Status survey of Fumonelix (Mesodon) orestes

Boynton, Allen

The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission undertook in 1992 a status surey of the rare land snail, Fumonelix (Mesodon) orestes common name Engraved Covert. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has designated the species as a candidate for federal listing because of its restricted distribution and recent changes in its habitat. Large Fraser Firs (Abies fraseri) formed an important component of the habitat, but almost all large firs have died recently. The Balsam Woolly Adelgid, an introduced species, was the proximate cause of the Fraser Fir die-off. The Plott Balsam Mountains are in Haywood and Jackson counties in southwestern North Carolina. The National Park Service manages a corridor along the Blue Ridge Parkway that crosses the ridge just south of Waterrock Knob (Section 2-X). Two or more persons conducted seven scouting trips between 23 July 1992 and 31 July 1993. Typical habitat of Engraved Covert is described as crevices in rock ledges, and during wet weather, the forest floor around rocks. The objectives of this project included acquiring further information to determine if this snail species should receive Endangered Species Act protection and to provide information on potential recovery and management measures for the species. A literature review and taxonomic status section is included in this report. Discussion of each station includes information as to location, findings, and land owner status. Conclusions include the recommendation that the Engraved Covert remain a Category Two species pending further study. The reasoning was based solely on the confinement of the species to the Plott Balsam mountains, and not on any imminent threats to species viability. Further recommendations and study techniques are included in this paper. The paper also states that the Blue Ridge Parkway manages around 125ha of Engraved Covert habitat. This public property offers an opportunity to manage a core habitat for this species of terrestrial snail.

Status survey of Fumonelix (Mesodon) orestes

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