Relationship between distribution of snails and location of water pools in Jiangning County using Geographic Information System

Objective To explore the relationship between distribution of Oncomelania snails in Jiangning County in 1995 and the location of water pools. Methods Geographic information system (GIS)for distribution of Oncomelania snails in Jiangning County in 1995 was established using the Arcview 8.1, and spatial analysis was used to explore the distance from each snail habitats to the water pool. Results The GIS for Oncomelania snails in Jiangning County in 1995 demonstrated that snails grouped spatially. Further spatial analysis indicated that 83.87% of the snail habitats located in the areas at less than 500 meters from the water pools, and the density of snails in the habitats within 100 meters from water pool was higher than that beyond 500 meters significantly (P 0.05). Conclusion Attention should be payed to the regions around the water pool in Jiangning County for they are more suitable for snail breeding.