It's about the snails, but it ISN'T about the snails. In this episode of Notes From the Field, Jessie heads off into Prescott National Forest in search of springsnails (genus Pyrgulopsis). These tiny gastropods are widespread across the west, but are usually restricted to a small area. Sometimes, an entire species will only exist in one spring!
...which brings us to the real topic of today's episode: refugia. This is a fancy science word that just means a place that acts as a refuge, protecting plants or animals from dying out in poor conditions. Springs in the southwest are great refugia, because water is so limited across the landscape.
Not convinced we should protect our springs? Maybe these cute snail faces will change your mind.
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Interested in learning more about the potential of refugia to protect species in the future? Check out this paper: esajournals.onlinelibrary.wil...
Негізгі бет Ойын-сауық Springsnails and the Importance of Refugia
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