Resumen

TOVAR-JUAREZ, Edgar et al. Variation of the community structure of terrestrial gastropods in different plant associations from the Coatán River watershed, southeastern Chiapas, Mexico. Acta Zool. Mex [online]. 2020, vol.36, e3612307.  Epub 17-Feb-2021. ISSN 2448-8445.  https://doi.org/10.21829/azm.2020.3612307.

The Gastropoda class is the only one on Mollusca phylum to have terrestrial representatives. These organisms are used as ecosystem indicators due to being closely related to environmental variables such as soil and relative humidity, pH, temperature, and plant association, variables sensitive to habitat alteration. The original ecosystems of the watersheds in the Soconusco, Chiapas, Mexico are suitable for the presence of terrestrial gastropods, however, has experimented severe loss of the original plant association, the objective of the research was to determine the diversity of terrestrial gastropods and its changes in the Coatán River watershed. Sampling was carried out at three sites according to their plant association (primary vegetation, secondary vegetation, and crops), within three zones of the watershed (upper, middle, and lower zone). A total of 342 organisms was obtained and classified into 16 families, 29 genera and 43 species, of these totals, 89% were Heterobranchia and 11% Caenogastropoda-Neritimorpha, which are mainly present in the middle zone. Five species are new records for Mexico and 10 species for Chiapas and extend the range distribution of several Central America species. The results of changes in diversity and abundance occurred at zone level and were influenced by environmental variables, mainly relative humidity and tree covered plant association. Low diversity patterns were related to high environmental temperature and low relative humidity, both related to the degree of disturbance and loss plant covered. The human activity in the Coatán watershed has an adverse effect on terrestrial gastropod diversity.

Palabras llave : Mollusca; Soconusco; diversity; distribution.

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