Spider (Aranei) assemblages in bog-forest ecotone of the northern taiga subzone (Eastern Fennoscandia)

Soil-dwelling and ground spiders were studied in oligotrophic and mesotrophic bog-forest ecotones of the northern taiga (Eastern Fennoscandia) in 2005–2007. The number of spider species was greater in the forest as compared to the bog. The spider assemblages of the bogs and swampy forests was characterized by the prevalence of Lycosidae both in abundance and in species richness, whereas members of the family Linyphiidae prevailed in the forest. The species diversity of soil-dwelling spiders was lower in oligotrophic bogs than in mesotrophic ones. In all the bog-forest ecotones studied, the spider assemblages showed no edge effect (an increase in diversity and abundance), indicating a high degree of interpenetration of the spider complexes from adjacent ecosystems. Stenotopic spider species were not found in the ecotones studied either. The major ecological factors responsible for the specific features of spider assemblages in the biotopes studied are the temperature regime and soil humidity.     

Habitat structure determines spider diversity in highland ponds

Wetlands (e.g. ponds, meadows) can be found in many landscapes, playing an important role in maintaining regional biodiversity and supporting heterogeneous communities. Spiders are diversified predators that are highly influenced by changes in plant community structure, heterogeneous habitats sustain high spider diversity and abundance. We investigated the characteristics of spider biodiversity in ponds with different habitat structures, by examining patterns across habitats of ponds with different vegetation levels. Sampling took place in four occasions over a year. We compared spider abundance, species richness and composition among ponds including distinct vegetation variables, related to life form, type of leaves, coverage and height. Overall 1174 individuals (194 adults) of 11 families and 37 morphospecies were sampled. We found mostly expected differences in the manner that communities were structured between different habitats. Thus, higher variability of abundance was explained for higher habitat structure of ponds. We also found differences in species composition between ponds with low emergent vegetation and higher habitat structures. Additionaly, spiders were consistently structured more by turnover than nestedness components, with a greater beta diversity of web-builders. Our results suggest varying levels of habitat structures and species substitution shape pond spider communities, depending on habitat heterogeneity and spider guild. Those findings demonstrate the clear role of spatial habitat structure, with more spider species preferring to build webs or actively hunt at vegetated environments on ponds.     

Spider diversity across an elevation gradient in Área de Conservación Guanacaste (ACG), Costa Rica

Throughout the Neotropics, temperature and precipitation change with elevation and these changes affect the assemblage of species at any particular elevation. We documented the diversity of litter-inhabiting spiders, (Arachnida: Araneae) along a Costa Rican elevational gradient as it relates to covarying abiotic factors such as temperature and precipitation. The spiders we collected were principally unidentifiable juveniles, and so we used Barcode Index Numbers (BINs) derived from DNA barcodes as proxies for species-level interim names. We contrasted these taxon-based estimates with phylogenetic measures of alpha- and beta-diversity derived from both the mitochondrial DNA barcode region and a multi-gene phylogeny of spiders and found that neither the abundance nor the species richness of spiders was significantly correlated with elevation, temperature, or precipitation. However, we did find that spider assemblages in the upper elevation cloud forests were phylogenetically clustered, (and this pattern was unrelated to whether the phylogenetic patterns were derived mitochondrially or from a multi-gene analysis). One standard explanation for such a pattern is that harsh abiotic conditions in higher elevation forests have selected for particular spider lineages; however, this remains to be tested fully. The diversity of leaf-litter spider species we uncovered was high and further sampling of spider abundance and diversity across the ACG is likely to yield many new species.     

Grazing history influences biodiversity: a case study on ground-dwelling arachnids (Arachnida: Araneae, Opiliones) in the Natural Park of Alpi Marittime (NW Italy)

Alpine pastures are typical examples of “high nature value farmlands”, representing important habitats harbouring unique biological communities. Disturbance induced by overgrazing influences significantly ecosystem processes, in which invertebrates play a major role. To develop new models of sustainable management of pastures, more knowledge is needed of the animal communities, essential to the ecological functioning of pasture ecosystems. The apparent poor ecological state of several pastures in the Natural Regional Park of Alpi Marittime (NW-Italy) lead us to evaluate the influence of grazing history on biodiversity, using spider and harvestmen assemblages as key groups. Four different pastoral types characterized by four different grazing histories were identified using the Daget-Poissonet method. Spiders and harvestmen were collected by means of pitfall traps. Arachnid assemblages were characterized in terms of composition, abundance, species richness, richness of endemic species and taxonomic relatedness. Generalized linear mixed models (GLMM) were used to test differences among assemblages occurring in each pastoral type. Furthermore, we tested differences in terms of plant communities (species richness and percentage of zoogenic species). Specificity and fidelity of every spider and harvestmen species within pastoral types were explored by the IndVal (Indicator Value) procedure. Fifty-eight species of spiders and seven species of harvestmen were collected (2,304 individuals). Pastoral types related to intensive grazing were characterized by the dominance of diurnal wanderer spiders (namely Lycosidae) while, conversely, nocturnal wanderers (mainly Gnaphosidae) were more abundant in extensive pastoral types. Results show that both species richness and spider abundance were higher in abandoned areas of extensive grazing, while endemic assemblages were richer in extensive grazed areas, which also hosted the most diverse plant community. Furthermore, most of the indicator species of spiders of this type were endemic, characterized by more demanding ecological requirements.     

Spider assemblages in bird burrows

The arachnofauna of bird burrows, which are excavated in the soil, is incompletely understood. The bird burrows have a potential to serve as refugia for cavity-adopting spider species particularly in anthropogenic habitats formed by sand mining, which otherwise suffer from a limited availability of other types of cavities. We hypothesized that the presence of abundant food resources and safe shelter in bird burrows excavated in the soil allow the existence of specialized assemblage of spiders, similarly to those known from cavities and nests made by other birds and mammals. Here we examined 353 burrows that had been previously occupied by Riparia riparia, Merops apiaster or Passer montanus. The burrows were examined in early May and early September in 24 Czech sand pits and construction sites. The burrows hosted a species-rich assemblage of spiders that, however, occurred at low abundances. The spiders were represented prevalently by species known to have distributions centered in anthropogenic and urban habitats, including species that were never observed outside of heated buildings in the study area and species that only were previously known from mammalian burrows and loess and karstic soil crevices. Spider assemblages strongly differed between bird burrows and cavities and nests made by other birds and mammals. The species composition and overall low abundance of spiders in bird burrows was unexpected and was in strong contrast to previous observations of spider assemblages in cavities and nests made by other birds and mammals. Concluded, we rejected the initial hypothesis and, instead, we have shown that bird burrows are rarely occupied by spiders and if occupied, the spider species that adopt old bird burrows and the nests inside of them predominantly consist of species known to have their distribution centered to anthropogenic and urban habitats.     

Diversity, distinctiveness and conservation status of the Mediterranean coastal dung beetle assemblage in the Regional Natural Park of the Camargue (France)

The Mediterranean region as a whole has the highest dung beetle species richness within Europe. Natural coastal habitats in this region are among those which have suffered severe human disturbance. We studied dung beetle diversity and distinctiveness within one of the most important coastal protected areas in the west Euro‐Mediterranean region (the regional Park of Camargue, southern France) and made comparisons of dung beetle assemblages with other nearby Mediterranean localities, as well as with other coastal protected area (Doñana National Park, Spain). Our finding showed that: (1) The species richness of coastal habitats in the Camargue is low and only grasslands showed a similar level of species richness and abundance to inland habitats of other Mediterranean localities. The unique habitats of the coastal area (beaches, dunes and marshes) are largely colonized by species widely distributed in the hinterland. (2) In spite of their low general distinctiveness, dune and marsh edges are characterized by the occurrence of two rare, vulnerable, specialized and large roller dung beetle species of the genus Scarabaeus. As with other Mediterranean localities, current findings suggest a recent decline of Scarabaeus populations and the general loss of coastal dung beetle communities in Camargue. (3) The comparison of dung beetle assemblages between the Camargue and Doñana shows that, in spite of the low local dung beetle species richness in the Camargue, the regional dung beetle diversity is similar between both protected areas. Unique historical and geographical factors can explain the convergence in regional diversity as well as the striking divergence in the composition of dung beetle assemblages between both territories.     

Even the Smallest Non-Crop Habitat Islands Could Be Beneficial: Distribution of Carabid Beetles and Spiders in Agricultural Landscape

Carabid beetles and ground-dwelling spiders inhabiting agroecosystems are beneficial organisms with a potential to control pest species. Intensification of agricultural management and reduction of areas covered by non-crop vegetation during recent decades in some areas has led to many potentially serious environmental problems including a decline in the diversity and abundance of beneficial arthropods in agricultural landscapes. This study investigated carabid beetle and spider assemblages in non-crop habitat islands of various sizes (50 to 18,000 square metres) within one large field, as well as the arable land within the field, using pitfall traps in two consecutive sampling periods (spring to early summer and peak summer). The non-crop habitat islands situated inside arable land hosted many unique ground-dwelling arthropod species that were not present within the surrounding arable land. Even the smallest non-crop habitat islands with areas of tens of square metres were inhabited by assemblages substantially different from these inhabiting arable land and thus enhanced the biodiversity of agricultural landscapes. The non-crop habitat area substantially affected the activity density, recorded species richness and recorded species composition of carabid and ground-dwelling spider assemblages; however, the effects were weakened when species specialised to non-crop habitats species were analysed separately. Interestingly, recorded species richness of spiders increased with non-crop habitat area, whereas recorded species richness of carabid beetles exhibited an opposite trend. There was substantial temporal variation in the spatial distribution of ground-dwelling arthropods, and contrasting patterns were observed for particular taxa (carabid beetles and spiders). In general, local environmental conditions (i.e., non-crop habitat island tree cover, shrub cover, grass cover and litter depth) were better determinants of arthropod assemblages than non-crop habitat island size, indicating that the creation of quite small but diversified (e.g., differing in vegetation cover) non-crop habitat islands could be the most efficient tool for the maintenance and enhancement of diversity of ground-dwelling carabids and spiders in agricultural landscapes.     

The importance of canopy complexity in shaping seasonal spider and beetle assemblages in saltmarsh habitats

1. Habitat structure, including vegetation structural complexity, largely determines invertebrate assemblages in semi‐natural grasslands. The importance of structural complexity to the saltmarsh invertebrate community, where the interplay between vegetation characteristics and tidal inundation is key, is less well known. 2. It was hypothesised that canopy complexity would be a more important predictor of spider and beetle assemblages than simple vegetation attributes (e.g. height, community type) and environmental variables (e.g. elevation) alone, measured in two saltmarsh regions, south‐east (Essex) and north‐west (Morecambe Bay) U.K. Canopy complexity (number of non‐vegetated ‘gaps’ in canopy ≥ 1 mm wide) was assessed using side‐on photography. Over 1500 spiders and beetles were sampled via suction sampling, winter and summer combined. 3. In summer, saltmarshes with abundant spider and beetle populations were characterised by high scores for canopy complexity often associated with tussocky grass or shrub cover. Simple vegetation attributes (plant cover, height) accounted for 26% of variation in spider abundance and 14% in spider diversity, rising to 46% and 41%, respectively, with the addition of canopy complexity score. Overwintering spider assemblages were associated with elevation and vegetation biomass. Summer beetle abundance, in particular the predatory and zoophagous group, and diversity were best explained by elevation and plant species richness. 4. Summer canopy complexity was identified as a positive habitat feature for saltmarsh spider communities (ground‐running hunters and sheet weavers) with significant ‘added value’ over more commonly measured attributes of vegetation structure.     

天然和人工固沙灌木林蜘蛛和甲虫分布与环境因子的关系

干旱区人工植被恢复驱动的土地利用变化强烈影响了地表和土栖的节肢动物群落结构及多样性。然而,我们对地表节肢动物群落关键类群-蜘蛛和甲虫对固沙植被恢复的响应及与环境变化关系的认识还很有限。以天然固沙灌木林和2种人工固沙灌木林为研究对象,运用方差分析和多变量分析等方法定量研究了干旱区天然和人工固沙植被区地表蜘蛛和甲虫分布特征及影响要素。结果表明,天然灌木林与人工梭梭、柽柳林地表蜘蛛和甲虫群落组成明显不同,人工梭梭、柽柳林地表蜘蛛活动密度和甲虫多样性均显著高于天然灌木林,而地表甲虫密度和蜘蛛多样性变化与之相反。两种人工固沙灌木林之间蜘蛛和甲虫群落组成也存在一定差异,人工柽柳林地表蜘蛛活动密度、多样性和甲虫物种丰富度均显著高于人工梭梭林。进一步分析发现,蜘蛛群落中狼蛛科、平腹蛛科、皿蛛亚科和球蛛科与甲虫群落中拟步甲科、步甲科和象甲科等一些甲虫种属对3种生境的选择模式不同决定了蜘蛛和甲虫群落聚集结构。植被、土壤环境因子与蜘蛛和甲虫pRDA和pCCA结果表明,草本生物量、凋落物量、土壤含砂量、电导率和灌木盖度是影响蜘蛛分布的主要环境因子,它们解释了82.1%的蜘蛛群落变异;灌木盖度、草本生物量、土壤pH和砂含量是影响甲虫群落分布的主要环境因子,它们解释了60.6%的甲虫群落变异。总之,人工固沙灌木恢复影响了植被和土壤环境,它们相互作用改变了荒漠-绿洲过渡区蜘蛛和甲虫等地表节肢动物的分布格局。     

Diversity of grass-dwelling spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) in calcareous fens of the Coastal Lowland,Latvia

Calcareous fens have a high conservation priority in the European Union. They are very unique, very sensitive and very rare habitats in Latvia as well as in many other European countries. Because of their rarity, many organisms living in calcareous fens are nowadays considered threatened. The same is applied to spiders. Spiders have been suggested as good biodiversity indicators because they have numerous direct and indirect relationships with other organisms. Only few investigations have been carried out on fen inhabiting spiders. The knowledge of grass-dwelling spiders is especially lacking. Thus the aim of this study was to evaluate grass-dwelling spider diversity in several calcareous fens of Latvia, compare these fens and to find out the habitat features that might affect grass-layer inhabiting spiders. The research was carried out in eight calcareous fens located in the Coastal Lowland of Latvia. A total of 760 spiders from nine families and 20 species were collected with a sweep net. Two of the most abundant spider species were Dolomedes fimbriatus (Clerck, 1757) and Tibellus maritimus (Menge, 1875). Diversity indices suggested that the grass-dwelling spider community consists of few abundant species and numerous rare species. Correlation analysis as well as DCA showed that plant species diversity did not significantly affect spider species richness and diversity, although at the same time there were a lot of significant associations between spiders and individual plant species. It was shown that various spider species responded very differently to the presence of particular plant species, and thus habitat structural heterogeneity emerges to be an important factor influencing the grass-dwelling spider diversity and community structure. Correlation analysis also revealed that spider abundance was negatively affected by the vegetation height and wind speed.     

Comparing the effects of farming practices on ground beetle (Coleoptera: Carabidae) and spider (Araneae) assemblages of Scottish farmland

Multivariate techniques were used to compare and contrast the effects of land cover and farming practice on ground beetle and spider assemblages of Scottish farmland. For both ground beetles and spiders, the ordination and fuzzy clustering of sites were related to land cover rather than geographical location or year of sampling. The same four types of land cover group were identified: that is, heather moorland, semi-natural grassland, intensive grassland and arable land. The robustness of these land cover groups was tested using previously unsampled sites and it was found that 79 and 86% of sites, for ground beetle and spider assemblages respectively, were allocated to the land cover group predicted from their actual land cover. Furthermore, procrustes rotational analysis found a strong relationship between ground beetle and spider assemblages in intensively managed sites, suggesting that the assemblage structure of one group could be used to predict that of the other. The observed relationship between spider and ground beetle assemblages does not necessarily indicate that both groups were responding to agricultural practices in the same way. Indeed, the highest number of beetle species occurred in intensively managed grassland and arable sites while the highest number of spider species occurred in semi-natural grassland and heather sites. When conducting ecological assessments, one might wish to collect information on a wide range of ecologically different taxa; however, financial constraints make this unfeasible. From the results it could be concluded that spiders should be chosen in preference to ground beetles when seeking to make predictions on how farming practices influence invertebrates. However, such a conclusion would be premature since not only were spiders more numerous in the traps, but they were also more time consuming to process. In addition, the strong relationship found between the spider and ground beetle assemblages further justifies carabids as a target group when monitoring the influence of farming practices on biodiversity.     

Importance of habitat structure to the arthropod food-web in Douglas-fir canopies

This study tested the hypothesis that habitat structure dictates the distribution and community composition of arboreal arthropods. A diverse arthropod assemblage of Douglas-fir canopies, which included Araneae, Psocoptera, Collembola and Homoptera, was chosen as a model system. Habitat structural diversity, defined as needle density and branching complexity of Douglas-fir branches, was manipulated in a four-month experiment by needle removal, thinning and tying of branches. Abundance of canopy spiders declined significantly following needle density reduction and branch thinning, branch tying significantly increased spider abundance. Distinct habitat utilization patterns were found among individual spider guilds. Orb weavers (Araneidae) dominated spider assemblages in structurally simple habitats, whereas tied branches were colonized primarily by sheet-web weavers (Linyphiidae) and nocturnal hunting spiders (Anyphaenidae and Clubionidae). Spider species richness and average body size of several spider species increased in structurally more complex habitats. Arboreal spiders appeared to be limited by strong bottom-up effects in the form of habitat quality and, to a lesser degree, prey availability. Habitat manipulations did not affect densities or biomass of flying arthropod colonists in the branch vicinity. Needle removal and branch thinning led to a significant decline in the abundance of Psocoptera and Collembola. Tying of branches resulted in an eight-fold increase in Collembola numbers, organisms most sensitive to habitat alterations. Canopy habitat structure modified vertical dispersal of Collembola from forest litter, which may have significant implications for arboreal consumers. Our results lend strong support to the importance of habitat structural diversity in explaining general patterns of arthropod abundance and diversity on plants.     

Differences in Coprophilous Beetle Communities Structure in Sierra de Minas (Uruguay): a Mosaic Landscape

Coprophilous beetles represent an abundant and rich group with critical importance in the functioning of terrestrial ecosystems. Most coprophagous beetles have a stenotopic distribution in relation to vegetation types. Because of this, they are usually very sensitive to environmental changes and are considered well suited as bioindicator organisms. The aim of this study was to analyze variations in coprophilous beetle assemblages in natural and anthropogenic habitats. Coprophilous beetle communities were sampled monthly for 1?year using pitfall traps baited with cow dung, in native xeric upland forests, 15-years-old plantations of Pinus elliottii and pastures in Sierra de Minas, Lavalleja, Uruguay. A total of 7,436 beetles were caught and identified to species or morphospecies level. The most abundant families were Aphodiidae, Scarabaeidae, and Staphylinidae. Differences in species richness, abundance, Shannon index, evenness, and dominance were detected between habitats. Abundances of most frequent families were significantly higher in both kinds of forests. Species richness and diversity of Aphodiidae and Staphylinidae were higher in forests, while Scarabaeidae showed the highest richness and diversity in pine plantations. Species composition significantly differed between habitats. Uroxys terminalis Waterhouse and Ataenius perforatus Harold typified the assemblages in native forests and pine plantations and also discriminated both communities because of their differential pattern of abundance between habitats. Typifying species in pastures were Onthophagus hirculus, Ateuchus robustus (Harold), and Ataenius platensis Blanchard. Habitat type had a strong effect on the coprophilous beetle community structure and composition.     

小兴安岭阔叶红松林地表甲虫Beta多样性

Beta多样性用来衡量集群内物种组成的变异性,可以被分解为空间物种转换和物种集群镶嵌两个组分,是揭示群落构建机制的重要基础。目前开展了较多的地上生态系统beta多样性研究,然而地下生态系统beta多样性进展缓慢。以小兴安岭凉水和丰林自然保护区为研究地区,于2015年8、10月采用陷阱法对阔叶红松林进行调查,揭示地表甲虫(步甲科、隐翅虫科、葬甲科)的beta多样性。结果表明:(1)凉水共发现39种、856只地表甲虫,丰林共发现43种、1182只地表甲虫。8月凉水明显具有较高的全部甲虫(三个科的总和)物种多样性和丰富度,10月正好相反。(2)凉水和丰林之间地表甲虫beta多样性的差异仅发现于8月的步甲科和葬甲科之间。(3)凉水和丰林地表甲虫的beta多样性主要由空间物种转换组成,物种集群镶嵌对beta多样性的贡献很小,说明地表甲虫物种组成变异主要由本地物种之间较高的转换引起。研究表明小兴安岭阔叶红松林地表甲虫的beta多样性主要由空间物种转换组成,在揭示群落构建机制过程中,其内部物种交换和环境调控不容忽视。     

Spider diversity in epiphytes: Can shade coffee plantations promote the conservation of cloud forest assemblages?

Cloud forests (CF) are disappearing due to anthropogenic causes such as cultivation. A characteristic feature of the CF is that a high proportion of its biomass occurs in the form of epiphytes, which are vital microhabitats to canopy dwelling arthropods. Coffee plantations overlap with CF and replace them. Epiphytes are abundant in shade coffee (SC) plantations and therefore these plants are an appropriate background for comparing the diversity between these systems. Spiders are understudied in canopies, and since they are major predators and their communities are highly sensitive to environmental changes, they can be used to test the similarity between habitats. We conducted a diversity assay of spiders living in epiphytes in cloud forest fragments and SC plantations, to test the hypothesis that SC plantations function as refugia. We manually sampled epiphytes within the canopy of two coffee plantations and two fragments of cloud forest in central Veracruz, Mexico. Our results show that SC plantations account for higher spider abundance and species richness than cloud forest fragments, there is little overlap between the species found in both systems, and the range of distribution and the guild structure of the spider assemblages between both systems is similar. As there were no significant differences between cloud forest fragments and SC plantations in terms of spider species assemblages, species distribution and guild structure the epiphytes from the SC plantations can be consider a refuge for the spider fauna from the surrounding cloud forest fragments. Epiphyte load and tree height are important factors driving the differentiation at community level, between sites and habitats. Bromeliads harbored more spiders than the other types of epiphytes, and since these plants are frequently removed by farmers or extracted for commercial and religious purposes, we suggest that preserving epiphytes in coffee plantations and cloud forest fragments could aid in the conservation of spiders.     

Tree Species Richness Strengthens Relationships between Ants and the Functional Composition of Spider Assemblages in a Highly Diverse Forest

In species‐rich ecosystems, such as subtropical and tropical forests, higher trophic level interactions are key mediators of ecosystem functioning. Plant species loss may alter these interactions, but the effects of plant diversity might be modified by intraguild interactions, particularly among predators. We analyzed the relationships between spiders and ants, two dominant predatory arthropod taxa, on tree saplings across a gradient from medium to high woody plant species richness in a subtropical forest in Southeast China. Neither ant nor spider total biomass was significantly related to plant species richness. By contrast, the biomass distribution of web‐building and hunting spiders changed and spider family richness increased in the presence of ants, resulting in more web builder‐dominated assemblages. However, these relationships depended on the plant communities, and were stronger in plots with higher plant species richness. Our results indicate that in addition to potential effects of ants on hunting spiders in particular, ants could indirectly influence intraguild interactions within spider assemblages. The observed shifts in the spider assemblages with increasing ant presence and plant species richness may have functional consequences, as web‐building and hunting spiders have distinct prey spectra. The relationships among ants, spiders, and plant species richness might contribute to explaining the non‐significant relationship between the overall effects of predators and plant diversity previously observed in the same forest plots. Our findings thus give insight into the complexity of biotic interactions in such species‐rich ecosystems.     

Phenotypic differentiation within a foundation grass species correlates with species richness in a subalpine community

The effects of species loss on ecosystems depend on the community’s functional diversity (FD). However, how FD responds to environmental changes is poorly understood. This applies particularly to higher trophic levels, which regulate many ecosystem processes and are strongly affected by human-induced environmental changes. We analyzed how functional richness (FRic), evenness (FEve), and divergence (FDiv) of important generalist predators—epigeic spiders—are affected by changes in woody plant species richness, plant phylogenetic diversity, and stand age in highly diverse subtropical forests in China. FEve and FDiv of spiders increased with plant richness and stand age. FRic remained on a constant level despite decreasing spider species richness with increasing plant species richness. Plant phylogenetic diversity had no consistent effect on spider FD. The results contrast with the negative effect of diversity on spider species richness and suggest that functional redundancy among spiders decreased with increasing plant richness through non-random species loss. Moreover, increasing functional dissimilarity within spider assemblages with increasing plant richness indicates that the abundance distribution of predators in functional trait space affects ecological functions independent of predator species richness or the available trait space. While plant diversity is generally hypothesized to positively affect predators, our results only support this hypothesis for FD—and here particularly for trait distributions within the overall functional trait space—and not for patterns in species richness. Understanding the way predator assemblages affect ecosystem functions in such highly diverse, natural ecosystems thus requires explicit consideration of FD and its relationship with species richness.     

Effects of tree species diversity on a community of weaver spiders in a tropical forest plantation

The effects of producer diversity on predators have received little attention in arboreal plant communities, particularly in the tropics. This is particularly true in the case of tree diversity effects on web‐building spiders, one of the most important groups of invertebrate predators in terrestrial plant communities. We evaluated the effects of tree species diversity on the community of weaver spiders associated with big‐leaf mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla) in 19, 21 × 21‐m plots (64 plants/plot) of a tropical forest plantation which were either mahogany monocultures (12 plots) or polycultures (seven plots) that included mahogany and three other tree species. We conducted two surveys of weaver spiders on mahogany trees to evaluate the effects of tree diversity on spider abundance, species richness, diversity, and species composition associated with mahogany. Our results indicated that tree species mixtures exhibited significantly greater spider abundance, species richness, and diversity, as well as differences in spider species composition relative to monocultures. These results could be due to species polycultures providing a broader range of microhabitat conditions favoring spider species with different habitat requirements, a greater availability of web‐building sites, or due to increased diversity or abundance of prey. Accordingly, these results emphasize the importance of mixed forest plantations for boosting predator abundance and diversity and potentially enhancing herbivore pest suppression. Future work is necessary to determine the specific mechanisms underlying these patterns as well as the top‐down effects of increased spider abundance and species richness on herbivore abundance and damage.     

甘肃子午岭天然次生林区三种植被类型中土壤蜘蛛群落的组成及多样性

2004年4—10月,在甘肃子午岭天然次生林区采用巴氏诱罐法采集土壤蜘蛛2164头,隶属于19科43种。研究表明辽东栎林(Quercusliaotungensis)、油松林(Pinustabulaeformis)和杨树林(Populusdavidiana)3种森林植被类型中土壤蜘蛛群落组成有明显的差异;不同生境蜘蛛群落的组成成分和多样性指数各异;从各生境中捕获的蜘蛛个体数量分析,皿蛛科、平腹蛛科和科狼蛛科的数量最多,优势类群的组成相似;各生境类型中蜘蛛功能集团的组成及多样性也有明显差异。同时,分析了影响蜘蛛群落组成和多样性的主要因子是生境的植被类型和生境异质性。     

坝上地区农田及两种恢复生境中蜘蛛多样性与群落特征

蜘蛛是农田生态系统中重要的自然天敌,其生物多样性及群落特征直接决定了农田的害虫控制等生态系统服务功能质量。农田及其周边的恢复生境是蜘蛛重要的栖息地。本研究采用陷阱法,对河北省张家口市崇礼区871、1360、1635 m 3个海拔农田、自然恢复草地及人工修复林地的蜘蛛群落的物种组成、物种多样性和功能特征进行研究,分析不同恢复生境中蜘蛛群落特征。结果表明: 不同生境蜘蛛的物种多样性指数差异明显,人工修复林地蜘蛛的多度为124.3只,显著高于自然恢复草地(70.1)及农田(38.6)的蜘蛛多度;人工修复林地(16.3)与自然恢复草地(21.4)的物种丰富度没有显著差别,但均显著高于农田(8.9);人工修复林地(2.04)及自然恢复草地(2.05)的Shannon多样性指数差异不显著,且均显著高于农田(1.55)。3种生境的蜘蛛群落组成均具有显著差异;蜘蛛体长与蜘蛛捕猎类型呈正相关,大型蜘蛛倾向于通过捕猎获取食物;自然恢复草地与农田蜘蛛以游猎型为主,而人工修复林地倾向于拥有更多的结网型蜘蛛,高海拔地区的蜘蛛体积通常较小。自然恢复草地与人工修复林地均可以提升蜘蛛群落多样性,在区域生物多样性保护中起重要作用;不同生境蜘蛛群落组成出现了显著分化,即蜘蛛群落总体的功能特征发生改变和保留了部分生境特有种。2种恢复生境蜘蛛多样性指标优于农田生境,且2种恢复生境物种组成存在差异,均具有保护特有种的功能,研究结果对农田及区域尺度蜘蛛生物多样性保护与恢复具有指导意义。