Ecological associations of the coastal marsh periwinkle snail <i>Littoraria irrorata</i>: field and laboratory evidence of vegetation habitat preferences.

ABSTRACT: Coastal salt marshes serve as the margin between terrestrial and marine biomes, provide a variety of important services, and are dynamic ecosystems characterized by keystone species that shape trophic networks. In coastal salt marshes of the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts of the United States, marsh periwinkle snails (Littoraria irrorata) exhibit high abundance and form critical trophic pathways as important herbivores and detritivores. Specifically, snails forage on Spartina alterniflora and associated fungal growth, for which L. irrorata may act as a top-down control on plant growth. Yet, L. irrorata occupies other salt marsh plants, suggesting its habitat niche may be broader than previously reported. Here, we documented snail densities and size distributions in a

SUBMITTER: Klinges DH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11910147 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature