Environmental factors affecting the distribution of land snails in the Atlantic Rain Forest of Ilha Grande, Angra dos Reis, RJ, Brazil

A study on Ilha Grande, Brazil, reveals that the distribution and abundance of land snail species in Atlantic Rain Forest are influenced by environmental factors such as atmospheric temperature, soil temperature, litter depth, and relative air humidity. While two hillsides studied showed similar species richness, differences in species composition and abundance were linked to variations in these environmental conditions. Additionally, distinct luminosity and canopy closure conditions were found to shape the land-snail community on one hillside. The research employed timed searches, litter sampling, cluster analysis, Pearson correlation matrix, and discriminant analysis to investigate these relationships.

Nunes, G., & Santos, S. (2012). Environmental factors affecting the distribution of land snails in the Atlantic Rain Forest of Ilha Grande, Angra dos Reis, RJ, Brazil. Brazilian Journal of Biology, 72(1), 79–86. https://doi.org/10.1590/s1519-69842012000100010