis, recently recorded in Mosigo Lake at S. Vito
di Cadore, has been collected in the alluvial material coming from the southern area of the Province
(Decet 2007).
In conclusions, it appears that:
1. Pre-existing data for Vincheto di Celarda are
scarce and there are gaps in the knowledge of its
biodiversity, as shown by this short study: only
four of the 58 species of molluscs recorded were
previously recorded for Vincheto di Celarda Nature Reserve. They are Sadleriana fluminensis, Bythinella opaca 1 and Radix peregra, recorded for the
springs Fontane and Colesei di Celarda, and Emmericia patula recorded for Rio Celarda (Decet &
Fossa 1993, 2001).
2. The quality of the springs of Vincheto di Celarda
Nature Reserve is good, as shown by the presence
of the prosobranchs Sadleriana fluminensis and
Bythinella opaca and also Emmericia patula, indicator species of clean and oxygenated water. From
an ecological point of view, however, the presence
of allochtonous species such as Potamopyrgus antipodarum can cause strong alterations of the malacological populations of this wetland.
3. The Vincheto di Celarda Nature Reserve is an important habitat for freshwater molluscs. Sixteen
of the 43 freshwater species so far known for the
Belluno province live, in the Vincheto di Celarda
Nature Reserve which, after Santa Croce Lake and
the nearby site Paludi (Dalfreddo 2004), is the
most important wetland for freshwater molluscs
in the Belluno province, due also to its southern
geographical location.
Note 1: in the update version of the Italian Checklist, still unpublished, Bythinella opaca is reported as older synonym of B.
schmidti (Küster, 1852), following Boeters (1993).
Ecological analysis of freshwater and terrestrial
mollusc fauna
The knowledge on the Italian mollusc fauna is not
very good: data available often regard the biogeography of the species, whereas data on the ecology are
scarce. Presence data are frequently obtained from alluvial material, and the species are generically attributed to the related watershed, without any ecological
information.
A malacocoenosys, i.e. a mollusc community composed by the different species living in a given habitat, is the result of several factors (geology, soil, vegetation, climate, historical events) and therefore can
be considered an environmental indicator. It would
be important to study the malacofauna with an ecological approach, compiling lists of species obtained
THE MOLLUSC FAUNA FROM VINCHETO DI CELARDA NATURE RESERVE (MOLLUSCA: GASTROPODA, BIVALVIA)
with standardized and repeatable methods.
The malacological biodiversity of the Natura 2000
Habitats of Vincheto di Celarda was compared (fig.
1). The investigated freshwater habitats were: streams,
spring-fed streams and pools, slow-flowing ditches,
wetlands, and the terrestrial habitats were vegetated
riverbanks, dry grasslands with rare shrubs, lowland
hay meadows, hygrophile alluvial woods, and mixed
riparian woods.
The malacological biodiversity of freshwater habitats
ranges between five and eight species. The Torrente
Caorame represents an exception, it belongs to the
Natura 2000 Habitat “Alpine rivers and their ligneous vegetation with Salix eleagnos” (Lasen & Scariot
2007) but it hosts only three species of molluscs (Ancylus fluviatilis, Galba truncatula and Radix peregra)
due to the strong current.
The spring-fed stream Rio Celarda is one of the most
interesting habitats, and belongs to the Natura 2000
Habitat “Water courses of plain to montane levels
with the Ranunculion fluitantis and Callitricho-Batrachion vegetation” (Lasen & Scariot 2007). Six species
were recorded here, Sadleriana fluminensis and Emmericia patula are the most important ones.
The spring-fed pool is the habitat richest in species:
this large wetland, rich in hydrophytes and characterized by slow current; is located on the Piave banks
and is at risk of flooding. It belongs to the Natura
Habitats
18
16
14
Biodiversity
12
10
8
6
4
2
Fig. 1. Malacological biodiversity of the investigated habitats.
Riparian woods
Hygrophilous woods
Lowland dry meadows
Dry grasslands
Vegetated riverbanks
Wetlands
Ditches
Spring-fed pools
Spring-fed streams
Streams
0
2000 Habitat “Alpine rivers and the herbaceous vegetation along their banks” (Lasen & Scariot 2007).
The malacocoenosys is represented by the following
species: Potamopyrgus antipodarum, Galba truncatula,
Radix auricularia, Radix peregra, Haitia acuta, Ancylus
fluviatilis, Succinea putris and Pisidium personatum.
Mollusc biodiversity is higher in terrestrial habitats,
where it ranges from nine species in vegetated riverbanks to 17 in the riparian woods. It usually increases
with increasing humidity and structural complexity
of the vegetation. It is also high in lowland hay meadows where half of the malacocoenosys are represented
by small and very small molluscs, an adaptation to
the vegetation present.
The results of the malacological surveys are presented
in tabs. 4-6, where the abundance of each species is
given (number of individual collected with the same
sampling effort); and species are ordered according to
decreasing abundance.
The malacocoenosys of the various terrestrial habitats
investigated are described below. This information
should be useful for future ecological studies on the
mollusc fauna.
The vegetated riverbanks (tab. 4) (fig. 2) belong to
the Natura 2000 Habitat “Alpine rivers and their ligneous vegetation with Salix eleagnos” (Lasen & Scariot 2007); their malacocoenosys is represented by nine
species, the most characteristic ones in decreasing order are: Xerolenta o. ovia, Candidula u. unifasciata,
Monacha cantiana and Cepaea nemoralis.
Dry grasslands (tab. 4) (fig. 3) belong to the Natura
2000 Habitat “Semi-natural dry grasslands” (Lasen
& Scariot 2007); their malacocoenosys is represented
by twelve species, the most characteristic ones are:
Granaria illyrica, Candidula u. unifasciata, Truncatellina callicratis and Fruticicola fruticum.
Lowland hay meadows (tab. 5) belong to the Natura
2000 Habitat “Lowland hay meadows” (Lasen &
Scariot 2007); their malacocoenosys recorded in the
two surveys ranged from nine to 15 species. The most
characteristic molluscs of this habitat are: Vertigo pygmaea, Pupilla muscorum, Deroceras agreste, Vallonia
costata, Cochlicopa lubrica, Truncatellina cilindrica,
T. callicratis, Trochulus hispidus, Deroceras reticulatum
and Succinella oblunga.
Hygrophile alluvial woods (tab. 6) belong to the
Natura 2000 Habitat “Alluvial forests with Alnus glutinosa and Salix alba” (Lasen & Scariot 2007). The
malacocoenosys are represented by 13 species, Macrogastra attenuata, Cochlostoma s. septemspirale, Monachoides incarnata and Limax maximus are the most
characteristic ones.
Mixed riparian woods (tab. 6) belong to the Natura
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CESARE DALFREDDO
2000 Habitat “Riparian mixed forests along the great
rivers” (Lasen & Scariot 2007) and the most characteristic species are: Macrogastra plicatula, M. attenuata, Cochlodina c. comensis, Cochlostoma s. septemspirale, Aegopinella cisalpina, Monachoides incarnata,
Petasina lurida, Helix pomatia and Sphyradium doliolum. Two protected species, listed in the Habitats Di-
rective (92/43/CEE) live there: Helix pomatia, listed
in Annex V and Vertigo angustior, listed in Annex II.
Acknowledgements
I want to thank my friend Marco Bodon for his valuable suggestions and for helping in the identification
of some of the specimens.
Fig. 2. Riverbank vegetation near the Piave River (photo by C. Dalfreddo).
Fig. 3. Dry grassland with rare shrubs (photo by C. Dalfreddo).
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THE MOLLUSC FAUNA FROM VINCHETO DI CELARDA NATURE RESERVE (MOLLUSCA: GASTROPODA, BIVALVIA)
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