Habitat structure influences the spider fauna of short-rotation poplar plantations more than forest age

Abstract

Plantation forests comprise an important part of the forested areas in European countries. Intensive forestry management and short-rotation cycles of plantation forests reduce habitat diversity and change the composition of invertebrate assemblages, mainly by reducing the number of habitat specialist species. Here, we analysed the effect of vegetation structure, amount of dead organic matter (DOM) and plantation age on spider functional diversity and assemblage structure in short-rotation plantations of native silver poplar in Hungary. Three stages, representing young plantations, 6- to 10-year-old stands (five stands), middle-aged plantations, aged between 23 and 26 years (five stands) and mature, 35- to 37-year-old forests at commercial maturity (five stands) were sampled. Each sample consisted of the data of ten pitfall traps. Traps were installed 5 m from each other in a 2 × 5 grid. Functional diversity was positively related to vegetation structure. High functional diversity indicates a higher number of available niches and potential resources. The abundance of moist habitat species and forest specialist species was positively correlated with DOM. Furthermore, moist habitat species were also related to vegetation structure. The most important environmental parameters affecting spiders were factors attributed to trees (litter and DOM), understory vegetation structure and, to a lesser extent, forest age. Different-aged stands may be similar in terms of species composition of their spider fauna if they comprise the same habitat structural patterns. Our study emphasises that the simple habitat structure of plantation forests has a negative effect on spider communities.