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Haida Gwaii is home to a unique species of small slugs.According to a recent report, climate change and habitat destruction are threatening Vancouver Island’s North Coast as well as a remote area on Vancouver Island.
The report Haida Gwaii Slug Management Plan in British ColumbiaResearchers from B.C. published their findings last month.The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy of B.C. states that logging on Haida Gwaii’s Graham Island and northern Moresby Island is another major threat to Haida Gwaii Slugs.
The tiny mollusks, measuring 8 to 17 millimetres long, could easily fit on a quarter. Theirdark-colouredbodies are covered with small projections known as papillae.
The species was first described in HaidaGwaiiin 2002, and was then classified as aSpecies of special concernIt is at risk of being endangered or threatened in Canada in 2013.
Other key threats to the Haida Gwaii Slugs are extreme temperatures, increased storms and flooding due to climate change and the Sitka Black-tailed Deer introduced to the archipelago by humans in the late 19th century.
Deer browse on plants, which reduces the amount of soil litter, which in turn deprives the slugs their needed moisture and cover. It can also expose the snails to sun and wind.
KristiinaOvaska is one of the biologists who wrote the report. She says that in 2002 she discovered the HaidaGwaiislugs. She describes them as a unique species and can only be found in one place on Earth: the Brooks Peninsulaon north Vancouver Island.
Carolina de Ryk, CBC’s host, said that the creature was “quite an unusual looking.” Daybreak North. “It has a little hump… Any tiny papillae, projections [are]on the mantle covering the hump.”
Ovaska states that while some people may consider slugs pests in their garden, Haida Gwaii believes that slugs play an important role in the ecosystem.
“Small organisms are that [are]Small but powerful, they can break down organic matter. Some slugs also disperse little truffle spores and mushrooms that form intricate relationships to trees.
“We need to remember that although they are small, their evolution has been millions of years,” she stated. “We don’t know what they do or their functions in the forest.
The B.C. The report from the Ministry of Environment recommends a number of measures to reduce the threat to the Haida Gwaii snails. These include reducing the number of Sitka Black-tailed Deer in the habitat and working with land managers on a habitat protection plan.
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