Madeiran land snail (Leiostyla cassidula)

Mohamed bin Zayed Species project number 202522400

Searching for ghost endemic land snails species (Gastropoda: Pulmonata) from Madeira Island (Portugal)

The project targets nine critically endangered land snails species from the Madeira Island (Portugal), which are not recorded alive for, at least, 30 years.

Its objectives include:

1.Species distribution and population assessment. The distribution areas of the target species, historical and potential (based on modelling), will be sampled bi-monthly. The main goal is to identify viable populations of the target species and estimate the number of mature specimens per population.

2.Biotic Interactions. The associated fauna will be identified and evaluated, and the positive/negative interactions with other species will be quantified, during the sampling period.

3.Abiotic requirements. The air/soil temperature and humidity will be measured during the sampling period, in the known populations. Soil samples will be collected for chemical analysis (Mg, Ca, Fe and pH) and geological determination.

4.Habitat conservation status. The conservation status of the habitat will be evaluated based on Planket ranking, and the measures for remediation will be identified as part of the final report.

5.Public outreach. A student and general public awareness campaign addressed to the critically endangered (CR) land snails species of Madeira archipelago will be implemented through the extent of the project.

A webpage directed to the Madeiran land snails CR species will be implemented, using an existing citizen science platform to help the survey efforts and public awareness.