Trophic niche variation across urban populations of the exotic land snail Lissachatina fulica

• Grant number: 25/00766-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: March 01, 2025
• End date: September 30, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Ecology - Applied Ecology
• Principal Investigator: Raul Costa Pereira
• Grantee: Beatriz Pereira Peixoto
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biologia (IB). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 20/11953-2 - Echoes of socioeconomic inequality into biodiversity (IneqBio), AP.JP

Abstract

Exotic species are ¿among the ¿primary causes of global biodiversity loss. In ¿urban areas, the ¿challenge of biological invasions becomes even more complex, ¿impacting the functioning of urban ecosystems and ¿posing public health issues. Investigating how invasive organisms exploit resources in heterogeneous urban landscapes is essential ¿for understanding how exotic species establish and spread in large ¿cities. The main objective of this proposal is to quantify the degree of variation in resource use among individuals and urban populations ¿of the giant African snail¿, Lissachatina fulica, ¿which is one of the most aggressive invasive species ¿worldwide. This species is commonly found in urban centers ¿across Brazil and ¿acts as a voracious generalist herbivore, consuming a large quantity and diversity of plants. We will utilize stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen (¿15N and ¿13C) to characterize and compare the trophic niche¿s of individuals and populations. The results will provide ¿crucial data on the ecology of this invasive species in tropical urban environments, ¿laying the ¿groundwork ¿for more effective control and eradication initiatives.