Monitoring arthropods under the scope of LIFE-Snails project – Baseline Data

The database we present is part of the LIFE SNAILS project (Support and Naturalization in Areas of Importance for Land Snails), which has the main aim of protect three species of terrestrial molluscs, two snails (Oxychilus agostinhoi and Leptaxis minor) and a semislug (Plutonia angulosa), which are endemic of Santa Maria Island, and whose populations are at high risk. In this study, we established a comprehensive database derived from a long-term arthropod monitoring campaign utilizing SLAM (Sea, Land, Air, Malaise) traps. While molluscs were not the focus, our findings present a credible proxy for assessing the overall habitat quality for endemic invertebrates, using arthropods as principal indicators. Between September and December of 2022, a total of 11 SLAM traps were installed and monitored monthly in eleven sites of mixed forests of Santa Maria Island. Based on the 33 available samples (11 sites x 3 months), we registered 94 identified taxa. A total of 21 species were endemic, 31 native non-endemic, 32 introduced and 10 indeterminate. This publication not only contributes to the conservation of highly threatened endemic molluscs, through an assessment of habitat quality based on arthropod communities and habitat description (e.g. native or exotic vegetation), but also provide an updated inventory of arthropods from Santa Maria Island.本研究发布的数据库隶属于LIFE SNAILS项目（Support and Naturalization in Areas of Importance for Land Snails，陆地蜗牛重要区域保护与生境归化项目），该项目的核心目标为保护三种陆生软体动物：两种蜗牛（Oxychilus agostinhoi与Leptaxis minor）及一种半蛞蝓（Plutonia angulosa）。上述三类物种均为圣玛丽亚岛特有类群，且其种群均面临极高的生存风险。 本研究依托SLAM（Sea, Land, Air, Malaise）诱捕器开展长期节肢动物监测工作，由此构建了一套综合性数据库。尽管本研究的核心关注对象并非软体动物，但研究结果证实，以节肢动物作为核心指示类群，可作为评估特有无脊椎动物整体生境质量的可靠代用指标。2022年9月至12月期间，研究团队在圣玛丽亚岛的11处混交林样地中共布设11台SLAM诱捕器，并每月开展一次监测。基于获取的33份有效样本（11个样地×3个监测月份），研究共记录到94个已鉴定类群，其中21种为特有物种、31种为本土非特有物种、32种为外来引入物种，另有10个类群无法确定其分类归属。 本数据集的发布不仅可通过基于节肢动物群落与生境特征（如本土或外来植被类型）的生境质量评估，为高度濒危的特有软体动物保护提供科学支撑，同时也更新了圣玛丽亚岛的节肢动物物种名录。