Malacofauna of Selected Areas in Litovelské Pomoraví (Czech Republic)

Abstract

Abstract The molluscan diversity in the Litovelské Pomoraví Protected Landscape Area (PLA) (Moravia, Czech Republic) was studied. The PLA stretches on the territory of a river alluvial plain and is formed by the meandering river, complex of alluvial forests, meadows, and wetlands. It is part of the European network of nature protection areas Natura 2000. Altogether 10 450 specimens representing 107 mollusc species were found by means of hand collecting and sieving a litter layer during the sampling period April 2012–September 2015 at nine selected sampling sites. Computation of the Jaccard and Sörensen indices showed the degree of similarity between the individual locations based on the number of shared species. The principal component analysis based on known ecological characteristics clearly distinguished some locations and indicated the relationships between a particular molluscan group and a locality. The data availability and possibility to assess the succession over time is essential for later evaluation and mapping the natural processes or human impact at naturally important localities.