Diversity and Abundance of Land Snails in Daguma Mountain Range, South-Central Mindanao and Masiag Karst, Bagumbayan, Sultan Kudarat

Land snails are among the least studied fauna in forests despite their important role in forest ecosystems and being good indicators of habitat health. Thus, this study pioneered the assessment of the composition, abundance, diversity, endemism, conservation status, and relationship with physicochemical variables of land snails in Daguma Mountain Range and Masiag Karst in South Central Mindanao. A combination of purposive and quadrat sampling was employed. Three sampling sites were established in Mt. Daguma, and one in Masiag Karst. Each site contained 6 10×10 sampling plots and searched for macro and micro snails. A total of 862 individuals were collected in Mt. Daguma, belonging to 32 species, while 856 individuals were collected in Masiag Karst, belonging to 26 species. Masiag Karst has higher diversity (H-2.672) compared to the karst area in Daguma (H-2.50). Of all species recorded, 17 are endemic, 3 are natives, and 2 are introduced. Only Helicostyla smaragdina is considered critically endangered. Four genera are also noted as new island records. Most species, especially micro snails, are positively influenced by soil moisture, soil calcium, temperature, and relative humidity. Further surveys must be conducted in Daguma Mountain Range to confirm the rarity of some species and to draw a more reliable correlation between land snail populations and the environmental variables.