Holocene distribution, ecology and local extinction of the endemic New Zealand dune snail Succinea archeyi Powell (Stylommatophora: Succineidae)

The Holocene fossil record indicates that the prehistoric distribution of Succinea archevi Powell was restricted to coastal and near coastal sites in the northern and eastern North Island, New Zealand The species was formerly widely distributed in northern and eastern Northland, and from the Hauraki Gulf to western Bay of Plenty with geographically‐disjunct outlier populations near Cape Kidnappers in southern Hawke Bay Paleoenvironmental evidence indicates that in prehistoric time S archeyi occupied a variety of sandfield, grassland and shrubland habitat types on dunefields, coastal flats and, locally, coastal hills

The prehistoric S archey populations in Hawke Bay apparently became extinct long before human settlement of New Zealand, whereas at most if not all of the more northern sites, the species coexisted with early Maori However, in historic time S atcheyi declined at many sites between Northland and the Bay of Plenty, resulting in the contraction, fragmentation and extinction of many local populations This decline is inferred to have begun in about the mid 19th century, mainly as a consequence of the impacts of European pastoral farming practices on the coastal habitats occupied by the snail In the 20th century, other types of coastal development, including residential subdivisions and establishment of exotic forestry plantations, have also adversely affected S archeyi populations The species is known to have survived at 15 dunefield locations, including ten in Northland and five on eastern Coromandel Peninsula

Keywords:

• Succinea archeyi
• Succineidae
• landsnail
• New Zealand
• Holocene
• sand dunes
• biogeography
• habitat
• extinction

Notes

Department of Conservation, P O Box 842, Whangarei, New Zealand