Dr. Emmanuel Ryan de Chavez, an Associate Professor of the Animal Biology Division, Institute of Biological Sciences (IBS) delivered his Metro Manila Commission Professorial Chair Lecture entitled, “Probing beyond the shell: insights on the biodiversity, ecology, and conservation of terrestrial malacofauna of the Southern Luzon Island, Philippines” last September 6, 2021 via Zoom.

Dr. De Chavez is one of the country’s leading experts on land snails, a group of invertebrates that has long been ignored in the field of Philippine biodiversity and ecology until he decided to focus on them for his master’s thesis in 2006. Dr. de Chavez’ lecture encompasses nearly 15 years of malacological research work with his students in various tropical rainforests and karst ecosystems throughout Southern Luzon, including Mt. Makiling, Mt. Banahaw, Pamitinan Protected Landscape, and Masungi Georeserve.

From the history of Philippine land snail research to his team’s field surveys and laboratory experiments investigating the evolutionary pressures affecting land snail shells, Dr. De Chavez has found a remarkably diverse array of land snails, both big and small, in the country. Among the highlights of his lecture were his discovery of a new subspecies of microsnail, Hypselostoma latispira masungiensis, and his analysis of the effects of predation risk on the shape of land snail shells. Unfortunately, land snail biodiversity in the Philippines, many species of which have yet to be described, may soon be threatened by various disturbances such as habitat destruction, overharvesting, and the spread of invasive species. Dr. De Chavez concludes with the need for more studies examining their biodiversity and conservation in other parts of the country. This event was attended by more than 300 online participants.

— MEB Aurellado