Aspen Bibliography
Recolonization of Burned Aspen Groves by Land Snails
Document Type
Article
Journal/Book Title/Conference
Yellowstone Science
Volume
5
Issue
3
Publisher
Yellowstone Association for Natural Science, History & Education
First Page
6
Last Page
8
Publication Date
1997
Abstract
Land mollusks play an important role in forest productivity, although they usually pass unnoticed. They are part of the invertebrate fauna that busily convert leaf litter and fallen logs into soil nutrients. Litter in aspen groves provides habitat for these snails that feed on living and dead vegetative material. In turn, snails are included in the diet of small mammals and birds.
The mollusks of Yellowstone are not unique to the area, being found in suitable habitats elsewhere. Even in suitable habitats their distribution is spotty. Early malacologists who collected in Yellowstone listed the species they found, without further data. Others who were studying a particular genus noted which of its species were found in the park. In my experience, deciduous forest trees such as aspen generally have a greater abundance and variety of snails than coniferous forests on more acidic soils. The limited cover of sage-grassland also has fewer species than aspen stands.
Recommended Citation
Beetle, D.E., "Recolonization of Burned Aspen Groves by Land Snails" (1997). Aspen Bibliography. Paper 1578.
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/aspen_bib/1578