Organic animal husbandry is a rapidly growing area of EU agriculture, the growth of which is determined both interest in organic products and preservation of biodiversity. Since most molluscs can be intermediate hosts of parasitic worms, it is relevant to find a balance between the preservation of mollusc biodiversity and their impact on the threat of zoonosis, which can be associated not only with agricultural animals, but also with wild mammals and birds.
There is little data on the diversity and distribution of hydrophilic snails in Lithuania and study aims to conduct a systematic analysis of mollusc species of three families. For this purpose, it is planned to select several areas of organic farms and conduct studies of the diversity and abundance of molluscs in all types of hydrophilic habitats, which may contain Lymnaeidae, Bithyniidae and Succineidae, conduct a thorough taxonomic assessment of the collected material, phylogenetic analysis and assess their level of infection with different parasites.
Actuality of this topic have been revealed in Denmark (Duan et al., 2021) and Lithuania (Stadalienė et al., 2016; Uljanovas, 2016) as results may have an impact on the management of zoonosis, economy of the farms and the conservation of biodiversity.
Mokslinis vadovas / Supervisor: Doc. dr. Grita Skujienė
Kontaktai / Contacts:
tel. / phone: (8 5) 2398270
Programme: Zoology N 014