Abstract
Structural complexity of mangrove forests is thought to provide critical habitats for a variety of invertebrates. We studied the influence of habitat structure and sampling time on the gastropod diversity in Khuran mangrove ecosystem in the Persian Gulf. Sampling was conducted in two successive years (February and June 2018, February and June 2019) at two mangrove habitats i.e., pneumatophore zone and mudflats. The gastropod assemblages were characterized by the dominance of specific taxa and low species richness. In total, 18 taxa were identified, including 14 species occurring in the mangrove forest and 16 species in the mudflats. Assimineidae dominated the assemblages in both mangrove habitats. Four species (Mitrella blanda, Mitrella cartwrighti, Pellamora densilabrum, Pseudominolia sp.) were found only in mudflat habitats, while two species (Bakawan rotundata, Peronia verruculata) were found only in pneumatophore zones. The gastropod assemblage structure differed significantly between habitats and sampling dates. Of the environmental variables measured, distance-based linear models revealed that total organic carbon (TOC), and total nitrogen (TN) best explained the variation in gastropod assemblage structure. We suggest that conservation efforts should focus not only on preserving mangrove forests, but also upon protecting their adjacent bare mudflats as they provide habitat for various mangrove fauna.
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Acknowledgements
We are grateful to students without whom the fieldwork would not have been possible, in particular Nastaran Delfan, Melika Farahani, Rahil Nozarpour, Nazanin Akbari and Khatereh Habibi. The authors are grateful to Dr. Reza Naderloo for his constructive comments. This research was supported by the Center for International Scientific Studies and Collaboration, Iran (CISSC-grant number: 484), and Iran National Science Foundation (INSF-grant number: 97000327), both of which are gratefully acknowledged.
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This research was supported by the Center for International Scientific Studies and Collaboration, Iran (CISSC-Grant Number: 484), and Iran National Science Foundation (INSF-Grant Number: 97000327).
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HE and MGS designed the study, collected and analyzed the data. MGS supervised the study. HE, MGS, and JS, wrote a draft of the manuscript. All authors contributed to the revision of the work.
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Ebadzadeh, H., Shojaei, M.G. & Seyfabadi, J. The effect of habitat structural complexity on gastropods in an arid mangrove wetland. Wetlands Ecol Manage 32, 139–151 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11273-023-09966-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11273-023-09966-9