FY2017There is an increasing concern and need for the conservation of springsnails and other endemic mollusks and for conservation of the unique spring and springbrook habitats on which they depend (Hershler et al 2014; Abele 2011). Nationwide, several of these species have been listed as endangered or threatened under provisions of the ESA; others are candidates for federal listing or are undergoing review by USFWS for possible future listing actions. These species can be particularly susceptible to localized threats and specific knowledge necessary for effective site-based conservation is often limited or lacking.
Springsnail are particularly susceptible to extinction because the entire population of any single species is often tied to a single spring. Some sites may be no more than a few square meters and easily altered by threats such as water diversion, capping, groundwater pumping, invasive or exotic species, development, or trampling by livestock and other large ungulates. These threats can be addressed through appropriate management prescriptions, but there is a critical need to develop consistent and appropriate strategies and actions that can be applied to those habitats, and an equally critical need to develop firm commitments from agencies and entities responsible for management of occupied sites, including private landowners, so that those management actions can be applied effectively.
