Quality not quantity: conserving species of low mobility and dispersal capacity in south-western Australian urban remnants

Abstract

Urban remnant vegetation is subject to varying degrees of disturbance that may or may not be proportional to the size of the patch. The impact of disturbance within patches on species with low mobility and dispersal capabilities was investigated in a survey targeting nemesiid species of the mygalomorph spider clade in the Perth metropolitan area, south-western Australia. Nemesiid presence was not influenced by patch size, but presence did negatively correlate with higher degrees of invasive grass and rabbit disturbance. Further, patch size was significantly positively correlated with degree of disturbance caused by rabbits. Compared with quadrats, patches were not as effective as sample units in determining the impact of disturbance on nemesiid presence.