Austrian heather snail

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Austrian heather snail
Helicopsis striata austriaca from Lower Austria

Helicopsis striata austriaca from Lower Austria

Systematics
Family : Geomitridae
Subfamily : Helicellinae
Tribe : Helicopsini
Genre : Helicopsis
Type : Striped heather snail ( Helicopsis striata )
Subspecies : Austrian heather snail
Scientific name
Helicopsis striata austriaca
Gittenberger , 1969

The Austrian heather snail ( Helicopsis striata austriaca ) is a subspecies of the striped heather snail .

Edmund Gittenberger examined and described Helicopsis austriaca in 1969 as a separate species under the name Helicopsis austriaca. According to Kerney et al. and Reischütz (1998) it is to be classified as a subspecies of Helicopsis striata , so it is correctly called Helicopsis striata austriaca .

Due to its total area of ​​only around 20 square kilometers in southeastern Lower Austria ( Steinfeld in the southern Vienna Basin ), Helicopsis striata austriaca occupies a special position within the subspecies.

Habitats and biology

Just like Helicopsis striata striata , the subspecies austriaca is also a characteristic steppe inhabitant. The majority of the occurrences are likely to be primary, sparsely vegetated and patchy dry grasslands (Sauberer & Bieringer 2001, Sauberer & Buchner 2001). It is only associated with a few other snail species, which is due to the generally low number of species on the dry grassland in the area. It was regularly observed together with Cepaea vindobonensis , Cochlicopa lubrica , Deroceras sp., Granaria frumentum and Xerolenta obvia . Pupilla muscorum and Zebrina detrita also occasionally appear in the same habitat . Little is known about the biology of the subspecies.

Danger

Frank & Reischütz (1994) classify Helicopsis striata austriaca as threatened with extinction due to the few relic occurrences still existing today and the small area. Habitat destruction has caused a drastic decline in the past, conversion of dry grass into fields, afforestation, construction and gravel extraction have probably led to a loss of 70 - 90% of the total area (Bieringer 2001)

The reason for the current high risk of the few still existing occurrences is to be seen in the fact that the dry grasslands no longer offer optimal living conditions. The too dense vegetation is probably the deciding factor. This goes back to the changes in the dry grassland since the 1960s.

Traditionally, the areas were used as hat pastures (for centuries) and kept open, grazing practically ceased in the 1960s. In addition, since the 1960s there have been increasing inputs of nitrogen compounds from the air (especially from exhaust gases from motor vehicle traffic), the fertilizing effect of which makes the dry grassland grow lush. Precipitation levels that have been above the long-term mean for many years may also be involved.

protection

Due to the inclusion of Helicopsis striata austriaca as a priority species in Annex II of the Fauna-Flora-Habitat Directive of the EU, Austria has a legally binding obligation to take concrete protective measures. In Lower Austria it is completely protected, a management of individual dry grasslands through grazing with horses, sheep and cattle was installed.

Art even got into Austrian daily politics in 2011, when the responsible General Edmund Entacher was accused by Defense Minister Norbert Darabos of neglecting the maintenance of snail populations in a military restricted area.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ E. Gittenberger: A new kind of the genus Helicopsis (Gastropoda, Helcidae, Helicellinae) from Lower Austria. In: Basteria. 33, 1-4, 1969, pp. 63-69.
  2. ↑ MP Kerney, RAD Cameron, JH Jungbluth: The land snails of Northern and Central Europe. Parey, Hamburg 1983, ISBN 3-490-17918-8 .
  3. ↑ PL Reischütz: Proposals for German names detected in Austria snail and mussel species. In: Newsletter of the first Vorarlberg Malacological Society. 6, 1998.
  4. ↑ N. Sauberer, G. Bieringer: Forest or Steppe? The question of the natural vegetation of the stone field. In: G. Bieringer, HM Berg, N. Sauberer (Ed.): The forgotten landscape. Contributions to the natural history of the stone field. (= Stapfia. Volume 77). Linz 2001, pp. 75-92, PDF on ZOBODAT
  5. ^ N. Sauberer, P. Buchner: The dry grass vegetation of the northern stone field. In: G. Bieringer, HM Berg, N. Sauberer (Ed.): The forgotten landscape. Contributions to the natural history of the stone field. (= Stapfia. 77). Linz 2001, pp. 113–128, PDF on ZOBODAT
  6. ↑ a b c G. Bieringer: Distribution, habitat requirements and endangerment of the Austrian heather snail (Helicopsis striata austriaca GITTENBERGER 1969). In: G. Bieringer, HM Berg, N. Sauberer (Ed.): The forgotten landscape. Contributions to the natural history of the stone field. (= Stapfia. 77). Linz 2001, pp. 205–210, PDF on ZOBODAT
  7. ↑ Ch. Frank, PL Reischütz: Red List of the Endangered Mollusks of Austria (Mollusca: Gastropoda and Bivalvia). In: J. Gepp: Red lists of endangered animals in Austria. (= Green series of the BMfUJF. Volume 2). Vienna 1994, pp. 283-316.
  8. ↑ G. Bieringer, N. Sauberer: The effects of nitrogen immissions on the vegetation of dry grasslands. In: G. Bieringer, HM Berg, N. Sauberer (Ed.): The forgotten landscape. Contributions to the natural history of the stone field. (= Stapfia. 77). Linz 2001, pp. 235–242, PDF on ZOBODAT
  9. ↑ "Snail Causa" in the ministry top secret. on: mein district.at , September 7, 2011.

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