Forest snail faunas in the Kaszuby Uplands (Pomerania): a rich northern refuge

Forest snail faunas were sampled in three river gorges in the Kaszuby Uplands, Pomorze. 43 species were found, including 10 species of Clausiliidae. Taken with earlier records, these gorges hold 48 species. These faunas are markedly richer than most of those recorded in north and west Poland, especially for clausiliids, where up to eight species could be found in the same sample site. The fauna overall is very similar to that of the ancient Bia³owie¿a Forest much further east. The results suggest that many lowland forests in Poland have impoverished faunas, probably due to human activities, but there are a few refugia in which nearly all of the original forest fauna has survived. These give a better picture of natural patterns of distribution and change across the North European Plain.