O USO DO GASTRÓPODE MELAMPUS COFFEA (ELLOBIIDAE) (LINNAEUS, 1758) COMO INDICADOR ECOLÓGICO DO ESTADO DE DEGRADAÇÃO AMBIENTAL DE MANGUEZAIS

Abstract

In tropical coastal ecosystems, mangrove forests are important areas for feeding, breeding, and sheltering for many marine species. The mangrove is dominant in the physiography of the Brazilian coast, however, the intense use of its natural resources and the anthropic pressure under coastal areas threatens the existence of these environments. In the present work we tested the hypothesis that Melampus coffea gastropod is an ecological indicator of deforested mangrove areas. Thus, the general objective was to determine if there are variations in the size and population density of M. coffea in deforested mangroves and to compare them with mangrove conservation, in addition to relating this distribution to the structural parameters of the forests. For this, three deforested mangrove areas and three conserved areas were chosen. At each site, three sites were drawn and at each site, a transect with three plots of 100 m each was demarcated. In each plot, the mangrove species were identified, their height estimated, and the circumference measured. Next, all the individuals of M. coffea were found that were measured for the height, width, and height of the shell opening. Larger abundance and larger sizes of snails were recorded in the conserved areas. The results analysis indicates a relation between M. coffea e the Rhizophora mangle density, the height, and the DAP of the forest. It was concluded that the distribution of M. coffea can be directly influenced by the availability and quality of mangrove forest resources and can be an ecological indicator for deforested mangrove areas.