Banff Springs snail (Physella johnsoni) COSEWIC assessment and status report: chapter 11
Special Significance of the Species
The Banff Springs Snail is endemic to thermal springs in Banff National Park. The Banff Springs Snail was proposed as an indicator for thermal spring ecosystems in the state of the Banff National Park report (Parks Canada 2003) and is an acknowledged indicator of thermal spring ecological integrity (Lepitzki and Pacas 2007). It may also be a keystone species-a species “that makes an unusually strong contribution to community structure or processes” and has “a disproportionate effect on the rest of the community” (Meffe and Carroll 1994). The disappearance of this top grazer could result in the disruption of the thermal spring ecosystem; algae and bacteria may bloom and other organisms potentially dependent on the infusion of snail excrement and shell material may suffer irrevocable harm if the snail is extirpated or becomes extinct. Hebert (1997) notes “not only would its extinction represent the loss of biodiversity, but the ecosystem of thermal springs in Banff might shift due to the loss of an important grazer”.
The importance of species within Canadian National Parks and Parks Canada’s role in preserving biodiversity are acknowledged in the preamble of the Species at Risk Act (Statutes of Canada 2002) as helping meet Canada’s commitments to national and international accords on species protection. The snail is identified as a cultural resource at the C&BNHS (Parks Canada 1998) and could be used as a tool to educate visitors about biodiversity and species-at-risk.
The is no known Aboriginal Traditional Knowledge on the Banff Springs Snail, although the C&BNHS was used by Aboriginal people prior to the hotsprings becoming known to the rest of the world after 1883 (Parks Canada 2006).
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