Growth and survival of juvenile Pomacea canaliculata (Gastropoda: Ampullariidae) in plain streams associated to different land uses

Abstract

Pomacea canaliculata is an apple snail that has become an invasive species in several countries. In this research, through two simultaneous experiments, we assessed the effects of different land uses (urban, agriculture, cattle grazing, farms and recreation) on the growth and survival of snails from native populations. The survival was not affected by the water quality of the three streams studied, whereas the growth of snails exposed to the water of the urban stream was impaired. Therefore, our results suggest that the growth rate of P. canaliculata could be useful for the assessment of a moderate urban impact.