A survey of the ecology and composition of submerged aquatic snail–plant communities

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Abstract
A total of 305 sites were surveyed in southern Manitoba and adjacent areas for the presence of aquatic gastropods and submerged macrophytes with respect to eight water chemistry parameters. Many of the 41 gastropod species found within the study area showed significant preferences for certain parameters. Chi-square tests revealed 68 significant positive and 4 negative interspecific gastropod associations, many of which could not be correlated with net similarities or dissimilarities in significant preferences for the environmental parameters examined. The most common species did not form the most highly significant associations. Members of possible species pairs were compared with respect to their similarities in significant positive associations with other gastropods. The major groupings that emerged reflected characteristics of the habitats within which the species occurred most frequently.Chi-square tests were also conducted for possible snail–plant pairs, resulting in 161 significant positive and 31 negative associations. Many of these could not be correlated with environmental preferences. Members of possible gastropod pairs were compared with respect to their similarities in significant associations with macrophytes. The major grouping that emerged consisted of gastropods which also formed the most highly significant positive associations with macrophytes.